9th day, april 24, 2023

Casablanca - Ounagha

I had a long day on the bike. I left Casa around 9 a.m., heading south. After filling up with petrol, I took the A1 motorway since there’s not much to see along the coast between Casablanca and Safi.

Shepherds use the motorway to graze their livestock on the verges, and sometimes even on the central reservation. Despite a shepherd always being nearby, young lambs occasionally wander onto the road, so you have to stay very alert.

The motorway ends at Safi, which you pass through to join the RR301 road. Strong gusts coming off the Atlantic made riding quite challenging.

Near Essaouira, I turned left onto the R207 towards Ounagha. That’s where I spent my first night at the Camping des Oliviers (https://camping-desolivies.com/#), pitched in my tent. The welcome, as is often the case in Morocco, was very warm. They quickly showed me around the campsite, the showers, toilets, washing machines, and then the tent area. The site was about three-quarters full, mostly with mobile homes. I chose a pitch under an olive tree.

It was the first time I’d put up that tent, and I managed to set everything up in under 30 minutes. I’m quite proud of myself! After laying out the insulating mattress, sleeping bag, and all the rest, I decided to do some laundry since washing machines were available. While waiting, I stepped out to explore the surroundings. I found a small grocery shop where I bought some water and biscuits, “Moroccan,” the shopkeeper told me.

Along the village’s main road, there’s a petrol station (for refuelling tomorrow) and a few restaurants. I’ll check them out later.

Today, I covered 374 kilometres in 4 hours and 30 minutes.