MOROCCO || Fés & North Morocco - travel vlog (Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca) 15 Degrees North

15° North are travelling again! This time we are in North Morocco, visiting the ancient city of Fés before heading out to Chefchaouen, Volubulis, Rabat and Casablanca.
Jérémy and Ben here again! We love to travel and to satisfy our wanderlust, we are on a European roadtrip exploring the best places for a city break on the continent. We love to escape Britain to experience the best culture, cuisine and attractions that the world has to offer. If you’re a tourist like us and just need a good itinerary for what to do and how to do it when you’re in Morocco, we will show you the best things to put on your itinerary.
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Morocco is a country in the Maghreb, located in the north-west corner of Africa, bordering both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Separated from Spain by only eight miles of water, these countries may be close but their cultures are miles apart.
One of the most liberal Arabic nations, Morocco is a Muslim country and is ruled by a monarchy, which was instated after its independence in 1956. Previously, Morocco had been divided between Spain in the North and France in the south, and their influence can be seen all over the country.
We started our trip in the north, driving a loop that starts in Fes. The second-largest city in Morocco, Fes used to be its capital. Located inland, its high altitude gives it a much cooler climate than its other cities. Containing two vast and sprawling medinas, its centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s largest urban pedestrian zones. Known as the Mecca of the West, the city has many spiritual sights, as well as their most famed landmark; the tanneries.
A tannery is where animal skins are treated to become leather and there has been a tannery on this spot since the ninth century. The process of creating the leather has remained unchanged since then and today, you can see the workers following the exact same traditions as their ancestors, as they have been for over a thousand years. Each of the pools contain dyes or liquids used for softening the skins, before the hides are hung in the sun to dry. It’s a fascinating attraction as it really does feel like stepping back in time.
From Fes, we head north. If you’re into ancient ruins, Volubulis is definitely worth a stop. The ancient Carthaginian capital of the region that was then expanded by the Romans, it continued to be occupied until eleventh century when it was abandoned to move the capital to Fes. According to historical accounts, the ruins remained remarkably intact for centuries, before an earthquake flattened most of the city in the eighteenth century.
In the north, we arrive at Morocco’s most Insta-famous town; Chefchaouen. Also known as the ‘Blue Pearl’. Founded in the fifteenth century, there are many theories as to why Chefchouen is painted blue. On a practical level, the colour blue is known to repel mosquitos. Another theory is that blue serves a religious purpose, to symbolise heaven - which is above the blue sky - and remind the people daily to lead a spiritual life. However, some locals say that in the 1970s, there was a mandate from the local government that instructed everyone in the town to paint their houses blue. Whichever is the truth - and I suspect that it’s probably a combination of all of the above - the result is something really quite stunning.
Next we head to the Atlantic coast, visiting first the country’s capital; Rabat. By no means the country’s largest city, it is however its administrative centre, with all the government building located here. It has a small medina inside a kasbah perched above the sea, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And beyond these walls, Rabat is a gleaming modern city with wide boulevards, modern architecture and lush green spaces. It’s a twenty-first century city that feels nothing like the rest of Morocco at all.
An hour away is Casablanca. Famed in the Anglo-world for the classic movie of the same name, its filming location “Rick’s Bar” can be visited if you’re dressed appropriately. Casablanca’s main attraction is the Hassan II Mosque, which Africa’s largest and includes the second largest minaret in the world, which is sixty stories high. Completed in 1993, it sits in a plaza on a promontory jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. Altogther, the mosque and the plaza have a capacity for 105,000 people.
We close the loop of our road-trip by heading back toward Fes. But not before stopping in the mountains nearby to drop in on some Barbary macaques living in the wild! Roaming free in the forest, this species can only be found in two locations in the entire world; here in the Atlas Mountains and on the Rock of Gibraltar.