Things to do in Magical Marrakesh

When thinking of Marrakesh you immediately imagine yourself sitting on a flying carpet, golden lamp in one hand, tea in the other. But Marrakesh has so much more to offer apart from the stereotype 1001 nights vibe.
Below you’ll find my favorite things to do in Marrakesh.

Riad

/ˈriːad/ – noun
(in Morocco) A large traditional house built around a central courtyard, often converted into a hotel.

Where a fancy and luxurious hotel often lacks the charm and typical elements of a specific place or country, a riad is filled with. A riad is often hosted by locals, opening their own house to tourists. They will give you the best tips on where to go and how to live like a local, combined with unseen hospitality.

+ cheap, clean, local, a lot of embellishments (1001 nights vibe)
– less privacy than hotel, hard to find when located in the old city centre

The Medina + Le Jardin Secret

The Medina, also known as the old part (formerly within the city walls) of Marrakesh. It is host to a lot of shops, artists and locals and carries the typical charm you would expect of Marrakesh. Next to all of the typical salesmen and Moroccan restaurants, The Medina is also home to a lot of Western (charming) spots such as:
– Le Jardin
– Nomad
– Limoni
Take into account that you’ll pay European prices in these places. The local bars and restaurants are a lot cheaper, but mostly offer Maroccan meals only (tajine and couscous).

In the middle of the busy Medina, you’ll find an Oasis of quiet and peace, known as Le Jardin Secret. You’ll pay a small fee to be able to visit, but you’ll easily wander there for an hour, enjoying the beautiful garden and its surroundings.

La Mamounia

Even though I am not the biggest fan of big hotels, La Mamounia is definitely one to visit. The history of the establishment stretches as far back as the 12th century, when it stood protected behind the medieval ramparts of Marrakesh. The hotel is inseparably attached to its magnificent gardens, which were gifted to Prince Al Mamoun as a wedding present in the 18th century. Today, the hotel is all about luxury, refinement and relaxation.

Even though it is technically prohibited to just visit La Mamounia, you can easily go in just for coffee or ice cream. From the impressive main entrance, to the beautiful swimming pool and gardens, it is a place that is definitely worth visiting.

Le Jardin Majorelle

Located just outside of the old city, you’ll find Le Jardin Majorelle. It is a botanical garden, designed by Jacques Majorelle, who (later) had the typical blue color used in the gardens named after him. Majorelle blue.

The Jardin is full of beautiful plants and flowers and next to that it also has some beautiful buildings and small houses in all sorts of extravagant colours and shapes. Le Jardin is also home to the Musée Berbère where the private art collection of Yves Saint Laurent can be found, together with a memoriam in his name.

Take your time to visit Le Jardin Majorelle. There is always a new corner, path or pond to find.

Djemaa el Fna

The breathing heart of Marrakesh. It is the central square in the middle of the old city centre. In the morning you’ll find a market with local products and in the evening it is home to a bunch of food stands, each one competing with the other to have as many tourists as possible at their booth. The square is also interesting to visit during the day as it is used as an open stage for all people to show their talent. If you long for the Arabian nights and Arabian days scene, come visit and you’ll find snake charmers, henna artists and many more. Also, if you crave a healthy snack, there are a lot of smoothie stands, offering smoothies in all combinations and sizes for about 1,50 euros.

My advice? Visit the square just before sundown and go watch on one of the rooftop terraces. You’ll have an amazing view and colour scheme of the sun going down and the lights of the market turning on.

BEWARE! Even though Djemaa el Fna is a gorgious square, it is also known for pickpockets! So keep your camera in hand, but the rest of your stuff even closer.

The new city

Where the historic centre of Marrakesh is -as I said- historic, the new part of the city is very modern. It has lots of European stores and clubs and lovely restaurants. If you like to bathe in luxury, European food and fancy clubs, the new part of the city is the place to be for ya!

I tried 3 restaurants/clubs in the new city:
– Le Comptoir Darna
A restaurant that is nice on the eyes, and even nicer on the stomach. The
food is amazing and the staff very lovely. It gives you a true Arabian vibe,
together with lovely music and a dance show.
Food price: +/- 40 euros
– Epicurien
Came highly recommended by a friend. After having looked up the menu,
I booked a table. It is an extremely lovely restaurant, bathing in the
luxury of the Casino of Marrakesh. The staff was not friendly at all, on the
contrary, they looked at me as if I was a hobo unable to pay for the food I
was about to order. When the food came, I was extremely dissapointed. I
ordered spring rolls as a starter and all I could taste was cilantro. My
main dish was entrecote with pepper sauce. Even though I ordered a
medium rare steak, it was entirely cold and the sauce came straight
out of a package.
The cocktails (I ordered a Whisky Sour), on the contrary, were excellent.
I highly recommend Epicurien for after food drinks and to party. For
dinner, not so much.
Food price: +/- 50 euros
– Buddha Bar
Only came in for a quick drink. It was fine. Lovely place.
Drinks price: +/- 10 euros for a cocktail

Essaouira

2,5 hours away from Marrakesh, you’ll find the small fisher’s town Essaouira. A lovely little place near the sea, where you can have a nice long and relaxing walk, visit the shops or eat fish right out of the ocean. It has some very scenic places and a very calming atmosphere. If you have a day to spare, I would certainly recommend visiting Essaouira.

Just for fun: we went to one of the fisher’s booths for lunch. They offered us freshly baked fish for a price of 50 euros for four persons, including the following: 2 lobsters, 1 crab, clams, prawns, shrimps, 5 pieces of sole, plaice, …

So if you like fresh (and cheap) fish, go to Essaouira!

In general

I had been looking forward to going to Marrakesh for quite some time. Even though I must admit that I am happy to have seen it, I was rather dissapointed by the city. My throat was sore because of all the exhaust fumes of all the motorbikes that drive in the middle of the narrow streets. The salesmen were far too “pushy” and the general atmosphere was not at all as romantic as I had hoped.

Of course, this could be due to my high expectations more than to the city itself. I will let you figure this one out for yourself.

Pricewise, Marrakesh was a tad more expensive than I had imagined, especially when visiting the new part of the city.

Anyways, I hope you’ll have a lot of fun exploring the charm of the city.
I know I did.