2: The Long Way Round

Most people travelling by ferry to Morocco disembark at Tanger Med port. We would have done this too as we did last time, but for the fact that we couldn't get dog-friendly accommodation on the Portsmouth - Santander ferry. We could have arrived in Nador and nipped westwards along the Mediterranean coast to join one of the popular routes south via Chefchaouen & Fez but we did that route last time, so decide to take the opportunity Nador presents us with to travel down the east side of the country to the Sahara and beyond - the long way round.

So, instead of coming out of the port and turning right, we turn left and head in the direction of Algeria to the seaside town of Saidia.

Saidia is known as the Blue Pearl of the Mediterranean. It has the longest beach in Morocco - an impressive 14km of fine, golden sand and in the season, it is a popular beach holiday destination. It's quiet at this time of year and when we arrive the campsite looks well and truly closed but this is Morocco and things are always flexible, a lady from a nearby restaurant waves us down, the man with the key for the campsites gates is rustled up and we're in!

The campsite is very near the seafront and we are dying for some fresh air and to stretch our legs. The dogs have been cooped up for a couple of days and are as keen as mustard!

The beach lives up to its reputation, it's lovely and has a number of beachfront cafes - it would be rude not to stop, so we sit and while away the time watching the waves - Janette looks a bit chilly in the photo and it isn't sunbathing weather but it's truly glorious.

You can walk along the beach right up to the militarised zone that separates Morocco from Algeria. The border, which stretches for 1,941 km from the Mediterranean coast, through the Atlas Mountains and into the Sahara Desert to the tripoint with Mauritania, has been closed since 1994.

Those who police this border aren't messing about and in 2023 the Algerian border guards shot dead two jet skiers who strayed into their waters from Moroccan seas.

We decide to spend a couple of nights in Saidia which gives us the opportunity to explore a bit. The kasbah (fortified part of town) here is tiny and is the first one we've come across that is entirely residential, with no shops or businesses within its walls. It has homes inside, all around its walls which face onto a central green, it's very simple, but lovely.

We've enjoyed Saidia but we're keen to get underway, we're heading south east to the olive-growing region of Guercif. Camping opportunities aren't plentiful on this route but we've identified a place we like the sound of in a rural area just south of Guercif.

The drive today takes several hours and we're very glad of the satnav as many of the road signs are in Arabic and Tamazight (the Amazigh/Berber language) so there's no chance of us understanding them!

It becomes obvious why this isn't a main tourist route - the scenery is flat and to be honest it's not that exciting although it may be a blessing as we've heard reports that the weather in the mountains is severe and we see the mountains in the distance are snow capped.

The campsite is lovely, it's family run and we're warmly welcomed.

We're able to order a tagine to be brought to our motorhome and it's wholesome and delicious - no ultra-processed food here!

We take a walk the next day though the olive groves. Local people are very friendly although our French isn't up to sophisticated chats!

Things do go a bit awry with the laundry. We hand it over and envisage receiving it back clean and dry. What actually happens is that we have to go looking for it when we're due to leave; there's no one about and we eventually find the washing still wet - great!

We have to turn Lionel into a laundry and hang everything up overnight in the hope that it'll be dry by tomorrow.

Today we're going to join up with a more popular route - the Gorges du Ziz which we've driven before, our memory of it is that it's lovely. We stay in a campsite in the gorge and right by the river.

The Ziz river is flowing but it isn't at its fullest and it's possible to walk along next to the water.

We and the dogs are having a lovely time but we make the fatal mistake of taking our eye of the ball for a bit only to turn round and find Millie tucking into a dead sheep - let's hope there aren't any ill effects... never good news in the confines of a motorhome!

We meet up here with Bernd, our German friend who, as chance would have it we met for the first time in this exact location two years ago. Bernd's partner Natascha can't join us this time and she is sadly missed - wish you were here Natascha x

We decide to take a small detour onto what seems to have once been the main road but is now unmaintained and is in places crumbling over the sheer drop at its edge - heights are never Janette's strong point and when we meet vehicles coming the other way she wonders if this detour was wise!

The views from up here are fabulous as is our destination - a deserted kasbah. There is a small settlement opposite the kasbah and as soon as we arrive we are met by a number of children all vying to be our guides, some are not much more than toddlers!

We're really glad we made this detour, the kasbah is extensive and very interesting. We see the well, the mosque, beautifully decorated ceilings and a host of other buildings.

We feel a bit like the Pied Piper with our entourage!

When we get back to Lionel, the dogs find themselves something of a sensation - all the children want to stroke them. We hand out the obligatory sweets although as we drive away we see one of the bigger boys taking them from the younger ones.

We journey on through this wonderful place, we both agree that in terms of scenery Morocco can give any country in the world a run for its money.

The next town is Midelt and we need to stop here to get supplies. Nick sees the cheapest fuel so far -79p a litre - so we stop to fill up! We could also do with some booze! You can buy alcohol in Morocco, but as a Muslim country, it's not widely available. Having googled the off licence in Midelt we find that it's an unmarked shop with a distinctly seedy feel to it - it's quite fun!

We're still in the Ziz Valley and our next stop is a place we've visited before, Camping Tissirt, a small, family-run site in a really nice village. What better place than this for Janette to wake up in on her birthday? Bernd has kindly baked (?) some cakes and even supplied an electronic candle that plays Happy Birthday - what more could a woman want?!

Next stop… as we continue with the birthday celebrations, The Sahara Desert!