Fes
~Overview~
Our route along Morocco's northeastern coast having come to an end, Aidan and I took a sharp turn south toward the desert, stopping first in Fes. The country's second largest city by population (can you guess the largest one?), Fes is a five-hour journey from Chefchaouen by bus, passing through rolling hills and farmlands.
After arriving, we met our host, Fatima (or, more specifically, our hosts' housekeeper; we never actually met the couple who owned the airbnb we stayed at in Fes), and followed her through the winding medina streets to Dar Saray. Whereas a riad is akin to a small hotel and is traditionally built around a central garden (the word riad literally means garden), a dar is more like a guesthouse (indeed, dar means house) — more modest, usually offering fewer rooms, and built around a patio or fountain.
After dumping our bags in our room, we followed Fatima up to the rooftop patio, where she had prepared some mint tea and Turkish delights for us to enjoy while admiring the city view. We ate at a nearby restaurant for dinner before turning in early, partly due to exhaustion from the bus ride and partly to make a walking tour we had scheduled through Airbnb for the following morning, for which we had high expectations after trying out Airbnb Experiences for the first time in Chefchaouen.
Fes is Morocco's spiritual and cultural capital, so be sure to tour the University of al-Qarawiyyin and any number of the city's centuries-old mosques, and hike to the Marinid Tombs overlooking the city for spectacular sunset views. Beyond that, it is a city of the senses, so no visit is complete without a stop at the Chouara tannery (plug your nose!) or the copper market (plug your ears!). If you still have energy after a day's exploration, indulge your taste buds in a cooking class and learn the building blocks of Moroccan cuisine. There is such a wide variety of things to do and sights to see in Fes, so get your fill before venturing onward to the quiet barrenness and solitude of the Sahara Desert.
~ Accommodation ~
One of Fatima's legendary breakfasts: scrambled eggs, crepes with honey and jam, fresh fruit (in this case banana, but other days included melon and cherries), and freshly squeezed orange juice.
There were a number of appealing stays in Fes to choose from spanning the entire spectrum of price and luxury, but Dar Saray offered top-notch value at the price point of a hostel.
The three-bedroom guesthouse is in a prime location in the heart of the medina, in walking distance of Fes's main attractions. Fatima, the housekeeper, served a terrace breakfast each morning that surpassed nearly every other we had that summer, and also offered to wash and dry our clothes for a small fee. The house itself is intimate, as we ate breakfast each morning with the other guests, two college students from UC Berkeley and UC San Diego.
~ Food ~
Our host recommended we try Al Oud Restaurant, just a short walk from Dar Saray, and it did not disappoint. An inconspicuous joint on a street corner, the food was delicious (I had lamb tajine while Aidan had chicken pastilla) and the service was stellar. Not to mention if you eat outside you will quite literally be on the street and can people-watch to your heart's content.
I somehow failed to capture any photos from our favorite restaurant in Fes, however — Le Tarbouche. Owned and operated completely by women, Le Tarbouche had, without a doubt, the best chicken pastilla we ate all summer, and offered some refreshing departures from the typical Moroccan fare, including home-made ice cream. We ended up eating there three times, not seeing any reason to try anywhere else, and we also met this lovely Canadian Youtubing travel couple there.
Dinner at Al Oud Restaurant in Fes — lamb tajine with prunes and almonds
~ Sightseeing ~
Marinid Tombs
The Marinid Tombs are a set of ruined monumental tombs dating back to the 14th century which overlook the Fes medina. Today, they are a popular lookout point for locals and tourists alike, and — similar to the Spanish mosque in Chefchaouen — offer breathtaking sunset views. Be sure to make the trek up here at least once during your stay to witness just how massive the old city of Fes really is, and to appreciate the endlessly rolling hills in the surrounding countryside.
Marinid Tombs overlooking Fes al-Bali
A family enjoying a picnic at the site of the Marinid Tombs, facing away from the city of Fes
Chouara Tannery
The largest and oldest of Fes's three leather tanneries, the Chouara Tannery has operated continuously since its inception as early as the 9th century. The most notable element of the tannery is its pungent odor — in order to clean and soften the animal hides, the skins are first soaked for three days in a mixture of cow urine, pigeon excrement, quicklime, salt, and water before being laid out to dry naturally in the sun. Don't worry through — should the smell become overwhelming, the staff keep mint leaves on hand for guests to hold against their noses for the duration of their visit. If you are in the market for leather goods of any kind — jackets, purses, wallets, belts, satchels, sandals, you name it — this is the place to buy them. We ended up visiting the tannery three times on our trip — the first on our Airbnb walking tour with Zahi, and the second and third times on our own to admire the brightly colored dyes and enormous stone vats from above. There are a number of rooftops offering different angles from which to view the vats and workers, so be sure to try a few.
Notice the number of different rooftops from which to view the tannery. The perimeter of the tannery is lined with animal hides drying in the sun.
Place Seffarine
If you do a walking tour of Fes you will likely pass through Place Seffarine, but it's worth noting here in case not. Place Seffarine is a small square in the Fes medina dating back to the Middle Ages, named for the coppersmiths (seffarin in Arabic) who have maintained workshops there since the 16th century. Even if you struggle with navigation like me, the square is not hard to find — just follow the cacophony of hammers on metal, which can be heard from several streets away. There you will find metalworkers offering a range of copper and bronze goods, mostly cooking and dining utensils. This is a good place to buy a tea kettle if you're looking to bring home a taste of Morocco.
The white vats containing brown and green liquid are used for cleaning and softening the hides, while the vats at the far end contain colors for dying.
~Airbnb Experiences~
Zahi introduces us to a local tailor. Toward the end of the video, you can hear him explaining again in French to accommodate our other group members.
Discover Fez and its Hidden Secrets walking tour hosted by Zahi
After such a positive introduction to Airbnb Experiences in Chefchaouen, Aidan and I made sure to take advantage of the wealth of offerings in Fes.
Before even arriving, we booked a highly-rated walking tour for the morning of our first full day in Fes in order to help us get our bearings in the sprawling city. Yet again, we got more than our money's worth, as the tour ended up being four hours (for those who are worried whether this is too long, it's not — you'll be surprised at how quickly the time flies) for only $18/person.
The guide, Zahi, was friendly, funny, and knowledgeable, having been certified by Morocco's Ministry of Tourism. He was fluent in several languages, and made sure to repeat himself thoroughly in French for one of our French group members who did not speak English. He had a number of friends in the markets who were more than happy to share their crafts with us, and even purchased some freshly-baked Moroccan cookies for us all to try.
This is a fun, affordable way to spend a morning or afternoon, and takes you to all the major sites in Fes. It's also a great way to meet interesting people from all around the world (the countries represented in our group included the U.S., France, Israel, Turkey, and Russia). We even got lunch with one of our fellow group members after the tour. Try to make it a habit to book a walking tour within the first 24 hours of arriving to a new city — it's the perfect way to become acquainted with the place, and to get an understanding of its history and unique flavor.
Fez Souk Tour and Traditional Home Cooking hosted by Mohamed
This cooking class with Mohamed and his family tops the list as one of my favorite Airbnb Experiences of the summer.
At about $44/person, this is on the pricer side of Airbnb's offerings in Morocco, but I assure you it is worth every penny. After arriving slightly late to Mohamed's home, which he runs as a guesthouse with his sister and cousin, we were immediately welcomed with mint tea (sound familiar?) and invited to join the rest of the group, which included the other two guests staying at our guesthouse — Isa and Jasmine — who we had invited to join us for the class, as well as a young Italian couple. Mohamed entertained us with his humor and jovial personality as we discussed classic Moroccan dishes, including tajine, couscous, harira, and pastilla.
After settling on couscous, vegetable tajine, and chicken pastilla for our meal, we set out for the souk (market) to purchase our ingredients fresh (yes, this included the chicken). As we were leaving, we happened upon a small parade of musicians, singers, and finely dressed young people, many of whom were carrying large pillows on which rested jewelry and clothing. This, Mohamed explained to us, was a wedding engagement procession, in which the family and friends of the groom gather at the groom's home and march him to the bride's home, delivering with them a number of elaborate gifts for her.
As the sound of the parade faded down the street, we spent the next 45 minutes or so accompanying Mohamed to the market to collect our ingredients and to help him haggle the price. Upon returning to his house, we split into teams of two, each of which was responsible for one of the dishes and was guided by one of Mohamed, his sister, or his cousin. Aidan and I worked on the chicken pastilla with Mohamed's cousin, all the while enjoying Mohamed's familial bickering with his sister, who did not speak English. Once all the dishes were ready, we feasted together on our collective creation around a long table, sharing stories and comparing the cuisines of the United States, Morocco, and Italy.
To our surprise, the entire experience lasted about four to five hours, from the moment we arrived to the moment we licked our plate clean and said goodbye. Immersing yourself in local cuisine through a cooking class is an enriching experience wherever you go, but few will offer the intimacy and warmth that we found in being invited into someone's home and sharing with their family in the creation and consumption of their favorite recipes.
Moroccan engagement procession
Mohamed's cooking class