Destinations
Internet in Morocco: imperial cities, desert and mountains
Good coverage in the cities and on the coast, uneven in the Atlas and the desert. What to prepare if the trip leaves the medinas behind.
Irene Salazar 7 min Photo by Paul Macallan on Unsplash Morocco is better connected than many people expect: the mobile network reaches the cities, the coast and the main corridors well. What changes is what lies in between, and there the trip does need preparing.
What coverage is like
In Marrakesh, Casablanca, Fez, Rabat and Tangier, wide 4G with no trouble. The medinas, with their narrow alleys and thick walls, throw the odd shadow, but you can still get online.
The Atlas and the desert are another story. On the routes towards Merzouga or Zagora there are long stretches with no signal, and in the desert camps coverage tends to be minimal or non-existent. The same goes for the High Atlas valleys.
And watch out for one practical thing: in the medinas, besides the signal shadow, GPS becomes unreliable among the alleys. Downloading the map helps less than it seems; what works there is asking.
Which operators there are
Maroc Telecom, Orange Maroc and Inwi. Maroc Telecom is usually the one that reaches rural and mountain areas best, which is where the difference really shows.
The local SIM process
Buying a prepaid SIM is easy and cheap, and they are available at the airport and in any operator shop. They ask for your passport to register it. If the trip is long and you are staying in an urban area, it is a sensible option.
For a short trip or a circuit through several cities, arriving with data already sorted saves you the paperwork exactly when you arrive tired and with luggage.
Three things for the desert and the mountains
- Download the maps for the whole route before leaving the city. In the Atlas you will not be able to do it on the move.
- Tell someone your plan if you are going to a desert camp. There is no coverage there and communication depends on the guide.
- Take a power bank. With a weak signal the phone searches for a network constantly and the battery goes much faster than usual.
The third point is not a minor one and holds for any destination with patchy coverage: a phone hunting for a network uses considerably more than one with a good signal. On a long route you notice it.
If you are coming from an EU country
Morocco is outside the European Union, so roaming on a European line is not included by default and can be expensive. It is the classic case where an eSIM pays for itself, all the more so given how close it is: plenty of people cross without thinking that they are no longer in the EU zone.
When each option pays off, with the specific cases, is in roaming, eSIM or local SIM.
Frequently asked questions
Is mobile coverage good in Morocco?
In cities, on the coast and along the main corridors yes, with wide 4G. In the Atlas and the desert there are long stretches with no signal, and in the camps it tends to be minimal or non-existent.
Does my European plan work in Morocco?
Morocco is outside the European Union, so roaming is not included by default and can be expensive. It is a common mistake because of the proximity: check before crossing.
Can I buy a SIM in Morocco?
Yes, it is easy and cheap, at the airport and in operator shops. They ask for your passport to register it.
Does GPS work in the medinas?
So-so. Among the narrow alleys the positioning signal becomes unreliable, and downloading the map helps less there than it seems.
Why does my battery drain so fast in Morocco?
With a weak signal the phone searches for a network constantly and that uses much more. On mountain or desert routes it is worth carrying a power bank.
