Volubilis

Volubilis was the great Roman city of the province of Mauretania Tingitana, near the empire's southwestern edge, and its ruins, spread across a fertile plain beneath the holy town of Moulay Idriss, are the finest Roman remains in Morocco and a World Heritage Site. Founded on an older Amazigh and Carthaginian settlement, it grew rich on the olive oil pressed in the surrounding hills, and enough survives to read the city clearly: a triumphal arch, the columns of the basilica and capitol, a main street lined with the foundations of houses, and, above all, a remarkable series of floor mosaics still in place where they were laid, depicting gods, animals and myths in the rooms of the wealthy. Storks nest on the tallest columns, and the setting, with the ruins rising from green fields and hills, is as memorable as the stonework.

What you actually see

• The floor mosaics - the intricate mosaics still in place in the grand houses.
• The triumphal arch - the arch of Caracalla astride the main street.
• The basilica and capitol - the standing columns at the civic heart of the city.
• The setting - the ruins rising from fertile fields below Moulay Idriss.

When to go

Spring and autumn are ideal, with green fields and mild temperatures; summer is very hot on the open, shadeless site, so go early or late in the day. Morning light is kind for photographing the mosaics and arch. It pairs naturally with the nearby pilgrimage town of Moulay Idriss.

Honest expectations

The site is open and shadeless, so summer midday visits are hot and tiring; bring water and sun protection. The mosaics are exposed to the weather and roped rather than covered, so their survival in the open is remarkable but they show wear. A guide adds a lot, as signage is limited. It is a half-day trip from Meknes rather than a destination in itself.

Nearby

The whitewashed pilgrimage town of Moulay Idriss is minutes away; Meknes and Fès are within an easy drive.