Sunday Express
By Annabelle Thorpe
It may be the Moroccan capital but Rabat is a city that sneaks up on you.
It doesn’t have the instant wow factor of Marrakech or the mystic atmosphere of Fez but it’s easy to navigate, wonderfully un-touristy and almost entirely hassle-free.
There’s a busy medina to wander through, with enough souks to satisfy any shopping urges, a picturesque kasbah where the pristine white alleyways gleam in the sunlight, and a bustling new town where you can sit on a street corner, sip mint tea and watch modern Morocco go about its business.
THE VIBE
The best way to get to know Rabat is to stroll it.
Enter the medina through one of the medieval gates and take in the white-washed mosques, silent alleys and crumbling archways that offer glimpses of the modern city beyond.
Once you’ve explored the medina, head on up to the kasbah, the oldest part of Rabat.
Enter through the ornate Bab Oudaia and head along Rue Jemaa until you reach Café Maure at the northern edge of the kasbah.
The café spreads out across several alfresco terraces that look directly out over the sea, a really great spot for mint tea and a plate of baklava.
THE HOTEL
In a quiet street in the medina, Riad Kalaa has plenty of traditional Moroccan style.
Step through the carved wooden door and you enter a tranquil tiled courtyard, dotted with palms and crisp, cream furniture.
There are 11 rooms, all with marshmallow-soft beds, chairs and sofas in jewel-bright colours, and wrought-iron lamps and window frames. Up on the roof there’s a small but charming plunge pool along with a scattering of sun loungers.
WHERE TO EAT
Rabat doesn’t have a particularly exciting restaurant scene but there are a few nice places in both the medina and the new town.
Dinarjat (dinarjat.com) is a delightful, atmospheric Arab-Andalucían style house in the medina with petal-strewn tables arranged all around the candlelit courtyard.
Dishes include brochettes (marinated meat on skewers), tajines and couscous, but you come for the setting as much as the food.
Le Grand Comptoir (legrandcomptoir.ma) is a classic French brasserie in the new town with a 1930s Art Deco feel serving reliable classics such as smoked salmon, roast lamb and crème brûlée.
For a classic Rabat snack, buy thin stuffed pancakes from street stalls.
They are cooked on a hot plate, then stuffed with tomatoes, peppers and onions, cost about 25p and are delicious.
DON’T MISS
The silent ruins of the Chellah, once the Roman city of Sala Colonia, transformed into a necropolis in the 15th century.
The joy is that it is often almost entirely deserted, apart from a colony of storks.
The remains of Roman baths and meeting houses sit next to Muslim tombs and graves and the whole site is cocooned in lush, well-tended gardens.
RETAIL THERAPY
The real joy of Rabat is the souk.
The main shopping street is Rue Souk Jemaa, with other smaller streets fanning out on each side.
I bought a leather shoulder bag (£8) and managed to stand firm against the lure of mosaic-tiled mirrors, a Hassan the open Boulevard and Rue beautiful midnight-blue overnight bag and silver pendants.
GETTING THERE
Naturally Morocco (01239 710814/naturallymorocco.co.uk) offers four-night breaks at Riad Kalaa from £265pp (two sharing), B&B, including transfers. Ryanair (ryanair.com) offers return flights from London Stansted to Rabat from £37. Morocco tourism: visitmorocco.com
DID YOU KNOW…?
Unfinished Hassan Tower, overlooking the open square between Boulevard Mohamed Lyazidi and Rue Saadiyine, dates from the 12th century.
The mosque, never finished, was planned to have the world’s largest minaret, and hundreds of original pillars still line the square.
