The magical medina of Marrakech on two wheels
If you have visited Marrakesh , you will know that you do not usually see many bicycles on its streets. Motorcycles yes, many, because they are capable of entering the narrow streets that make this city magical, but they are not sustainable. "Pikala seeks to encourage the inhabitants of Marrakech to rediscover the potential of cycling ", they explain to us from the NGO Pikala Bikes, a pioneer in offering tours in this means of transport. "When taking a bike tour, tourists help us finance other projects to make this means of transport more popular, helping us in our mission to show a sustainable alternative to polluting vehicles".
In addition to fighting for a more ecological future, demonstrating that the use of the bicycle can be a choice -and not a sign of lack of means, as citizens now perceive-, those responsible for Pikala develop environmental awareness of the population through workshops, seminars and events. In addition, the organization also encourages local participation in educational programs focused on mechanics and road safety, offers local youth jobs as guides, mechanics and messengers on two wheels, and teaches women to ride a bicycle, something uncommon in Arab countries -as can be seen in Haifaa Al-Mansour's award-winning film The Green Bicycle, a somewhat extreme case given that it occurs in Saudi Arabia-.
TOURS WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR: MARRAKECH BEYOND THE SIGHTSEEING PLACES
The idea of creating Pikala Bikes came from the Dutch Cantal Bakker, She said that she was working in her country as a cycling instructor for immigrants and refugees when, in 2015, she discovered the potential of cycling in Marrakech and started the company. Giants of the tourism industry such as Tui, which supports the project through its foundation, have now set their sights on it.
"Our tours are designed and offered by young and native tour guides . Using bicycles we carry travelers beyond the tourist districts to show you the hidden jewels of Marrakech that, generally, remain secret for visitors", they tell us from the organization.
The itineraries are various, and include cultural tours of the city, a visit to the desert and the Palm Grove of Marrakech and even a walk with a treasure hunt included, which takes you through the souks and gardens of the city, solving puzzles with which you will better understand the idiosyncrasy of the place. all tours include water, fruit and tea , and the latter, lasting four hours, also a picnic.
ALSO IN AGADIR
Pikala Bikes also offers a tour of the coastal city of agadir -three hours by car from Marrakech-, a peculiar place that is difficult to understand without a guide: "Agadir was** completely destroyed during the great earthquake of 1960** and rebuilt from scratch. mixture of modern architecture with traditional Moroccan culture resulted in a very special city that requires a particular way of being explored", they tell us from the company.
On these group bikes you even have tea during the 'tours'
"We use bikes to pedal around the city, covering more ground than you could cover on foot and discovering the hidden gems and little alleyways that** you can't get to on public transport**. Our leisurely pace allows you to appreciate the agadir heartbeat as we share our stories. Also, although we visit many famous places on our cycle routes, the goal is to show you the real Agadir. Our city, the one enjoyed by the locals every day . We want you to feel like one of us in the end. Our young people will also offer you stories about what it is like to grow up in Morocco, the importance of family and how to deal with religion and modernization".
The association, which also rents its bicycles to individuals, does not give up its efforts to expand . For this reason, it is working on opening new centers in Taroudant, Essaouira and Rabat , even in these delicate moments that tourism is going through. "Slowly, life here is returning to normal and Morocco has opened its doors to tourists , whom we love to accompany on our bike tours. However, during this pandemic, we have made a special offer for locals, with adjusted prices for groups and families," they conclude from Pikala.