We are going to Spain( West Andalucia coast near Portugal) and Portugal(southwest coast) in July. Can anyone recommend good beaches, interesting towns, etc. Also advise us on how safe it is for Americans to travel in Morocco?
Barry
03-24-2007, 08:08 AM
We are going to Spain( West Andalucia coast near Portugal) and Portugal(southwest coast) in July. Can anyone recommend good beaches, interesting towns, etc. Also advise us on how safe it is for Americans to travel in Morocco?https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Flag_of_Portugal.svg/32px-Flag_of_Portugal.svg.pngHow Wonderful! I love Portugal! It's been about 30 years since I've been there so I can't tell you any specifics, but the people, countryside and beaches are just delightful!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Flag_of_Morocco.svg/32px-Flag_of_Morocco.svg.pngI went to Morocco on the same trip, way before 9/11, but I suspect the same is true today, rather than terrorists, the thing you need watch out for is the kids! They will swarm you in one of the narrow passage ways and do their best to distract you while their little hands try to pilfer whatever they can find in your pockets, etc. Keep every thing attached to you and securely fastened!
The adults were honest to the extent that they wouldn't steal from you, but take every advantage to charge you 3 - 5 times the going rate for whatever you want.
That said, it's a marvelous country! I it's really someplace different, especially as you go further south.
Don't miss the Alhambra (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra)in Granada, Spain!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Alhambra_Generalife_fountains.jpg/200px-Alhambra_Generalife_fountains.jpg
Salima
03-25-2007, 09:21 AM
My daughter and I traveled to Spain and Morroco last year. It was wonderful. Travel is slow and long distances between areas but visiting Marakesh and Fez is a must. Stay in Riads. they are economical and beautiful. Travel from spain by ferry took us much longer than palaned due to canceled ferry's, early closing of buses and trains to certain points from algecerias...but even so, we had a nice hotel and quiet night in algecerias (unplanned) before going to busy Granada.I would fly next time. Train travel is very interesting, the people were helpful and kind. It is good to know french and some arabic. Make sure you know of train line changes before you get on the train. Be ready for missed connections and a delight of your senses.
The government has guides in Fez..it is inexpensive ( 25 american) and a good orientation to a circular and ancient old town. the riads are mostly in the old town also. have a great trip.
Sonomamark
03-25-2007, 09:44 PM
I lived in Spain 1989-90 and have traveled quite a bit in both Portugal and Morocco.
I suggest that if you possibly can, you go to Sevilla. The Alhambra is Europe's most spectacular example of Islamic architecture, and its gardens are charming.
In Portugal, eat the fish: it's fresh, and excellent. They're also quite adept at cheese and olives.
The Algarve is beautiful--it will also be jammed with tourists (mostly German and English) in July. Beaches at Lagos are stunning--be sure to go to Sagres, the "End of the World" in the Middle Ages, where there is now a youth hostel in the Fortaleza, where Henry II founded his School of Navigation and trained the Portuguese sailors who explored the world.
I recommend the old and charming city of Evora. Galleried streets, a Roman temple of Diane, an old church with a small ossuary.
Lisbon is also a charming and old city. The view from the castle atop the hill is great, and I recommend seeing a fado show in the old Arab quarter. There's an Art Nouveau funicular by Eiffel. A great walking city: lots of tilework, though crumbling--Portugal is the poorest Western European nation, as they put all their eggs in their income from African colonies, and crashed when they lost them.
A lot has changed in Morocco, I imagine, since September 11 and George's War. I don't know how safe it is. It is a magical country, some of my most vivid memories. In July, it will be well over 100 degrees every day--I was there in August and it reached 120 in Marrakech. Drink a lot of water.
You will be beseiged by people wanting to be your guide. You might as well hire one, to keep the others away. Check out a guidebook to find out how much to pay him (it will be a him).
I strongly recommend that you do not take anything to Morocco you are not willing to part with. Do not wear jewelry or a watch, keep passports, key documents and money in a hotel safe and only carry as much as you need in a given day--in a money belt, next to your skin. Morocco is an extremely poor country and there is a great deal of theft--not so much strong-arm robbery as pickpocketing, etc. I do not recommend going anywhere where you think you are alone--this is true in Spain, too. An empty street is a less safe street. Crowds are witnesses, and the Moroccan police are brutal to accused criminals.
However hot it is, be sensitive to where you are. Don't wear shorts or a short skirt--knee-length is okay, but pants are better. Women travelers that I've spoken with felt comfortable with a head covering--it's going to be incredibly hot, anyway, so you'll probably be glad of a scarf.
Tanger, the gateway to Europe from Africa, is, like most such cities, a rough place, and it's a good idea to get through it and move on elsewhere. Fes is magnificent, with a tremendous medina. Marrakech is simply otherworldly--the Djemma el Fna at night is unlike anything you've ever seen. Snake charmers. Storytellers. The first night I was there, a sandstorm.
On up into the Atlas Mountains, there are charming Berber villages. On the other side, the Sahara, and the oases. Again, utter magic.
The two big "beach towns" in Morocco are Essouira and Agadir, but I haven't been to either of them.
The Moroccan rail system doesn't run all that often, but it does run. A good way to get around.
That's about all--have a great trip!
SonomaMark
We are going to Spain( West Andalucia coast near Portugal) and Portugal(southwest coast) in July. Can anyone recommend good beaches, interesting towns, etc. Also advise us on how safe it is for Americans to travel in Morocco?
rbulwa
03-29-2007, 11:42 AM
I originally posted this directly to Amalia, but since a string has started, I will post it here publicly.
I have travelled in Morocco four times over the years, most recently by car for three weeks in 2000, when we also drove through Spain and Portugal. You will feel safe in Morocco, though it is definitely not recommended for woman to travel or walk cities alone. The main hassle in the constant harassment related to money. They figure, and rightly so, that you are rich (compared to them) since you are able to travel through their country. You have to develop your skills quickly in saying no, or wagging your finger to indicate you are not interested in buying or having a guide, or etc. You will learn to eat tagine and cous cous with your fingers, and the dark bread and hariri soup is wonderful.
The countryside is beautiful, and you will see a different world in the old cities of Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Meknes and especially Marrakesh. Some of the smaller cities such as Chefchaouen and Teroudand, and coastal cities such as Essouira and Safi are worth visiting. It helps to have a car.
Some added comments: I agree with most of SonomaMark's comments, although he will, of course, realize that the Alcazar is the moorish attaction in Sevilla, as the Alhambra is in Granada. I personally prefer the Alcazar's wood (as opposed to the Granada's plaster) architecture. Sevilla is a very attractive destination, and easily accessable from Portugal on the way to (or from) Morocco. Go during the Ferias if at all possible. From Porto in Portugal, there is a wonderful drive up the Duoro River valley to the area where the Port grapes are grown. And yes, it is worth a visit to the Algarve, we also visited the Ossuary in Evora (my wife loves that stuff). Mark, Agadir is not an attractive Moroccan coastal town, as it has become a big tourist center. The old city completely burned 50 years ago, and it is all new since then. But Safi is a pottery center, and Essouira has a large boat building and repair area along the docks, along with great outdoor seafood stands. There are also Roman ruins worth visiting at Volubilis and Lixus.
For those who are interested, our website chronicles through diaries and photos our 2000 seven month trip though 28 countries of Europe and North Africa, at: https://www.bulwa.com/