Pikala Bikes review: our verdict
Pikala Bikes is first and foremost a social initiative: founded by Dutchwoman Cantal Bakker, the company trains and employs young Moroccans as guides and mechanics, reinvesting its profits into its programs. Its workshop, located north of the medina, displays bicycles with wicker baskets, painted pots, and colorful signs, serving as a starting point for guided tours as well as rentals.
Two playgrounds await: the medina, with stops at artisans' workshops and a break for Moroccan pastries and tea, and the Palmeraie, for mountain biking, between ancient irrigation systems, communal ovens, and a small village. The guides speak excellent French, share stories about the city, and ensure safety. This is an outing for the curious who can handle a handlebar; it is not for those uncomfortable on a bike, as medina traffic is dense.
The good tip: the Palmeraie for a first outing, calmer than the alleys. The pitfall: leaving without checking your bike, including the brakes. The best time: in the morning, as the workshop opens at 9 a.m., every day.



