Tubkal, Tarroundant, Taghazout, Essoueira, Marrakech

We started our trip from IMILIL, small village 2h away from Marrakech sitting at the feet of JEBEL TOUBKAL - the highest mountain in North America.

We did not have to much time so we went for 1 day hike option. We had a local 70 year old guide who also was our host and cook!

The village IMILIL is on 1740 m high and the views are beautiful even before you start the hike.

The views were breathtaking so we even forgot about the 100 F heat...

The house of our guide was very basic but the views both from the room and from the roof were amazing.

Dinner served - Lamb TEJINE on the rooftop!

Life here is very simple - river is washing machine, sun the dryer and donkey a truck.

After over an hour of bargaining we managed to get a taxi for reasonable price which then took us to our next stop - small city Taroundannt.

The town is very laid-back but with the atmosphere of an activity that is missing in Agadir.

I loved all the fresh fruits sold on the street - freshly pealed and squized and so incredibly juicy!

Some of the typical views on streets in Morocco - women in Jellabas.

And here it is - the first market - LE SOUK...many more to come!

wondering around in Tauranndant...

This laid-back fishing village used to be famous for calamari and hippies. Now mostly popular with surfers.

In tiny Taghazout there is not much more to do than relax!

Brasing sea breezes and picture-postcard ramparts made Erroueira one of my favorite places on our trip.

Chilled out, artsy atmosphere are great and especially the fact that tourism has not totally taken over the town!

The port remains a hive of activity with fisherman and boat builders getting on with daily life much as it has been for centuries.

And even the touristy places are still great: our Riad, lunch fresh seafood market, roof top bar facing the sea.

The name of the town comes from Essaouira - "well designed"

Narrow winding streets lined with colorful shops, whitewashed houses and heavy old wooden doors make it a wonderful place to stroll.

Also the SOUK here was my favorite one - easy to navigate, not to big and packed with art galleries and workshops. Much less commercial than one in Marrakech

And the best is to come in the evening - great sunset views...

The streets are full of live even at night. And for a goodnight nothing better than Shisha :-)

Marrakech was the last stop and the hottest as well - over 120 F!

Its amazing that just few min away from the crowded center, at the end of small streets you can find the oasis - RIAD.

Ri ad NEJMA LOUNGE was super cool. Traditional but cool at the same time.

The roof top lounge area was so great that even the 120F heat could not discourage me from spending quite some time there!

Marrakech if full of contrasts; traditional vs modern, donkeys vs BMW, lejabas vs Gucci...

wondering around on the streets in Marrakech On the right ladies making fresh KHOOBZ (Maroccan-style pita bread)

Once again - although hot that even watermelon guys cannot make it - more traditional Moroccans continue to wear the Jelabas.

Huge square in the medina - DJEMAA EL-FNA is the focal point of the city. Calm during the day cause of the heat ....

at night goes literally crazy! My favorite part was the food market where we tired EVERYTHING....

Around the Medina its just one biiiiiiiig SOUK, you don't even know where one shop finishes and the other st arts....

Often I felt a bit lost and overwhelmed. Like in the babouches shop - After looooong decision making process i went for classic yellow.

Each product has its alley - so you have an alley with leather products, another one with spices, another with ceramics and so on.

I do agree that it is amazing place for shopping and you can find lots of good quality products really cheap.

You absolutely need to love burgeoning though - otherwise you will be tired & annoyed soon - you have to accept that bargaining is the part of the culture.
I - with being inpatient but stingy at the same time - was often struggling with that...

Photos from some of the RIADs we stayed in and visited.

One of the best places to relax - RIAD's roof tops.....

I had to check the NIKKI BEACH Marrakech - great music although the service was horrible.