Saidia is a seasonal seaside resort with a largely Moroccan clientele apparently. For two months of the year in summer it is packed with city dwellers wanting to get away from the heat and hassle of the city and cool off by the coast.

I visited during Ramadan and winter so it wasn't exactly pumping. In fact the campsite was closed and it was only by being adventurous and asking at the shop next door was the guardian found who has happy to pocket a few dirhams for letting me stay.

It was a great place for me to 'sort my shit out' as I had been advised to do. I spent five days wondering around and sorting out the landy, which would have been lovely if I hadn't promptly caught a cold and spent most of my time chucking sudafed down my gob in a vain attempt to stop my nose running.

As Saidia is right on the border with Algeria, and the Moroccans and Algerians don't get on very well at a government level, there is a big military presence in Saidia. No problem at all for a traveler, but it does seem to effect the vibe of a place when every 3rd person is a soldier.

And it is quite amusing to walk along a lovely beach only to find half way along there is a barbed wire fence and a different country on the other side of it. I got waved away from taking photos up close, but the picture above on the right shows the beach with the barbed wire fence jutting out and behind it the military buildings and hills in Algeria.