Marrakech – History and Hikes

14-15 April 2025

Crosby Stills & Nash spoke of “saving all my money Just to take you there.” They sing of “Blowing smoke rings” and the “Striped djellabas” of Marrakech. They also spelled it Marrakesh but I’ll let that go. Any way you spell this city, it means adventure, history, and fun. 

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Rabat, Maroc

2 April 2025 

We depart Casablanca for the 54-mile drive northeast to the city of Rabat. It is sunny and warm; the ocean is a brilliant blue and I relax. We are a group of 16 in a comfortable 32-person bus. Our Moroccan driver is Hassan. I go along for the ride.

The Imperial City of Rabat

Rabat, Morocco’s capital and seventh-largest city, has a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. Strategically located on the Ocean at the Bou Regreg River, the Almohads founded the city in the 12th century. These people represented a Berber Muslim dynasty who ruled over North Africa and Al-Andalus (Andalusia) from the 12th to the 13th century. In 1170, the Almohads established a naval base in Rabat, meaning “stronghold of victory.”

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