Morocco
A seductive country of mystery, myth and magic
Morocco. Even the name conjures up images of romance, mystery and intrigue. Situated on the north-eastern coast of Africa and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, it’s a beguiling cocktail of lavish experiences. From the snow-capped Atlas Mountains to the awesome Sahara desert, from the spice souks of Marrakech to the sandy beaches of Agadir, this country offers something for absolutely everyone.
Separated from Europe by the Straits of Gibraltar, The Kingdom of Morocco is a colourful mix of French colonialism and Arabic culture. The capital is Rabat, but other cities are far more famous – romantic Casablanca is the biggest city and economic centre, exotic Marrakech is the tourist hub, vibrant Tangiers is just across from Gibraltar and Fez is a historic masterpiece.
There’s so much for you to discover in Morocco: long, golden beaches, the Atlas Mountains, snowfields and the deserts of the south for starters. You can wander around Roman ruins, imperial cities, elaborate mosques, ancient tombs and explore French and Spanish colonial relics.
Morocco is probably most famous for its spice-scented souks, or markets. Here you can barter away to your heart’s content for every kind of handicraft. As well as shopping, you can enjoy so many more activities in Morocco: trekking, skiing, riding, fishing and a whole range of water sports including sailing, yachting, windsurfing, surfing, swimming, white water rafting, kayaking and diving.
And to top it all Morocco has a wonderful moderate climate, cooled by breezes off the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Marrakech for instance, has an average winter temperature of 21ºC (70ºF) and 100°F (38°C) in the summer. While in the interior, the temperatures are more extreme, with fairly cold winters and very hot summers.
10 good reasons why you should buy a property in Morocco- Marrakech appeared in Channel 4’s list of the top 20 locations to buy abroad in 2005 ahead of Dubai and the French Riviera.
- King Mohammed VI is giving incentives for new investors and developers to build hotels and holiday homes in Morocco. The King’s Plan Azur 2010 includes the creation of a number of new tourist developments on Morocco's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.
- These will be built over the next five years and will include brand new complexes with golf courses, five star hotels, beach clubs, marinas, convention centres, riding clubs, spas and stunning apartments, townhouses and villas.
- The King’s plan is also to have the infrastructure in place for ten million tourists by 2010. (Morocco had about 4.6 million tourists in 2005).
- New seaside resorts, shopping centres, four lane roads, railway stations and high speed trains, bus stations and a new international airport are all being built to accommodate these extra tourists and overseas homeowners.
- An underground tunnel between Morocco and Spain is planned to be completed by 2010.
- The Moroccan Government is offering a variety of tax incentives to UK buyers including 0% tax on rental income for the first 5 years, 0% capital gains tax (if profit is under £40K or after 10 years of ownership), 0% inheritance tax and 100% repatriation of funds when you sell.
- A number of articles in the real estate media have been predicting that properties in Morocco will rise in price anywhere from five to ten times over the next five years.
- Morocco now has an ‘Open Skies’ flying agreement with the EU which means that cheap European flights are now operating to the country.
- And with a flight time from the UK of around three hours Morocco is easily accessible, even for just a long weekend!
