The iconic French three-masted ship Le Belem is making a stopover in Morocco this May, docking in two historically significant cities: Rabat and Tangier. Owned by the Belem Foundation, part of the Caisse d'Epargne group, and serving as an ambassador of French maritime heritage, the vessel returns to Moroccan waters for the first time in 16 years. Organized in partnership with the French Embassy in Morocco, the French Institute of Morocco, the Port of Tangier City, and Bouregreg Marina, the stopover will unfold in two stages. The first began on May 4 in Rabat and runs through May 6. «It will then set sail on a public voyage to Tangier from May 6 to 9», offering participants «a unique opportunity to experience life aboard a great 19th-century sailing ship, under the guidance of a professional crew», according to a press release. In Tangier, Le Belem will open its decks to the public free of charge on May 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., before welcoming school groups from May 12 to 14. Further details and reservations are available on the Belem Foundation's website: www.fondationbelem.fr. Measuring 50 meters in length and equipped with steel masts reaching 34 meters high, Le Belem was built in Nantes in 1896. It arrives in Morocco after a stop in Lisbon on April 30. In Rabat, it is docked along a rehabilitated stretch of river, once a bustling port during the French Protectorate.
