Riad-style villas, luxury beach-front apartments and villas with five star facilities from £80,514 to £718,860
The Kingdom of Morocco, to give it its proper name, contains a great many contradictions. As a country it is practically the dictionary definition of diversity. It has both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, with very fine beaches, as well as spectacularly mountainous interior regions with lush highland valleys.
It is part of North Africa, being Arab and Berber in culture, and yet in some ways quite European in flavour, due to the twin factors of proximity and its relatively recent colonial French past. It is both accessibly close and tantalisingly exotic. A visitor can choose to simply relax and be pampered in the luxury of a resort hotel, enjoy hiking, trekking or watersports, or explore the lively markets, cliff-hanging villages and evocative old cities. Whatever your idea of fun, Morocco has something to offer you.
Morocco has been a popular tourist destination for decades, formerly seen as somewhere for the more adventurous traveller, it has gained wide mainstream appeal with luxury hotels, golf resorts, marina developments and apart-hotels combined with the beauty of the existing natural landscape, traditional buildings, and unique medievil structures, this exotic country continues to grow, inspire and encourage investment.
Aside from the above, further attractions for UK visitors are the climate – average temperature in the summer is 29ºC (slightly cooler between October and April) and year-round sunshine, and the fact that English is widely spoken (along with French, Spanish and Arabic). Morocco is also increasingly well-served by UK and international carriers, including Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways.
Although becoming a definite property-buyer hotspot, bargains can still be found in Morocco. For those with time, energy and enthusiasm on their side, restoring an old riad is a definite option. However, the latest developments in and around Marrakesh, the glorious Pink City, are pitched at wealthier buyers who prefer to simply move straight in. They are a generally a blend of Moroccan aesthetics and Western mod-cons, such as efficient plumbing.
However, for people on a slightly tighter budget, who perhaps can’t quite afford the prices of Marrakesh, cities such as Fez should not be overlooked. Modern developers have broadened their attentions recently. It is wise to act quickly though, in some areas property prices are going up by 20-30 per cent every six months, especially at the lower end of the market. Or perhaps these buyers should consider Essaouria, a small fishing town on the Atlantic coast, set to grow larger soon due to airport improvements planned for later in 2008.
Whatever your financial position, and whatever your requirements, Morocco almost certainly has something to tempt you.