Rabat, Morocco

Port Rabat is the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. Rabat is Morocco's political and administrative capital and the official residence of the King. All Ministries and embassies are located in Rabat.

Apart from its governmental activities, Rabat is one of the country's main industrial centers, and contains several of Morocco's major educational institutions. The carpet auction and the Potter’s Village are worth a visit and the city abounds in shops, bookshops, cinemas and theatres.

Things to See & Do

* Mausoleum of Mohammed V
* Carpet Auction
* Hassan Tower
* Chellah necropolis
* The Oudaya

General information

Cruise Season – Feb to Dec
Currency - Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Language – Arabic
Land Area – km²
Population – 1,700,000 approx
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus zero hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 212

Travel Links – There are flights from New York, Montreal, and various European cities to Casablanca (one hour from Rabat) as well as seasonal charter flights to Agadir. Many visitors also fly to Gibraltar or Malaga (which are often considerably cheaper to get to) and take a ferry from Algeciras, Tarifa or Gibraltar to Tangier.

Rabat is well served by trains and you can get frequent connections to most places. Marrakesh is a pleasant 4 hour journey, Fez 2.5 hours and Casablanca 1 hour. There are two stations in Rabat - centre and Agdal.

It's possible to get a bus from almost any town in the country to Rabat. Note, however, that the buses often do not stop at the central bus station, but instead go through the city.