A Road Trip for Two in Morocco: 5 Romantic Escapes Behind the Wheel
Nothing on a coach tour comes close to the privacy of your own rental car when the point of the trip is to share it with someone. Windows down on roads that smell of bay laurel and cedar, an unplanned stop to watch the sun drop into the ocean, a night in an ecolodge surrounded by palm trees: these are Morocco's most romantic drives.
Contents
1. From Marrakech to the Ourika valley: lunch with your feet in the water
2. The road to Essaouira: sunsets and ocean air
3. The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs and the Skoura palm grove
4. Which car suits a trip for two?
1. From Marrakech to the Ourika valley: lunch with your feet in the water
About forty minutes out of frantic Marrakech, the P2017 climbs alongside the green course of the Ourika river. The higher you go, the softer the heat becomes, and the air fills with the coolness of mountain streams.
Park near Setti-Fatma and take lunch on the traditional rugs and low benches set out at the edge of the clear water. On the menu: lamb tajine with almonds, a slow-cooked stew served in its conical earthenware dish, fresh salads and mint tea.
2. The road to Essaouira: sunsets and ocean air
Leaving Marrakech in the morning for Essaouira is a quietly poetic shift, from the ochre heat of the ramparts to the salt breeze of the Atlantic. The road cuts through argan forest, where you will spot the famous goats perched up in the branches.
Once there, walk the Skala ramparts with the waves breaking below at sunset, then have dinner in a tucked-away riad in the white lanes of the pedestrian medina.
3. The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs and the Skoura palm grove
For couples after complete quiet, cross the Tichka pass and carry on to the Skoura palm grove, some forty kilometres east of Ouarzazate.
This maze of date palms, olive and pomegranate trees shelters magnificent rammed-earth kasbahs restored into small guesthouses, Kasbah Amridil among them. Dinner under a vault of stars, with the wind moving through the palm fronds, is a rare kind of evening.
4. Which car suits a trip for two?
For a couple travelling with two cabin bags, a modern city car strikes the right balance: small enough for the narrow lanes, steady enough on the main roads.
If you plan to cross the Atlas passes or take rural tracks up to remote ecolodges, go for a compact SUV instead. The extra ground clearance and the higher driving position make the climbs far more relaxed.
Frequently asked questions
Is a foreign licence enough to register both partners as drivers?
Yes. French, Belgian, Swiss and Canadian licences are accepted in Morocco without an international permit. On Loccor, adding a second driver is a paid option: it costs 200 dirhams, to be selected when you book.
Is it easy to find romantic places to stay with secure parking?
Yes. The vast majority of Atlas guesthouses and ecolodges have enclosed courtyards or arrangements with night watchmen.
How many kilometres a day should we plan so we don't wear ourselves out?
On national and mountain roads, count on roughly 150 to 200 kilometres a day, about three hours of driving. That pace leaves time for the stops along the way and gets you in before dusk.
Further reading
rent a car in Marrakech for a trip for two
browse comfortable SUVs for the Atlas passes
the budget city cars available on Loccor
read our complete Morocco road trip guide
Written by the Loccor editorial team, the platform connecting travellers with car rental agencies in Morocco.