Exploring Morocco by Caravan or Motorhome: Which Campsite?

In Part 1 of our Moroccan travel series, I discussed the logistics of crossing into Morocco and the bits and pieces we needed during the Sahara Challenge 2 trip. In Part 2 I’ll cover the campsites we stayed at, the websites we used to find them, and the standard of facilities. The wash blocks are worthy of mention as standards often differ from those in the UK, but when did adventure come with five-star facilities? Anyhow, if things look too ‘rustic’, caravans and motorhomes are perfect for self-contained travel.

Camping Assaada – Asilah, ninety minutes from the Tangier Med port

Camping Assaada is perfect for your first night in Morocco. The town of Asilah is within walking distance and has benefitted from significant investment in recent years. Although it’s not an obvious tourist hot-spot for Europeans, with many opting for Marrakesh or Casablanca instead, it does attract many Moroccan visitors. The town square is an excellent place to watch the world go by, and the restaurants and small markets are popular. Camping Assaada is just fifty metres from the beach and is an obvious draw for folks booking a pitch. Facilities are somewhat ‘rustic’, with the toilet and shower facilities being the benchmark by which all other facilities were judged. The Camper Contact website describes it as ‘simple camping near the promenade, on the edge of town’, which sums it up perfectly.

Cost: 80 MAD (approximately £6.33) per night for two persons.

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Camping L’Ocean Bleu- Mansouria, 40 minutes north of Casablanca

A great coastal campsite, although the rocky shoreline doesn’t contain an ounce of sand. Be sure to leave your bucket & spade in the caravan or motorhome. Pitches are sizeable and well-manicured (by Moroccan standards), with one of the best motorhome service points we saw. The facilities were equally good, and the toilet/shower block was a pleasant surprise. A café within a few metres of the campsite gate serves excellent mint tea – a staple in Morocco. L’Ocean Bleu is a great base to explore the rocky coastline, Mansouria, or nearby Casablanca.

Cost: 95 MAD (approximately £7.52) per night for two persons.

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Ourika-Camp – Marrakesh

A luxurious site by which all other Moroccan sites were judged. Just a 15-minute taxi ride from the centre of Marrakesh, the site bears many similarities to a luxury UK campsite, with two swimming pools, a fantastic restaurant, and sizable pitches divided by trees and hedges. The site is on a reasonably busy road where stalls, shops, and petrol stations jostle for position. That said, it ranked among the quieter Moroccan campsites at night. If you need hustle and bustle, a taxi ride into Marrakesh can be arranged at reception. As a side note, washing (per load) was 60MAD, approximately £4.75.

Cost: 95 MAD (approximately £7.52) per night for two persons.

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Camping Panoramic Nouflla – Ait-Ben-Haddou

During the planning phase of the Sahara Challenge, Camping Panoramic Nouflla was nicknamed ‘the Moroccan car park’, thanks to an aerial image that made it resemble a gravelled pay & display. With a handful of units already pitched when we arrived, the site was rather snug but did offer stunning views across Ait-Ben-Haddou, a vista that made the per-night fees seem a bargain.

Facilities were good, although with a shower (in the hotel next door) carrying an additional fee, we opted for a shower within the caravan. Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. The site was also within walking distance of the Gladiator 2 set, which was under construction, and the ancient hilltop town of Ait-Ben-Haddou. The site was a pleasant surprise and soon lost its nickname.

Cost: 60 MAD (approximately £4.75) per night for two persons.

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Municipal Ouarzazate – Ouarzazate

The campsite was busy when we arrived, so an overnight pitch was found in an overflow area until we could move to the main campsite the following day. The site is gravelled with areas subdivided by hedges. The on-site restaurant was a real bonus, and as we visited during Ramadan, we enjoyed a traditional sunset feast. Again, the facilities resembled those found on many independent UK campsites, although shower cubicle numbers were limited, so the shower in the Bailey Phoenix 642 was again pressed into service. The nearby town of Ouarzazate is popular among residents, although we used the campsite as a base to explore the Dades Gorge.

Cost: 20 MAD per person + 20 MAD per pitch + 30 MAD per electric hook-up. 2x people plus hook-up was 90 MAD, or approximately £7.11. Camper Contact fees show prices being from 70 MAD.

Dinner at the restaurant was 150 MAD per person, plus 120 MAD per bottle of wine.

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Camping Zebra – Ouzud

A large party arrived shortly before us, but the friendly staff excelled and soon squeezed us in. The site has a distinctly European feel, uses hedges as pitch dividers, and has a swimming pool (at additional cost) and restaurant.  The nearby Ouzud Waterfall is a popular tourist attraction approximately 1KM from the site. It’s worth booking Camping Zebra to marvel at the waterfall, the scale of which must be seen to be appreciated.

Cost: 100 MAD (approximately £7.91) per night for two persons.

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Camping Diamant Vert – Fes, 4km from the centre

One of the roomiest campsites we stayed at, Camping Diamant Vert, is divided into two levels. The top part houses the reception building, the bar/restaurant, and separate accommodation, while the lower level is home to the large campsite and well-appointed wash block. Nearby Fes and the Medina must be visited, although taking a taxi is advisable. The on-site restaurant was excellent, and we enjoyed a rich Ramadan sunset meal.

Cost: 120 MAD (approximately £9.48) per night for two persons, rising to 180 MAD (£14.23) during peak season.

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Camping Azilan, Chefchaouen

Otherwise known as ‘The Blue Pearl’, Chefchaouen has been on my wish list since watching YouTuber Itchy Boots and her travels through Morocco. With the Rif Mountains framing the town perfectly, it strikes the perfect balance between tourist mecca and Moroccan destination thanks to pastel blue streets, a small medina, and surprisingly affordable restaurants.  We enjoyed a two-course meal for around 90 MAD per head and a taxi ride to the campsite cost just 20 MAD. Camping Azilan is perched above Chefchaouen, and although the entrance made the site look busy, it was surprisingly roomy once inside. Good facilities too.

Cost: 95 MAD (approximately £7.50) per night for two persons.

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Camper Contact

The Camper Contact website proved invaluable, not only during the trip’s planning phase but thanks to the Camper Contact app within the Avtex sat nav, the route was plotted from a simple search using the campsite name. At the time of writing, 332 Moroccan sites were listed.

In Part 3, I’ll discuss Moroccan city breaks and how Casablanca, Marrakesh, Rabat, and Fes compare to rival European destinations.