My step Father Enrico, my cousin Fernando, and I decided to ride Morocco. After much research I thought it best to join a tour group to show us the ins and outs rather than spending the usual days and months researching routes, weather, accommodation etc. There are what looks to be a few dodgy providers online however we seem to have hit it lucky with Hispania Tours (a group based out of Malaga in Spain) who offer various routes and rides throughout Europe and Morocco.
The Ladies prepped and ready to go…
Enrico and I departed London on the bikes on the 16th and headed for Portsmouth where we caught a 24h ferry to Santander in Northern Spain. After departing the ferry at 18h30 on the 17th we did a quick 250km blitz to a tiny town called Valoria La Buena and stayed at a fantastic little boutique hotel called Concejo Hospederia. The hotel proprietor (Enrique) was kind enough to show us around the next day and explain the fascinating 1000 year old history of the property which has been in his family for hundreds of years. They also make their own wine which at first I was sceptical of but was genuinely blown away by how good their 100% Tempranillo is. I will definitely be seeking it out when I get back home!!
We departed for Seville on the morning of the 18th and after an uneventful 600km ride arrived to stay at what is one of my favourite hotels in the world, the Hotel Alfonso XIII which never fails to impress. Fernando met us there on the morning of the 19th and the three of us rode together to Malaga where we met the group riding together to Morocco with Hispania tours on the 20th.
The day finally arrived. All the riders met up at the offices of HT and a very wet and slow departure from Malaga set the initial tone for todays ride! The ferry for Tangier, Morocco departed from Tarifa at 14h00 and by the time we got to Tangier the skies had cleared and the moods had lifted with the anticipation of the upcoming ride. the ferry ride is a quick and frenetic 1 hour traversal across the straits of Gibraltar and then its passport control, bike clearances and we were off….and what a first days ride it was!!!!!
Although the direct route from Tangier to Chefchaouen is probably only an hour, Volker (Hispania Tours group leader) led our group of 6 experienced riders on a detour along a coastal road that twisted and turned on beautiful roads for km after km. Our arrival in Chefchaouen was no less dramatic as the entire town is painted in a vivid blue and couldn’t be a more exotic welcoming into Northern Africa. Our first night was spent at a small and tucked away Riad called Casa Hassan which was basic but clean, quaint and beautiful.
It was amazing (although it was only the first morning!) to be woken by the call to prayer from the nearby mosque at 05h00 and to hear the sounds of day breaking in Chefchouan. The town is situated in the mountains and the combination of early morning fog, sunrise, the sounds and smells of the town, coffee brewing and bread baking make you realise that the modern world has hardly touched some of these places in Africa which continue largely as they have for the last few hundred years.
Todays ride from Chefchouan to Fez was another beautiful and dramatic 200km of twisty mountain roads and small quaint villages. The group is getting to know each other better and looks like we have found some guys that are compatible riding partners in that we all have similar experience which makes for fast and fun roads. We got into Fez at lunch time and are staying at a Marriott which is modern and clean but lacks any personality. The afternoon was spent exploring the ancient medina of Fez which was built between 789 and 808 AD and remains pretty much the same today as it was when it was built.
Chefchaouen to Fez…
Fez to Errichidia…
Errichidia to Merzouga…
Ourzazate to Taroudant..
Taroudant to Marrakech..
Marrakech to Rabat..
Rabat back to Tangier where the trip ended and we said goodbye to the group…
