Morocco – Rabat

Rabat, Morocco

Rabat is the capital of Morocco but is actually only the 7th biggest city in Morocco. It is here that Parliament sits, The Royal Palace is located and the tombs of past Kings lie. Don’t miss the old town Medina area and its wonderfully fortified  Kasbah area with the Andalusian Gardens, over looking the Med.

My Moroccan venture was actually a 3 city tour by train from Marrakesh where I flew into. I then went by train to Casablanca and then onwards, again by train to Rabat. Click on the name of the city here to see my individual city reviews.

So, my journey to here was from Casablanca and an easy trip it was too. I caught the train from Casa Voyageurs – the same station I arrived at in Casablanca. The easy walk back to the station along my now familiar route (as I walked from to station to my hotel 3 days earlier) was uneventful.

It however reminded me again, from the condition of the buildings and general unkept streets, that the city had seen better days.

Travel by train from Casablanca to Rabat.

Luckily the ticket guy spoke English but I was ready to use my rusty French if I had to and the ticket was again a cheap £6 roughly. You can also book tickets online here at Moroccan Railways. I had looked up the timings beforehand and there was a train every hour or often every 40 mins and the journey was a quick 50 mins or 1 hr 10 mins depending on the service.

Again it was easy to buy the ticket, and the train was again comfortable (a little dated) but perfectly usable. The views from the windows were of green fields and cultivation, with the occasional barren field and again I was reminded of how this area of Morocco was very different from the mountainous and desert areas much further south.

Parliament building, Rabat.

I hadn’t planned it but my first sightseeing stop actually happened en route to the hotel. I had unwittingly chosen a route that took me right past the Parliament Building! I stopped to get a photo right next to the entrance but I got a few concerned stares from the Police guards which I read meaning they were not happy at the publicity. Rather than cause a scene (or maybe they were just curious), I opted to cross over the road to get a shot of it between the trees that lined the central avenue that it’s on. Picture taken, off I trundled towards my hotel, just checking once over my shoulder than no policeman was following me !

As I said, Rabat is quite a small city, despite being the capital and there is a more limited number of sights to visit that are on a must-see scale. However what there is, is worth getting to as I got the impression as Rabat is the capital, everything is so much better maintained. The environment was definitely looked after and the monuments and tourist sites seemed more pristine.

Where I stayed in Rabat

I was staying at the Malak Hotel. Click here for hotel website. A decent 4 star small hotel with some of the friendliest and chattiest staff I had encountered  on my travels. The male receptionist chatted to me each morning and we had several conversations about life in Morocco, his relatives in England and the fact that he had met the King of Morocco, on a visit to a convention. He even had the photo of them together proudly displayed behind the reception desk.

He also arranged my cheap taxi to the airport on my departure and even gave me a personal mini tour of the bar and restaurant and how to get around town. As I needed to print off my plane boarding pass they even gave me free use of their desk PC to do this.

One day I had problems with my iPad connecting to their free wifi – I had stupidly put a block on without noticing and couldn’t figure out what happened. A  guy working in the Café happily checked my iPad, saw the issue and showed me how to fix it. Very welcoming and helpful indeed.

The hotel is 4 mins from the Bab Chellah tram stop and the old town Medina. The hotel is in the centre of town with restaurants and open air cafes within 5 mins. It is a15 mins walk from Rabat Ville train station and 12 mins from one of Rabat’s biggest tourist attractions, the Hassan Tower. Perfectly placed in other words.

After settling into my room, I was out and about ready to explore the city that initially had impressed me.

My first stop would be after a 20 mins walk through a city area of somewhat more modern buildings that I had seen, so far, in Morocco – they even had pavements! At the end of my trail is probably the most important and largest site here (for Moroccans too), but for my money the prettiest and most atmospheric lies elsewhere – more on that one later so keep reading!

Rabat Cathedral.

Leaving the Tower behind I headed to an anomaly – a Cathedral. It was billed as being unique, quite large and its style was certainly different to the Gothic or Mediaeval styles I am used to in Europe and I wanted to explore inside. Sadly it was closed and even looked a little run down … perhaps next time.

Coffee pit stop in Rabat at a sumptuous location!

Next day and I’m up bright and early as today was going to be one site but it is large with lots to see and I wanted to take it easy on my last day in Morocco. So after brekkie I head off out – actually across the road as I had chosen my hotel to be near this marvellous site for convenience, and it worked !

Today it is a major tourist attraction within Rabat, with scenic views from its fortified walls overlooking the small beach,. To one side it faces the mouth of the Bou Regreg river with small boats plying the waters. Another view from its walls, gives you a panaramic vista across the river to neighbouring Salé and of course a tremendous view out to the Atlantic.

The houses inside the Kasbah walls are famous for their whitewashed blue and white walls and lots of small alleyways and courtyards – almost like a scene from a Greek island – and similarly have lots of small Riads (traditional B&B establishments). I actually got gloriously lost wandering the quiet but safe streets and lanes but as it is so small you just keep going and eventually come out somewhere that you recognise.

Within the Kasbah is what I think is the most atmospheric and prettiest attraction in Rabat.

Andalusian Gardens

I spent a while, just lazing here, people watching and taking in the fragrant smells of the flowers and plants. I could watch the passing scenes on a relaxing bench ….. nice rest for my feet …. but also time to kick back from the walking. This was a special place to admire the scenery and just to take time to experience the atmos and inwardly digest !

There is a great little café in here too, that is perched on the rampart walls edge, with outside seating that gives marvellous views over the beach and out to sea. Take a traditional mint tea and Moroccan sweet pastries here cos’ it is one of the most peaceful and idyllic Cafes in Rabat.

This concluded my trip to rabat and I was impressed at its glorious 1950s architecture,  grand sites and the ease of moving around the city. I could have used the tram, and that was my plan, but found that walking was so easy and everything I wanted to see was certainly within a long stroll. I love walking and taking in the sights and this city gave me an abundance of that opportunity.

If you are looking for a quick weekend getaway from Europe, this city is definitely one of the easiest to do. The airport is only 9km from the city. It is well connected to eg Casablanca/Tangiers etc by train if you want to extend you trip longer and see more of the country.

It has an excellent modern tram system with Rabat Ville train station being in the centre of town. There are even two beaches at the sea promenades (but don’t expect Mediterranean style parasols and chairs!

The city carries more of an air of affluence (limited as this is in Morocco), than Casablanca or Marrakesh in my view …… and do not miss the Andalusian Gardens for sure, as these are unique, charming and actually not overcrowded with tourists …. yet!

Feb, 2017.