• A technicolour visit to Morocco’s holiest town
• Morocco’s new cross-country cycling route
• The French village dedicated to books
Dutch photographer Leonie Zaytoune, who lives in Marrakesh with her Moroccan husband and young son, recalls being surprised by the city’s orderliness. “I never really paid attention to Rabat until I had to visit the Dutch Embassy there and was shocked at how walkable it was – even with a stroller,” she says. “You can wander along the picturesque Corniche (riverwalk) Bouregreg, admiring the white-and-blue houses, visit the fragrant Andalusian Gardens or enjoy a refreshing mint tea and traditional almond cookies in Café des Oudayas with a view of the ocean.”
Getty ImagesBooks and bites
Rabat’s food scene is marked by its fresh, seasonal seafood. In the medina, shopkeepers sell take-with-you bites like maakouda (fluffy potato patties) with freshly grilled sardines and rziza (a stringy bread that unravels like a turban, served with honey). If you meander along the whitewashed buildings, aromas from clay tagines filled with fresh clams guide you to small food stalls serving midday meals like seafood chermoula (a North African marinade made with herbs, garlic, lemon juice and spices).
