About
Marrakech Medina
In the centre is the Koutoubia Mosque which dominates the skyline and overlooks one of the world's great meeting places the Jemaa el Fna, the old city's "Big Square". Alongside the square is the labrynth of souks that provides some of the best shopping in Morocco.
The Medina
Marrakech is a fashionable exotic city which has become a magnet for tourists and where the way of life is deeply traditional and a world away from our own, with red ochre of the town walls and buildings set against the backdrop of the High Atlas Mountains. Adopted by the hippies in the 1960s, the city was soon besieged by writers, artists and lovers of fashion and it is now truly a feast for the senses for those in search of sensory inspiration.
Marrakech offers a wide range of things to see and do: there is a wide choice of restaurants, places to shop, sights and places to stay both in the bustling medina where restored riads (courtyard houses) offer a quiet retreat, and the peaceful palmeraie, a residential oasis just 20 minutes' drive from town, which offers more spacious small hotels set in lush surroundings. To stay in a more rural setting, including the Palmeraie area of Marrakech, see Marrakech Palmeraie & Surrounds.
In July and August, we strongly advise accommodation with air conditioning and access to a pool.
Location
Marrakech is just north of the High Atlas Mountains in the heart of Morocco around 2/3 rds of the way down the country.
It has an international airport, which is the most popular access point to Morocco for overseas visitors, and is well connected to other places of interest by the excellent rail network and (generally) good roads.
Visitors to Marrakech may wish to combine their trip with a visit to:
- the Atlantic coast, either at Essaouira, the pretty beach, coastal medina and fishing village around 2.5 hours west, or Oualidia, the peaceful coastal village and lagoon around 3.5 hours' drive north west;
- the cities of the north, including the fascinating Imperial cities of Rabat, Meknes and Fez all accessible by train around 3.5 hours to 9 hours journey;
- the beautiful High Atlas Mountains less than an hour's drive south; and
- Skoura, the oasis town en route ti the desert around 5 hours' journey south east (the sand dunes of the Sahara are around 9 hours from Marrakech).
The Palmeraie area of Marrakech is around 20 minute's drive from the Medina, see Marrakech Surrounds.
Things to do or see
- The old city's "Big Square", the Djemaa el Fna (Jemma el Fna), has a unique atmosphere especially at night when storytellers, acrobats, musicians and snake charmers perform beneath the magnificent illuminated backdrop of the Koutoubia Mosque and the gas-lit food-stalls
- The labyrinth of souks in the World Heritage Site of the Medina of Marrakech, in which to practise your bartering skills
- The Ben Youseff Medersa, an Islamic school in the heart of the Medina
- The ornately carved Saadien Tombs
- The Marjorelle Gardens, the beautifully restored botanical gardens once owned by Yves Saint-Laurent, also housing the Majorelle museum of Islamic Art
- Numerous museums, including Dar Si Said "... a sumptuous palace housing the very quintessence of Moroccan art", and the Bert Flint Museum of Saharan and Souss valley art and traditions
Other Activities
- Cookery courses, to get a hands on understanding of the tasty local specialities
- Trekking on its southern doorstep in the High Atlas Mountains
- Day excursions such as to the beautiful Ouzoud waterfalls in the Middle Atlas
- Hot Air ballooning, for a memorable way to see the local countryside
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