Well, that was easy…! After lots of planning, waiting, traveling and then more waiting – I finally made it to Morocco. After a quick 20 minute ride into Algeciras from the campsite near Gibraltar I arrived at the ferry terminal. Once you get into Algeciras the motorway splits and once you brach-of it takes you straight into the ferry port. Unlike some ferry ports in the UK…
I booked my ticket online using the directferries.com website the evening before and it cost 62eu. It said I had to be at the ferry terminal 90 minutes before sailing so I was there two hours before, just to make sure. I think I was a bit premature with this as people were still arriving 30 minutes before sailing, but whether I would have wanted to risk arriving later…? Not really. I’d sooner be early and make sure I had a place than risk being late and the ferry being full. It was quite hot and there was little shade, and where there was shade you would get harrassed by people wanting to sell you things so I ended up siting next to my bike and reading my kindle – while using my jacket draped over the handlebars as a shade. Simple, but efective.
The bike is good, my ankle is good, and it’s sunny. What more could I ask for. Well, maybe a cold drink, but I’m happy just to be here. Let the journey begin…
The ferry left Algeceiras on time and the ferry was great: clean, spacious, cool and with a refreshments bar. Arriving on the ferry I was directed to an area for motorbikes and as soon as I got off the bike a crewman was there to ratchet-strap the bike down. As soon as you leave the harbour they announce that the customs office is open – which is a small office in the main lounge. This is where you show your passport and get it stamped with your visa – while you are making the cossing. Excellent. There was quite a queue so I spent most of the crossing sat outside in the shade on the promenade deck, just admiring the view and the deep blue sea as Europe got smaller and smaller in the distance. When the queue was nearly finished I joined the queue and soon it was my turn. It only took a few minutes to get mt passport stamped and get my visa.
We arrived at Tangier Med in Morocco about 1.30pm. You do a quick passport check as soon as you get off the ferry and are then directed to the Douane to get your vehicle permit. This didnt take long, about ten minutes, and while you are waiting the drugs dog will have a quick sniff to make sure you are not smuggling. I was so glad I didnt bring any sausages… I had been told that normally they randomly X-ray vehicles, but there was no x-rays for me. They waved me through. I must look like a very trustworthy person… 😉
After the Douane I needed to get insurance for the bike and just outside the customs compound are a row of small buildings. Mostly ATM’s, but the last building is the SANLAM insurance office. Insurance in Morocco is standardised. For morotcycles it was 64eu for one week, 80eu for two weeks and 98eu for one month so I bought one month of insurance. I also bought a sim-card with 10gb of data for 50eu, which I soon regretted as I could of bought an e-sim online for less. I also took the opportunity to get some Moroccan cash out of an ATM and had no problems withdrawing cash on my Revolut card. The process of getting the insurance took longer than the entry process, so i was quite thankful that there was only a few people waiting for insurance.
Straight after the ATM’s and the Insurance Office is the exit from the port, and when I got to the exit roundabout I turned left – as I was heading east along the coast – and started making up some mileage. It was about 2.45 by the time I got out of the port and the weather today was a sunny 26 degrees. Stopping for a quick break after about 50km, I had a look on iOverlander for possible places to camp as the day was getting late and it does get dark quite early in Morocco. It indicated a place I could wild-camp about 30km further along the coast – so that’s where I headed.
Arriving just after 4pm I found a nice place to pitch my tent on some empty ground overlooking the sea. There was another biker already there who was pitching his tent – a guy called Lenny, all the way from Bremen on his BMW 650. I would have liked to ride further today, but I was just so happy to be here, on the road – and most of all – in Morocco. Tomorrow it’s going to be a ride of around 200km, heading east along the coast towards Algeria – which promises lots of twisty roads and gradients.
I am so, so, so, so excited….!
