I have just returned from a weekend trip to Morocco. I went partly out of curiousity and partly out of pure shame – after all, here I am living on mainland Spain, almost literally a stone’s throw from another continent, and yet it was to be only my first trip. What was my excuse?

Well, there’s always some natural trepidation involved in visiting a new country (ok, that’s truly rubbish excuse!) but I’m glad I went, because it served to allay any lingering fears I might have had about safety in what is actually a stunningly beautiful and welcoming country. Actually, I felt a lot safer in Morocco than I used to feel stepping onto a dark and dingy late night unmanned train station in London, let me tell you.

So where did I go? Well, this time round (because I reckon there’ll definitely be future trips) I stuck to the coast, going down past Tangier towards a variety of seaside towns. The first thing you notice is how excellent the new roads are in Morocco; there’s a new toll road running southwards, which frankly is as good as any in Europe. And the new property developments are really quite superb, arranged as they are along the sea-front. There are miles of gorgeous, wide, sandy beaches, currently frequented by...well…not many people. There are camel rides to be had on the beach too – yes, I know they’re there for the tourists, but it’s great fun, and let’s face it, I am a tourist.

The other thing that struck me was how cheap everything was, compared to northern Europe, and how friendly the locals were. The image of a hugely pushy market trader virtually ripping the money out of your hands, could not have been further from the truth. The markets were colourful, and the traders courteous. But hey, that’s just my experience. 

Housing and construction is setting a pace here, in a land which is really starting to open up at the behest of King Mohammed VI, who has presided over much social reform, including free trade agreements with the European Union, and the promotion of areas aimed at encouraging more visitors…like me.

The food is great too, ranging from cheap and superb local fare, to more recognizable international cuisine. Actually, I prefer the traditional grub – flavoursome stews, fresh salads, sweet cakes for dessert and fresh mint tea. You may be surprised to learn that some restaurants even serve beer (manufactured in Tangier) for those tourists who still fancy a tipple.

Then in the warm evenings as the sun sets, there’s nothing better than a stroll along the seafront, where local stall holders sell cooked snails in spicy sauce (better than anything I’ve had in France) with piping hot chickpeas.

So, the next time you fancy something genuinely exotic that still borders the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, Morocco definitely deserves more than just a passing thought. It’s a whole new marvellous world…