• Jacob Mies

Marocco with a stop in Granada

A 13-day adventure by Jacob Read more
  • Trip start
    November 26, 2025

    Eine Nacht im Flughafen

    November 26 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    God bless Ryanair. For 30 euro from Germany to Malaga. The only disadvantage is a night in the airport. The airport is so small that it's closed overnight, but they let you sleep inside. In the morning I get a bus to Granada and im surprised by the snow in the Sierra Nevada. I did some work and in the evening we got some beer and tapas. 4 liters of beer and 8 tapas for 25€. In Germany this would get you 2 liters of beer without tapas.Read more

  • A hike in the mountains

    November 29 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Today we want to do a hike. At 9 in the morning we take a bus that drops us off almost in the right village (it stopped in the right village, we just didn't know that it's the right one). The path wasn't marked to good so we had to find our own one, but nothing too bad. In total we did 4 summits and brought some great snacks to enjoy the landscape. It was cold at all, the bigger problem was the sun and the German winter skin. Overall the trekking was super beautiful and not too hard (20km, 900m). The only bad part was that the bus just drove trough the next village so we had to do a small run towards the bus stop, luckily downhill. Back in Granada our toogoodtoogo order was not available, but instead we found some good palta and made some great completos. 4 completos are just enough to refill the energy after a good day of trekking.Read more

  • Rain in Spain

    November 30 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    The plan is to walk to a small village nearby and get some food there. After a quick haircut in the morning we left the house. But it suddenly started to rain, so we took the bus instead. After a lunch with some Morcilla (spanish Bloodsausage), Merguez, bread and beer we took a walk for the village and then we headed back by foot. In the end a bit longer than expected with 19km. Back in granada we encountered something like a christams market. It was quire beautiful with lighting, but a lot of people. The dinner was some potatoes with chicken and mushrooms.Read more

  • Maruecco!

    December 1 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    What better way is there than starting the day with pancito and palta. Our bus to the airport is overbooked but nothing that cannot be fixed. We still get to the airport early and have enough time to eat our sandwiches and an ice cream. The short 1,5h flight goes over very quick, as I have 3 emergency row seats for myself. In Marrakesh we check in to the riad and went on the hunt for some more or less local food. Couscous with chicken and some beef with couscous it is. Overall very yummy! On the way back we walk trough the markets full of fruits, "handmade" art and of course hashish dealers. We find a great place to try some local sweets, before we head back. Tomorrow we start early to the desert.Read more

  • Argan oil and (too) old culture

    December 2 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    The tour picks us up at 7.30 and we head towards the mountains. The mountains are unexpected but beautiful and even have snow on the top at 2500m. We take a break and there are at least 5 souvenir stands. Something that's gonna follow us. But the views were beautiful! The next stop is at resting area. Although it's a combination of an argan oil seed shop, a cafe and rest rooms. Of course there are three women (only women can do it) in the entrance opening the seeds and grinding the oil for the whole shop. There are probably people who still believe these stories. But we are not forced to buy anything, there were bread samples with argan oil (and with almond paste because of course argan oil with bread is not the best breakfast) and free toilets, so overall not too bad. There are three older latin women on board who are always late and bring some entertainment as we later knew. The next stop is to get some lunch, we stop at the most expensive restaurant (14€ a soup and a tajine) and of course the discussions begin why they drop us of there. I think if they drop us off in expensive restaurants and the tour company gets a percentage, or if the tour company drops us off in a cheaper place but charge more for the tour itself, it comes out to the same. After the lunch we visit the unesco world heritage site of the ancient city Ait Ben Haddou. Various films with a big name were filmed here. We get a local guide and walk trough the city, the guide explains the fortification system of the city to us. Very interesting is the technique they used to paint images and maps. They use only 4 colours but they add sugar and burn it afterwards to tone the colours. And the first sunburn comes free for the German winter skin. At the end of the day we stay in a decent hotel with a swimming pool, food and another tajine for dinner. After the dinner we go to the hotel bar with the 3 older Latin women. In the bar there are only some local older man which were staring intensively (still underestimated). I was surprised that they didn't offer some goats or cows to marry them. At this point it occurred in our minds that the only working women we have seen so far were 2 women in the airport. Afterwards not a single one.Read more

  • The old valley and the desert

    December 3 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Breakfast starts at 7 and we are leaving at 7.30. The only problem is that the guide was not there. So I went to the reception and the receptionist went to knock on the room of our guide. He was still asleep.
    After 30 minutes we stop at the valle de dades. It's always interesting to see green places in the desert. Of course instantly there are children that want to give you their art and then want to get some money. Obviously you shouldn't support it because otherwise they will never go to school, but not everyone understands this concept (although the guide could have advised before). We continued to the old village in front of the gargantas del todra. A guide explains to us their agriculture system and then we do the obvious carpet stop. Of course everything is handmade (proven by a woman, again something that only women can do in this country, that worked for 3 minutes on a carpet) and made out of local wool. One carpet costs between 200 and 400 euros and takes 3 hours per day for 3 months. For me, this math is not mathematicating, so either it's way quicker with a machine or they just buy them from somewhere else or every woman in this village produces carpets and doesn't get paid.
    After the lunch stop at a buffet we head towards the Sahara and the tourist-turban stop cannot miss.
    We get on camels and started riding into the desert. We see some guys on motorbikes in the desert and i would be lying if id say i was not jealous.
    Compared to a horse, camels move quite a bit, but it's actually easier when you let loose and don't cramp into the saddle. On the way to the desert camp the sun starts to set, which results in a beautiful scenery in the dunes. Upon arrival in the camp we can try out some sandboarding and bring our stuff to the tents. The dinner is another tajine. After the dinner there is bonfire and the guys working in the camp try their best to motivate the tourists to dance. After a while at the fire we take a walk trough the dunes that are still surprisingly warm. It is full moon. The good thing is you don't need a flashlights but the bad thing is there are not too many stars to be seen for that reason. But the temperature is so pleasant that you can just lay down in the sand and look at the sky. After a while we go to the tent (a 5 person tent that we have for us) and collect 5 blankets in one bed. A good decision as it turns out the next morning.
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  • A long way back and authentic food

    December 4 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We get up 5.45 in the desert camp, because breakfast is at 6. The 5 blankets haven proven to be good effort because it was really cold in the morning. We have a quick breakfast and get on out dromedars for the way back. We were wondering about the condition of them because we didn't see any water or food from the night for them. We see the sunrise from the back of the dromedars and make a stop in the dunes to observe it, a really beautiful moment. After the dromedar ride we get back into the van and start the way back, more or less 9 hours. The Latin viejitas play some music on a loudspeaker from the back, other than that there is just a lot of sleeping and talking left. Back in Marrakesh we looked a bit for our hostel but after asking 3 people we found it. The room is nice but we are starting to feel cold, we are wondering if we are sick or if it's just really cold. After a hot shower we find a great restaurant and have some authentic food. Some fried dough with chicken, almonds and cinnamon, a very good combination with a flavor I have never tried before. On the way back I feel really cold and put on some clothing and look for a second blanket. I'm still cold so I have an autodiagnosed fever. As long as it's a fever and not a food poisoning it's not so bad.

    What's left is a review of a tour. Meanwhile I was a bit deceptioned because I expected a bit more adventure, but that's my fault of not reading the description and I would say that my "adventure standards" are quite high after latam. But the price of 80 euros, for the tour, a night in a hotel, a night in the desert, and always breakfast and dinner is very cheap. And the amount of beautiful moments was a lot in those 3 days. Overall an intensive beautiful tour and a great way to see a lot of tourist "sights" in a couple of days.
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  • A long way back

    December 5 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The plan for today is to make it back to malaga. After a great breakfast in the riad we stroll around the city. We visit the gardens of marocco and the markets by day. But we get occupied by a baby cat. We visit the restaurant from yesterday for lunch. Although the waiter asks us why we are talking in englisch if we can talk in Spanish. During the day I feel the fever but as you say in Spanish "Nada que hacer". After some souvenirs we head to the airport by bus - which we thought would be easy because they way from the airport worked out great. In the first bus stop, we are told that the suggestion of Google maps leaves us quite far from the airport and we should just continue to the next station and take the line 20. The only problem is that most bus stations aren't marked at all. The local policeman explained the way to the airport by car and when we asked for the way by bus he said we should go back to the station were we came from. As far as I know in the Arabic culture it's very impolite to not help someone so they tell you cualquier wea. After another stop at the guy from the bus station, a coffee shop asked and the official from a parking asked, they confirm us that the bus leaves from here although there is not a single sign. In total this search took us 1hour but we found the local airport bus for 0,8 euros for 2 persons. The next weird thing is that in maruecco digital boarding cards are forbidden by law so you have to print the boarding at the check in counter. Our flight is a bit late but we make it to malaga safe and sound. We buy some groceries and finally get to our airbnb around 10.Read more

  • A night in Ronda

    December 6 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We are heading to Ronda for a night. We choose a rental car because it's actually cheaper than the bus. After the upselling attempt of the workers we can start the journey. One hour trough mountains and olive trees. In the evening we take a walk trough the city with its famous views points of the surroundings and it's bridge.
    In the evening we improvise a dinner with the available microwave and 3 plates without a knife - quesadillas it is. Then it's already time to sleep, the camel fever is still taking its toll.
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  • Setenil on the way back

    December 7 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Making the most out of the rental, we visit setenil on the way back. A village with houses build under rocks. There are a lot of people going there but luckily the concentrate in the 200m of Instagram spots. It's a lovely village to take a walk. At a viewpoint they sell cold drinks and Migas. A classic food in the south of Spain. It consists out of Bread, Chorizo and bacon cooked in a big pan. It's a very rich dish that fills you up very quick. After we finish the walk trough the village we head back to malaga. Of course the car rental only checks for damages after you return the car, but not before they hand it out to you.Read more

    Trip end
    December 8, 2025