Culture & Etiquette
678 questions · page 6 of 19
What is argan oil used for in spa treatments?
Argan oil is Morocco’s signature spa ingredient — a light, vitamin-E-rich oil pressed from the argan nut, grown only in the southwest. In spas it’s used for full-body massage, hydrating facials, hair and scalp treatments, and post-hammam moisturising. Cosmetic argan is unroasted; the nuttier culinary version is for food, not skin.
Read the answerWhat is a rose / orange-blossom spa ritual?
A sensory treatment built around Morocco’s two great floral waters: damask rose from the Valley of Roses, and orange-blossom (neroli) distilled in spring. Therapists use rose- or orange-blossom water in steam, body wraps, facials and massage oils for fragrance, hydration and calm. It’s the gentlest, most aromatic end of the Moroccan spa menu.
Read the answerIs there a men’s hammam experience / is it for men too?
Absolutely — the hammam is for men as much as women. Public hammams run separate hours or separate sections by gender, and men use them routinely for cleansing and scrubbing. Private spa hammams welcome men too, with male or female therapists on request. Men get the same steam, black-soap and kessa-mitt gommage.
Read the answerWhat is rhassoul / ghassoul clay used for?
Rhassoul (ghassoul) is a mineral clay mined only in the Atlas Mountains of eastern Morocco. Mixed with water or rose-water into a smooth mud, it’s used in the hammam as a cleansing mask for skin and hair — it draws out impurities and excess oil, gently exfoliates, and leaves skin soft. It’s the clay step between the scrub and the oils.
Read the answerWhat’s the difference between a public hammam and a spa hammam treatment?
A public hammam is a communal neighbourhood bathhouse — cheap, gender-separated, authentic, where you bathe alongside locals and pay a little extra for a brisk scrub. A spa hammam is private, gentle and luxurious — your own tiled suite, soft music, oils, clay and a full unhurried ritual. Same tradition, very different experience and price.
Read the answerWhat should I expect at my first Moroccan spa?
Expect a multi-step ritual, not a quick massage. You’ll change into provided underwear or a wrap, steam to soften, be coated in black soap and scrubbed with a kessa mitt, masked with rhassoul clay, rinsed, then massaged with argan or rose oil — finishing with mint tea. It’s sensory, slightly vigorous and deeply relaxing. Communicate your comfort throughout.
Read the answerIs Moroccan wine any good, and where can I try it?
Yes — Morocco has a real wine industry around Meknès and the Atlas foothills. Look for Volubilia, Médaillon, and the Beni M’Tir appellation. The reds and rosés (Gris de Boulaouane) are genuinely drinkable. Find them in licensed restaurants, riad bars, and big-city supermarkets like Carrefour and Marjane.
Read the answerWhat beer does Morocco have — what are Casablanca, Flag and Stork?
Morocco brews several local lagers. Casablanca is the flagship premium beer, Flag Spéciale is the everyday workhorse, and Stork is the cheap-and-cheerful option. All are light, crisp pilsner-style lagers around 5% ABV — sold in licensed bars, hotels, and supermarket alcohol aisles, not corner shops.
Read the answerWhat is Moroccan café culture like?
Café culture is the beating heart of Moroccan social life — pavement terraces full of people nursing a single coffee or mint tea for hours, watching the street. Historically male-dominated, especially in traditional neighbourhoods, though modern city cafés are increasingly mixed. Slow, social, and central to daily rhythm.
Read the answerWhat soft drinks and sodas are popular in Morocco?
Coca-Cola is everywhere and almost a national obsession, especially at meals. You’ll also find Hawai (a tropical fruit soda), Pom’s apple soda, Sprite, Fanta, and Poms. For something local, try Oulmès — Morocco’s own sparkling mineral water — and the ubiquitous fresh-pressed juices sold on every corner.
Read the answerIs the coffee good in Morocco?
Yes, often very good. Moroccans drink strong espresso-style coffee, usually French-influenced and roasted dark. The classic order is a nous-nous (half coffee, half milk) or a café cassé. Third-wave specialty cafés are booming in Casablanca, Marrakech and Rabat for those who want a flat white or pour-over.
Read the answerWhat fruit is in season in Morocco, and what should I try?
Morocco’s fruit is exceptional and seasonal. Winter brings the legendary oranges and clementines; summer means prickly pear (cactus fruit), figs, grapes and melons; autumn brings pomegranates and fresh dates from the southern oases. Buy from souk stalls and street carts — it’s cheap, ripe, and bursting with flavour.
Read the answerAre there good ice cream and dessert spots in Morocco?
Yes. Morocco has a strong patisserie tradition from French influence — flaky cornes de gazelle, almond pastries and honey-soaked chebakia. For ice cream, Italian-style gelato is excellent in Marrakech and coastal towns. Oualidia and the cities have standout spots, and Ramadan brings a whole world of festive sweets.
Read the answerWhat is Moroccan breakfast drink culture like?
Breakfast revolves around hot drinks: strong coffee (often a café au lait or nous-nous), sweet mint tea, and in homes a warm, frothy almond or barley drink. It pairs with breads — msemen, baghrir, harcha — plus olive oil, amlou, honey and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Leisurely and generous, never rushed.
Read the answerWhat herbal and medicinal teas does Morocco have?
Beyond mint, Morocco has a rich herbal-tea tradition. Try sheeba (wormwood/absinthe) tea in winter, verbena (louiza) for relaxation, sage (salmia) for digestion, and za’atar or wild thyme infusions. Herbalists in the souk sell blends for colds, sleep and digestion — a living folk-medicine culture worth exploring.
Read the answerWhat is a typical Moroccan café order?
The classics are a nous-nous (half espresso, half steamed milk), a sweet mint tea, or a straight café noir. Many people order a café cassé (espresso with a dash of milk) or a fresh orange juice. Order at the table, pay when you leave, tip a couple of dirhams, and linger as long as you like.
Read the answerCan vegans find good options day-to-day in Morocco?
Yes, with a little effort. Morocco’s vegetable tagines, couscous, lentil and bean stews, salads, bread, olives and fruit make plant-based eating easy. Watch for hidden animal fats, butter and honey, and learn to specify "no meat, no butter." Cities and tourist areas now have dedicated vegan and veggie restaurants.
Read the answerCan coeliacs and gluten-free travellers eat day-to-day in Morocco?
It takes care, but yes. Tagines, grilled meats, salads, eggs, rice, fruit and olives are naturally gluten-free. The big risks are couscous (wheat semolina), bread, pastries, and thickened soups like harira. Cross-contamination and low awareness mean coeliacs should carry a translation card and choose restaurants carefully.
Read the answerWhere do I buy the best Moroccan rugs — Marrakech vs the Atlas?
Both, for different reasons. Marrakech has the widest selection and choice in one place, especially around the Criée Berbère in the souk. But for the best value and the most authentic experience, buy at the source — village weaving cooperatives in the Middle and High Atlas, where the women who knotted the rug are in the room. The Atlas gives you provenance; Marrakech gives you range.
Read the answerWhere do I buy leather in Fes?
Fes is Morocco’s leather capital, centred on the famous Chouara tanneries in the old medina. Buy from the leather shops surrounding the tannery terraces — babouches, jackets, bags, poufs and belts — where you can literally see the hides dyed in the stone vats below. Quality and price vary hugely, so inspect stitching and smell for proper curing before you commit.
Read the answerWhere do I buy pottery and ceramics (Safi, Fes)?
Safi is Morocco’s pottery capital — its hillside potters’ quarter and kilns produce the bulk of the country’s ceramics, and prices at the source are excellent. Fes is the home of the prized cobalt-blue "Fassi" pottery and intricate zellij mosaic work. For everyday tagines and bowls, Safi; for fine, painted, collector-grade pieces, Fes.
Read the answerWhere do I buy argan oil at the source?
At the women’s cooperatives in the Souss region — the southwest triangle between Agadir, Essaouira and Taroudant, the only place the argan tree grows. Buy direct from a genuine cooperative where you can see the nuts being hand-cracked. Cosmetic argan is pale and almost odourless; culinary (roasted) argan is nutty. Avoid roadside stalls and "argan" sold far from this region.
Read the answerWhere do I buy lanterns and metalwork?
In the metalworkers’ souks of Marrakech and Fes, where artisans hammer and pierce brass, copper and iron by hand. Marrakech’s Place des Ferblantiers and the medina metal souks are famous for pierced-brass and stained-glass lanterns; Fes excels in fine brass and copperwork. Buy from the workshops where you can hear the hammering — that’s the real thing.
Read the answerWhere do I buy babouches (slippers)?
In the leather and slipper souks of Fes and Marrakech, ideally from cobblers who make them on the spot. Fes, the leather capital, has the finest leather babouches; Marrakech’s Souk Smata (the slipper souk) has the widest, most colourful selection. Smell the leather, check the stitching and try them on — real leather babouches soften and mould to your foot.
Read the answerWhere do I buy spices safely (not tourist blends)?
From a busy spice shop or herbalist (an attar) where locals actually shop, not the photogenic pyramid stalls aimed at tourists. Buy single, recognisable spices — saffron, cumin, paprika, ginger — by weight rather than pre-mixed "ras el hanout" of unknown content. Ask to see and smell the spice loose, and be especially careful with saffron, which is heavily faked.
Read the answerWhat should I NOT buy in Morocco (fakes / illegal)?
Avoid "antiques" without export paperwork, fossils and minerals of dubious origin (many are faked or illegally dug), anything from protected animals — ivory, tortoiseshell, big-cat or reptile skins, certain corals — and cheap "argan" or "saffron" that is almost always adulterated. Also skip aphrodisiac and "miracle cure" powders. When in doubt, don’t — customs and conscience both bite.
Read the answerHow do I tell a real Berber rug from a fake?
Check the back: a genuine hand-knotted rug shows the pattern clearly through it, with slightly irregular knots, while machine-made and tufted fakes have a uniform back or a glued canvas backing. Real Berber rugs are pure wool (do a careful burn or feel test), have small human imperfections, and the weaver can tell you the village and tribe. Perfect symmetry and a glued back are red flags.
Read the answerWhere do I buy thuya wood products (Essaouira)?
Essaouira is the world capital of thuya woodwork — the fragrant, swirl-grained burl from the thuya tree that grows around the town. Buy from the marquetry workshops clustered under the ramparts and in the medina, where artisans turn and inlay boxes, chess sets, bowls and trays by hand. Buy responsibly: choose established workshops using sustainable burl, not endangered old-growth.
Read the answerWhere do I buy a tagine pot to cook with?
Buy a plain, unglazed terracotta tagine, not a painted decorative one — the colourful glazed tagines you see everywhere are made for serving and display, not the stove. The best cooking tagines come from the pottery centres like Safi, or from a kitchenware seller (not a tourist stall). Look for thick, heavy clay and a heavy lid, season it before first use, and use a heat diffuser.
Read the answerCan you drink alcohol in public in Morocco?
Not really. Alcohol is legal and sold to tourists, but drinking it in public — streets, squares, beaches, public parks — is frowned upon and can get you moved on or fined. Stick to licensed venues: hotel bars, restaurants, riad terraces, beach clubs and your own room. Discretion is the unwritten rule everywhere.
Read the answerIs vaping / are e-cigarettes allowed in Morocco?
Vaping is legal to use and broadly tolerated, and vape shops exist in the cities, but it sits in a regulatory grey zone — official sale and import have faced restrictions, so bring your own devices and adequate liquid. Be discreet, especially around traditional areas, and treat it like smoking: not during Ramadan daylight in public, and not in no-smoking venues.
Read the answerCan unmarried couples share a hotel room in Morocco?
Yes — foreign unmarried couples routinely share rooms in Morocco without any problem. Hotels and riads geared to tourists won’t ask for a marriage certificate. The law against unmarried cohabitation applies in practice to Moroccan citizens, not foreigners. The only real friction is if one of you is Moroccan, where it can occasionally be an issue.
Read the answerIs it OK to give money to beggars in Morocco?
It’s a personal choice, not illegal, and giving (sadaqa) is woven into the culture — small coins to the genuinely needy, especially the elderly or disabled, are appreciated. But giving to children is discouraged as it fuels begging over school, and persistent touts are different. Carry small coins, give discreetly if you wish, and a polite refusal is fine.
Read the answerAre there dry (alcohol-free) areas in Morocco?
In effect, yes — much of rural and conservative Morocco is functionally dry, with nowhere to buy or drink alcohol, even though there’s no formal "dry county" system. Holy cities, small towns and many traditional areas have no licensed venues. Alcohol concentrates in tourist cities and resorts; plan ahead and don’t assume availability outside them.
Read the answerIs gambling / are casinos legal in Morocco?
Yes — casinos are legal and operate in Morocco, mainly in Marrakech, Casablanca, Agadir, Tangier and a few resort hotels, alongside a state lottery. They’re geared to tourists and a small local clientele, with standard games and dress codes. Bring ID, expect smart-casual attire, and note gambling sits outside mainstream Moroccan culture — it’s tolerated, not celebrated.
Read the answerWhat are the best markets in Marrakech by type?
Marrakech's souks are organised by trade: Souk Semmarine for textiles and bigger shops, Souk des Teinturiers (the dyers' souk) for hanging coloured wool, Souk Haddadine for ironwork, Souk Cherratine for leather, Souk Sebbaghine for slippers, and the Rahba Kedima (spice and apothecary square) for spices, herbs and curiosities. Jemaa el-Fnaa is the food and night market. Each quarter has its own craft.
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