Overland from Margate to Marrakech: An art-filled journey across France and Spain

Walking along Margate seafront one evening as the colourful swash of another Turner-esque sunset melted into the sea, I began to plot my flight-free adventure to Morocco.

I usually work as a photographer, but I’d been remote working at a desk-based editorial job in an ever-lengthening contract all year and I’d saved up more than enough for a proper escape. I booked myself onto a cycling holiday and it began with a meet-up in Marrakech. I pondered, as I walked in that sunset glow, could I get there without flying?

I’d originally moved to Margate to live cheaply while finishing my MSc in environment and sustainability in late 2019 and I’d been talking the talk about flight-free and environmentally conscious travel for a while – it was now my turn to put it into action.

It’s about 2,000 miles between Margate and Marrakech and therein lies a multitude of options. To make the most of those precious few hours in