Saïdia Tourism

Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion Group, the leading institutional investor in Morocco, and Pierre & Vacances-Center Parcs Group, the European leader in local tourism and leisure activities, have signed a strategic partnership aimed at accompanying the development of major tourism resorts in Morocco, as planned under the Vision 2020 framework and based on two shared convictions:

- The development of Resorts and Tourism Residences integrating a comprehensive range of leisure activities provides clear value added in terms of tourism appeal, as a complement to hotel offerings.
- The high growth potential of Morocco generated by the development of Family and Leisure Resorts meets considerable demand from both national and international clients.
In addition to the Resort currently being developed in Marrakech, the two groups have decided to extend the scope of their partnership to other sites in the country, namely Taghazout and Saïdia.

Saïdia

The Saïdia resort located in the north-east of Morocco on the Mediterranean coast, currently has three five-star hotels, tourism residences, an 18-hole golf course, a Marina and a shopping centre.
In the Saïdia resort, the CDG/Pierre & Vacances-Center Parcs partnership concerns a Pierre & Vacances village with 400 units due to be built in synergy and as a complement to other components and facilities at the heart of the station including a water park, a leisure park and a conference centre, which are to be developed in parallel by the CDG subsidiary, Société de Développement de Saïdia (SDS).


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Day Trips from Rabat

Day Trips from Rabat

While Rabat, Morocco, has not necessarily established itself as a major tourist destination, this pleasant metropolitan city is a great home base for exploring Morocco’s more modern sites. Morocco’s capital city lacks the hustle and bustle of other Moroccan cities, making it a great place to stay for families traveling with children. Rabat’s medina is rather quiet yet authentic so you take your young ones shopping in the souks without too much worry about losing them in the crowds

There are plenty of sites to see in Rabat like the ancient city of Sale Colonia and Rabat’s most famous landmark, Le Tour Hassan, plus there are many popular historical sites within an easy traveling distance from Rabat.

Once you’ve explored Rabat, consider taking several day trips to one of these neighboring sites to get more of a feel for Moroccan culture.

Located within an easy hour’s drive from Rabat, Casablanca is one of Morocco’s favorite tourist destinations. Inspired by French colonialism, Casablanca is more modern and more open to Western ways than other places in Morocco. Take a walking tour through the Marche Central and spend the afternoon sipping tea at one of Casablanca’s many hip cafes. Make sure to explore the old city’s medina, the newly gentrified shopping district of Quartier Harbous and the Hassan II Mosque—the fifth largest mosque in the world.

On the way to Casablanca, you can stop off at one of the beautiful beaches that line the Atlantic Coast. Bouznika is one of the trendiest beach towns located between the two cities, complete with luxurious golf resorts. Bouznika is also a popular surf spot, especially in the winter when the surf is especially consistent.

Rabat’s neighboring city of Sale is a fun place to explore. With winding streets, narrow alleyways and old medina houses, Sale looks more like a traditional Moroccan village than a literal suburb of the modern Rabat. Conservative dress is more appropriate in Sale compared to the other cities near Rabat, so if you don’t want to stand out in Sale, dress more conservatively and avoid wearing short skirts or tank tops.

Just eight miles southwest of Rabat is the peaceful seaside town of Temera. The Temera Plage is a long coastal area divided up into many sandy beaches perfect for both surfing and sunbathing. You can also visit Termera’s Grand Mosque and the many quaint markets you will find around town. Great for children, the Temera National Zoological Park houses hundreds of species of birds and many mammals like elephants, lions and gazelles.



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Saidia

 Saidia was barely a dot on the tourist map. This small coastal town between the Algerian border and Spanish Melilla is in the process of being transformed into one of the Mediterranean’s most visited beach resorts. The grand vision includes development plans for five full-scale seaside resorts, Saidia being one of the first.

While on package holiday to Morocco, the day is best started in Saidia with a sunrise breakfast, deep sea fishing in the nearby bay Cap de l’Eau, or a lazy morning sleep-in followed by a stroll on the eight-mile stretch of white sand beach. In this seaside town, activities are mostly focused on the sand and sea. You can spend your morning exploring dive wrecks, taking a sailing lesson or soaking up the Mediterranean rays. If you happen be in Saidia during June, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the annual sailing regatta.

A laid-back lunch could be taking a picnic on the beach or dining at one of the many restaurants at the 160-venue Medina Saidia commercial area. Built in the style of a traditional Moroccan city, Medina Saidia is a pedestrian area lined with shops, outlets and restaurants. There you’ll also find Marjane supermarket where you can stock up on snacks, drinks or groceries if you plan to cook and eat in or host your own barbecue at your rented condo or beach house.

If you’d like to spend your afternoon off the beach, consider exploring the town’s restored 16th-century Kasbah, visiting the bird preserve bordering Saidia or playing a round of golf on one of the three 18-hole courses. Golf lessons are also available. Take a day trip to the urban center of Oujda where you can shop Moroccan fashions, walk the tree-lined promenade or browse local music at the CD shops. Oujda is a place where you can feel the hustle and bustle of Moroccan markets, sample local cuisine and attend live musical performances.

In the evening, take a sunset promenade to ogle at the private yachts at Saidia’s 850-mooring marina, relax at one of the luxury clubhouses or listen to classical Berber music at a beachfront hotel. If you visit in August, you may be able to catch Saidia’s annual summer music festival, which you can read more about on our Morocco blog using the search feature..


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