Damien Enright: Renting a car in Morocco, you can access wildlife and nature usually beyond reach

While the cities are a melee of honking horns and death-defying pedestrians, the roads outside towns are easygoing and slow, writes Damien Enright

Marsh harriers are big birds, long-tailed and long-winged, almost twice the size of our kestrels. We have hen harriers in Ireland, but they are rarely seen

Resorts on the east coast of Spain—Costa Blanca, Costa de Almeria, Costa del Sol—are first choice for many Irish holidaymakers venturing abroad. Last week, I wrote about the magic on the other side of the Mediterranean in Morocco. This week, I recall a Moroccan journey in a battered car, the farmers selling fruit on the roadsides, the breathtaking beauty of a marsh harrier hanging in the wind, and "that everyday closeness to fellow humans that feeds the soul."

Driving in Morocco is no hassle at all. It is a vast country, with green or dry mountains, deserts, extensive forests, verdant river valleys, lakes and rich farming land. An hour’s ferry ride from the south of Spain takes one to Tangier, gateway to exotic North Africa. For those interested in wildlife and nature a rented car allows access to areas otherwise beyond reach.