Crowds filling Jemaa el-Fnaa square at sunset, with food stalls on the right and the Koutoubia minaret in the distance, Marrakech

Morocco: Souks to Atlas

May 2023 9 days

Medina alleys in Marrakech, a camp in the Agafay stone desert, Atlantic wind in Essaouira and clouds sliding down the Atlas at Imlil.

Marrakech

A man sweeping a cobbled medina alley under a stone arch, with rugs hanging on the walls, Marrakech — Sweeping the medina at opening time

A cobbled souk street lined with woven baskets, rugs and fabrics, Marrakech — Souk lane lined with rugs and baskets

A crowded medina street below a green-tiled roof and a red Moroccan flag, Marrakech — A red flag over the medina

The tiled minaret of the Kasbah Mosque rising above a square with passing tourists, Marrakech — The Kasbah Mosque minaret

Pierced brass lanterns hanging beneath a red awning above a pink medina courtyard, Marrakech — Brass lanterns in a courtyard

Dozens of colorful metal lanterns hanging from the ceiling of a rooftop terrace, Marrakech — Lanterns on a rooftop terrace

Wooden bins filled with dried flowers and bright blue, red and green pigments in a souk, Marrakech — Dried flowers and pigments

Carved cedar beams and ornate stucco columns seen past a banana leaf in a courtyard, Marrakech — Carved cedar and stucco

Worn black, white and turquoise zellige tiles with a patch of bare clay, Marrakech — Worn zellige tiles

The ruined walls and sunken courtyard of El Badi Palace under a cloudy blue sky, Marrakech — El Badi Palace

Four dark silhouettes of people walking in line painted on a pale wall above a cobbled street, Marrakech — Silhouettes on a medina wall

Pierced metal lanterns hanging above a cobbled souk lane in the evening light, Marrakech — Lantern lane at golden hour

Agafay Desert

Pale stony desert hills under heavy storm clouds, Agafay Desert — Stone desert near Marrakech

Sand-colored tents, white sofas and a colorful rug at a desert camp, Agafay Desert — Camp in the Agafay Desert

Essaouira

People walking over rocks and tide pools at low tide, with a stone bastion on the left, Essaouira — Low tide below the sea bastion

A whitewashed Essaouira street with straw hats and a minaret, framed by an open window, Essaouira — Essaouira through a window

Sandstone ramparts and a round tower against a clear blue sky, Essaouira — The Skala ramparts

Woven baskets and straw bags stacked outside a doorway in a stone wall, Essaouira — Baskets by the old walls

Imlil

Red-brown Atlas Mountain ridges above a green valley of trees under grey clouds, Imlil — Atlas foothills in May

Two round stone grinding mills and a basket of nuts on a colorful woven rug on a terrace, Imlil — Stone mills on a woven rug

A window with orange curtains and striped cushions looking out on a misty green mountainside, Imlil — Clouds over the valley

A long table set with clay bowls of soup, bread, dates and olives, Imlil — Dinner at the guesthouse

A hand holding a glass of orange juice in front of a waterfall in the Atlas Mountains, Imlil — Orange juice by the waterfall