Morocco to the Max
My instructor, Rachid, a native of Essaouira, had an explosion of black curls on his head and an excitable nature. He’d been teaching the sport for two years, and it seemed to be taking a toll. “If you screw up windsurfing, you can just drop the sail,” he told me. “But when you screw up kitesurfing, it gets very complicated. Bad things can happen. I run up and down the beach all day, fixing messes.” During our first lesson, he’d given me a bit of a scare: I would not have enough time to actually get on a board. I’d have to learn to control the kite, first on the beach and then in the water, and that would pretty much eat up my six hours. And it was dangerous, Rachid added. “You must pay attention.” I’d already figured on that, having sat down with a buddy over beers before the trip and conjectured all the things that could go wrong. We’d come up with an extensive list that included strangulation (check), decapitation (doubtful), disappearing out into the ocean (yep), losing control of the kite and being dragged into boats or buildings on land (check), getting lifted into the air, never to be seen again (um, no).
Moments later, I was fighting to relaunch my kite out of the water, a process involving positioning both it and me the right way relative to the wind and gently tugging on the lines. Rachid was waving his arms at me. “No-no-no!” I ignored him. I was treading water and yanking at the lines. Finally a corner of the Day-Glo kite inflated and lifted. It caught the wind current and I was off again, dragging through the water.
It’s a curious sensation that’s not flying and not swimming, and I can only imagine what it feels like to carve through the waves on a board and then launch off waves to hang high in the air. Maybe with enough lessons…The kite dovetailed into the water again.
An hour later, I was done for the day. Rachid and I walked together up the beach, holding the kite between us. He was chattering about plans to move to Egypt to teach the sport. I realized that he’s a pretty good guy when not yelling or jumping up and down. We reached the shop, and I stripped off my sand-speckled wet suit and claimed a lounge chair at the outside beach restaurant. Happily, wonderfully, they served beer. I’d been fixated on having a cold bottle for days, with no luck. The delivered Casablanca was liquid happiness. I leaned back. My body was sore and raw, but I felt good. I hadn’t cracked my skull, broken a limb, or drowned. This time.
After a few minutes, Rachid joined me and ordered tea. He was almost, well, calm. We looked out at the surf, now gilded with the gentle light of a dying day. Boys kicked a soccer ball in the sand. Two windsurfers dueled lazily in the water. “Teaching is very hard,” Rachid said, apropos of nothing. “But I love spending my day in the ocean. I wouldn’t like to be at an office and sit behind a desk. To have a job that is outdoors makes my body and soul feel more…full. Do you know what I’m talking about?”
I took a hit of my beer and smiled at his tanned, questioning face. Yes, Rachid, I think I do.
Places + Prices
Morocco has always attracted adventurers, but it is increasingly luring real action types who have gotten word of the country’s easy access, relative cheapness, and varied landscapes, from the vast Sahara to the Atlas mountain ranges to the Atlantic beaches. True, Morocco lacks the fully developed infrastructure of adrenaline destinations such as Costa Rica and Colorado, but whether you’re hiking, biking, or horseback riding, you’ll be swept away by the sand-castle architecture and the mixed greetings in Arabic, French, and Berber. (Many Moroccans are worried about what the world thinks of them after the involvement of their countrymen in both 9/11 and the Madrid bombings, which may be why visitors find that the country is friendlier than ever.)
You’ll need guides who not only know the land but are able to secure equipment, which is often hard to rent. (For specialized gear, it might be best to bring your own.) Vet prospective outfitters carefully for their outdoor knowledge. I was accompanied by Brahim Hadrane of Agence Le Monde Berbere, a local who knows the nooks and crevices of the mountains (24-39-42-62; 3 to 5 days, $165). For a larger, New York-based agency, try Heritage Tours (212-206-8400; heritagetoursonline.com).
The country code for Morocco is 212. Prices quoted are for June 2006.
Atlas Mountains
Most hikers set out from the villages of Imlil or Asni, a 45-minute drive from Marrakech. The vast majority of trekkers-and in late spring and early fall, their numbers are indeed overwhelming-ascend 13,664-foot Jbel Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. The round-trip takes two days; have your guide arrange tents. Given a bit more time, consider making the four-hour trek from the base of Toubkal to overnight at Lake Ifni, or taking another two days to summit nearby 11,864-foot Jbel Angour. These trails will be nearly deserted. The hiking itself is neither especially hard nor technical, but bring good boots and prepare for weather conditions that can change in a hypothermic flash. Your guide will hire a mule to lug your stuff. Bookend the hike at Imlil’s Kasbah Du Toubkal, which has excellent guide services and a hammam to leach away the lactic acid (24-48-56-11; kasbahdutoubkal.com; doubles, $168).
A short drive away, in the bottom of the lush Valley of the Nfis, lie the expansive grounds of La Roseraie. It has courtyards of roses, several swimming pools, and exceptional Arab-Berber steeds-just the thing for exploring the hills and villages nearby (24-48-56-93; laroseraiehotel.com; doubles, $242; riding, $80 a day).
Atlantic Coast
If you’re of a mind to try windsurfing or its X Games cousin, kitesurfing, Essaouira has a never-failing but moderate wind (an annoyance for sunbathers), and its long, shallow beach is ideal for learning. Club Mistral has both instruction and equipment. You’ll need a wet suit even in scorching summers (24-78-39-34; club-mistral.com; $198 for six hours of kitesurfing lessons).
Surfers and wave-hopping show-offs will prefer the bigger waves of Sidi-Kaouki, about eight miles south. Essaouira itself is a fantastic find. Stay inside the medina at Dar Al Bahar-call when you arrive in town and a porter will show you the way. The rooftop deck has views over the 18th-century battlements to the Atlantic (24-47-68-31; daralbahar.com; doubles, $54-$108). Built in 1871, the peaceful Hotel Riad al Madina painstakingly maintains its original structure and lush, colorful ambience. Stone arcade columns lead into a central patio with mosaic tile and two murmuring fountains (24-47-59-07; riadalmadina.com; doubles, $75). Il Gabbiano serves Moroccan food with a Mediterranean flair (5 ave. de I’Isteqlal; 24-47-50-65; entrées, $12-$18), and Taros café has a rooftop deck, live music, and a hip crowd most nights (Place Moulay Hassan).
Reading
For a modern vision of timeless desert adventures, Jeffrey Tayler’s Glory in a Camel’s Eye tracks the author’s dromedary trek through the remotest stretches of the Sahara. Tayler beautifully evokes the delights of the land as well as the cultural divides facing any off-the-track wanderer (Houghton Mifflin, $14). Living in Morocco, photographed by Philippe Saharoff, delivers intimate images of the insides of private riads as well as portraits of the diverse landscapes (Flammarion, $50). Owing to its range of geographies and peoples and the mix of European and African influences, Morocco is not an easy place to parse. The seventh edition of Rough Guide’s Morocco needs an update on lodgings but it beats other guidebooks when it comes to practical information-which is what you’ll need most ($22). For the other stuff-such as an opinionated and savvy list of hotels and places to eat in Marrakech-check out the insider guide at concierge.com.
