Orientation

Medina. The medina, the old walled city, contains the bulk of the attractions, the souks (markets) and riads (mansion houses). It's a warren of narrow derbs (alleyways), in which you can lose yourself if you don't pay attention. Thankfully, there is a method to the madness with some of the souks organized by type, including the carpet souk, the spice souk, and the slipper souk.

Ville Nouvelle. The wide, tree-lined boulevards of the New Town lie directly to the west of the medina, and were largely planned and laid out by the French colonial authorities. The Ville Nouvelle is principally split into two main neighborhoods: Guéliz is the modern administrative center, home to the tourist information office, numerous tour agencies, fashionable boutiques, and many of the city's hottest restaurants; Hivernage, to the south, has chain hotels and chic bars and clubs.

The Palmery. The Palmery is a 30,000-acre oasis, 7 km (4.5 mi) north of the medina between the roads to Casablanca and Fez. Once a source of wealth for the sultans because of its acres of date plantations, it's now a hideaway for the rich and famous (Jacques Chirac and Yves St. Laurent have owned properties here), with a crop of luxury hotels and secluded villas springing up among the palms.