Unveiling the Hidden Charms of Morocco’s Coastal Capital: A Seaside Gem Awaiting Visitors

The National Photography Museum in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, is positioned directly on the Atlantic Ocean within a 19th-century fortress. During a recent trip, I was taken aback to see only a handful of individuals inside appreciating its innovative exhibition spaces. Outside, the only others relishing the breathtaking views were two fishermen, casting their lines into the crashing surf.

I pondered the same question that arises every time I find myself in Rabat: How do numerous tourists overlook this city?

Most travelers to Morocco are eager to visit Marrakesh, Fes, and Tangier, and rightly so. However, Rabat stands as Morocco’s most undervalued city, quietly showcasing a peaceful and historical coastal gem that hasn’t yet transformed into a sprawling Instagram narrative. It remains a place you can explore on its own terms.

When the French colonized Morocco in the early 20th century, they imagined Casablanca as the country’s New York – an international port and economic center – with Rabat serving as its Washington. Yet, Rabat has blossomed into so much more than a governmental hub. Today, it features a relaxed and spotless medina, or fortified old town; a striking and unspoiled coastline; my preferred collection of museums in the nation; and a resurgence of artists and artisans invigorating boutiques and galleries throughout the city.

All without the throngs you’ll encounter in other places.

“It’s a city where you can easily breathe,” remarked Rachid Maalal, director of the region’s new heritage preservation initiative.

An ancient old city and ruins

The main draw of most Moroccan cities is their medina, from the maze-like streets of Fes to the lively markets of Marrakesh. Rabat is no exception, but its compact size allows for easier exploration to uncover picturesque streets, quirky cul-de-sacs, and the elaborate entrances to zawiyas, or Sufi lodges. You might follow cloth-covered trays of dough being transported to communal ovens or, come evening, wander until you find a flattop serving griddle breads glazed in honey.

Similar to the enclosed cities of Marrakesh and Fes, aged homes surrounding courtyards in Rabat’s medina are being transformed into cozy hotels. The finest of these – like Dar Rabiaa, just off Avenue Legza in the medina – display detailed stucco artwork and intricately carved mashrabiya, along with breathtaking Moroccan rugs and textiles.

Whenever I’m in the medina, but particularly in the mornings, I enjoy making my way to Rue Bouqroune. At its peak, vendors fill both sides of the street where you can discover half a dozen varieties of mint stacked on small tables, silver sardines displayed on large trays of ice, and beautiful “beldi” eggs still bearing traces of feathers.

The most touristic street in the medina, Rue des Consuls, is where you’ll encounter shops offering rugs, pottery, and painted wooden platters. Just nearby is an innovative new art space known as Tassarout, aiming to promote appreciation for traditional crafts like zellij (tile mosaics) through hands-on workshops. It’s situated amidst bazaar stalls in a lovingly restored 17th-century funduq, where merchant caravans once rested and stored their goods and animals.

Yet perhaps no location encapsulates the old, the new, and Rabat’s natural splendor quite like Chellah, a labyrinth of ruins that traces back to at least the third century B.C., embodying Morocco’s Phoenician, Roman, and Islamic histories. As a necropolis and UNESCO World Heritage site, it recently reopened with renovations to its monumental 14th-century gate and the introduction of Ciconia, Rabat’s most charming café.

The aim was to transform Chellah into “more than just a historical site,” Maalal elaborated. “We aspire to be a genuine cultural destination.” Ciconia’s name derives from the Latin term for the renowned white storks that nest atop Chellah’s medieval towers. From the café, you can gaze across the expansive Bou Regreg estuary towards the new Grand Theatre of Rabat, one of celebrated architect Zaha Hadid’s last creations, and the Mohammed VI Tower, one of Africa’s tallest towers.

Museum revival

Throughout the past decade, Morocco has invested heavily in enhancing its museum infrastructure, restoring historical buildings and repurposing them for new exhibits around the nation. Rabat has received the most significant uplift.

The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, one of several treasures located in the French-designed Ville Nouvelle, has been at the forefront of this national initiative. Its unveiling in 2014 introduced contemporary Moroccan and international artists to a broader audience, featuring exhibitions that span from Moroccan postcolonial art to works by Cuban expatriate painters.

Down the street is the Bank al-Maghrib Museum, housed in a stunning architectural marvel that merges Moroccan aesthetic elements with modern European design. The museum, recently refurbished, narrates eons of Moroccan history through ancient coins and showcases some of the most outstanding Moroccan artworks from the past century. After your visit, stop by Cinéma Renaissance, an arthouse cinema boasting a breezy upstairs café with the best views from its tiny balconies overlooking Rabat’s most picturesque boulevard, Avenue Mohammed V.

But the National Photography Museum, located in the charming L’Océan neighborhood, stands as Rabat’s most remarkable offering. Although the exhibition area is compact, it is exceptionally well-curated, featuring a series of underground chambers linked by dim corridors. A recent exhibition united innovative photographers from across Africa. The moody interior starkly contrasts with the museum’s exterior, where the geometric lines of the 19th-century concrete structure – Morocco’s first – intersect with the vibrant blues of the Atlantic and the sky.

Markets, emerging shopping scene

Rabat’s fresh produce markets are among its greatest delights, and I prefer to sense the rhythms of daily city life at the morning market in L’Océan, around the Centre Culturel Ben Barka. On Fridays, you’ll notice heaps of bright-orange pumpkins, sliced and prepared for Rabatis to include in their Friday couscous. Afterward, seize an outdoor table at the nearby Himmi, a chic café and patisserie, for coffee and croissants, or choose something heartier, like eggs and khlea, an intensely flavored Moroccan jerky preserved in its own fat.

Shoppers in Rabat can also discover excellent painted woodwork, and in its souks, impressive kilim carpets and pottery, although the city has never held the shopping reputation of Marrakesh or Tangier. A small movement of small entrepreneurs is striving to develop it.

Husband and wife team Wassim El Hallioui and Zaynab Salik are vital players in that movement. They are the creators of MaliMalo, a store situated a short distance from the beach with an uninterrupted Atlantic view, which offers one of the most meticulously curated collections of modern Moroccan crafts available, including large pastel rugs and striking pottery adorned with bold lines and evil eye designs. El Hallioui describes the couple’s goals partly as educational.

“We aim to be a shop for everyone, not merely for tourists,” he stated. “We wish to keep prices within reach, yet we genuinely want to narrate stories about our culture and traditions.” You can experience this same enthusiasm elsewhere in Rabat, including at the multimedia art space and publishing house Kulte.

Not far away is Le 17 Océan, a beautiful emporium of Moroccan jewelry and artwork. It occupies an old auto repair shop where the founder Nathalie Marmey’s grandmother used to take her automobile.

“We strive to constantly reinvent ourselves,” Marmey noted, attributing the shop’s robust demand among Rabatis to constant sourcing efforts. Take a seat at 17’s adjoining café, which serves healthy yet hearty salads and invigorating coffee while you enjoy the ocean breeze wafting up the hill.

Graham H. Cornwell is a scholar of the Middle East and North Africa based at George Washington University. You can follow him on Twitter at @ghcornwell.