Marrakesh

Bustling day and night, you can sample the kebabs in the famous Place Jemaa El Fna (a UNESCO World Heritage site), see the snake charmers perform or listen to the storytellers. A holiday in Marrakesh is also about touring the city in a horse-drawn carriage, getting lost in the many souks whose reputation is well established, or strolling through the city's magnificent gardens. These include the remarkable Jardin Secret, a botanical garden dating back several centuries that has recently been restored, and the famous Majorelle Garden. Created in the 1920s by the artist Jacques Majorelle, this timeless space, which includes the magnificent bright blue villa, was bought in 1980 by the French fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent. He owned it until his death in 2008. Today, Majorelle Garden is one of the must-sees in Marrakesh.

During your stay in Marrakesh, take time out to discover one of the many luxurious riads, with their indoor garden and high walls to protect against the heat of the medina. Take the opportunity to discover the magic and relaxation of a hammam: on holiday in Marrakech, relaxation is a must!  

Away from the hustle and bustle of the medina, you'll also find an impressive cultural heritage in the ‘red city’ (nicknamed for its red and ochre ramparts), with bewitching sites such as the Bahia Palace, the El Badii Palace and the Koutoubia Mosque, one of the most beautiful monuments in North Africa. 

Good to know: you will only be able to access the outside (the gardens) of the Koutoubia, and proper attire is required.

Any other recommended activities in Marrakesh? Visit the Palmeraie, home to over 100,000 palm trees. This is a popular spot for tourists, to enjoy a game of golf, a glass of mint tea and some oriental pastries…

A little further afield, outside Marrakesh, an excursion to the Agafay desert offers an unforgettable experience.

Book your direct flight from Montpellier to Marrakesh now! 

Tourist sites

• Jamaa-El-Fna Square.
• Almoravide Qubba (last vestiges of the Almoravides).
• The SaadianTombs.
• Chrob Fountain.
• Rahba Kedima Square.
• The Berber Ecomuseum.
• The Tanneries.

Religious sites

• Koutoubia Mosque.
• El Mouassine Mosque and its fountain.
• The Mosque of the Golden Apples.

Monuments

• Bahia Palace.
• El Badi Palace.
• Menara Gardens.
• The Garden of Agdal.
• Majorelle Garden.

Museums

• Marrakech Museum.
• Dar Si Said Museum.
• The Museum of Islamic Art.
• The Bert Flint Museum.
• The Art of Living Museum.

Souks

• Tanners Souk.
• Ahiak Souk (fabrics).
• Attatine Souk (brassware).
• Chouari Souk (basketwork).
• Dlala Souk (djellabas).
• El Kebir Souk (leather).
• Eloustat Souk (fabrics, wool).
• Blacksmiths’ Souk.
• Tamis Souk (ironware).
• Nejjarines Souk (wood).
• Rabia Souk (carpets).
• The Slipper Souk (babouches).
• Zrabia Souk (leather and carpets.
• The jewellers Souk.

• Relax in a traditional hammam: What could be more authentic than going to a hammam in Morocco? Unlike hammams in beauty salons, the local neighbourhood public hammams are a great experience! Ask your Riad to recommend some good addresses.
   
• Dine in a palace: Go to the Palais Soleiman to taste authentic dishes in a luxurious decor!

Starters

• Mechouia Salad: Salad made from tomatoes, cooked peppers, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.
• Salad with olives (meslalla), fennel, feggous (small, thin cucumbers), grated carrots sometimes flavoured with orange juice.

Soups

• Bissara: broad bean soup.
• Harira: soup made from tomatoes, flour, lentils or peas, served with pieces of meat.

Main dishes

• Couscous with vegetables, chicken, lamb or beef.
• Pastilla: Meat pie made from crispy warqua pastry, minced pigeon or chicken, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, almonds and honey, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
• Briouat: donut made from warqua pastry stuffed with ground meat, chicken, sausages, fish or almonds.
• Tajine: stew of meat, poultry or fish with vegetables and fruit.
• Kebabs and keftas (spicy meatballs), eaten with the famous flat round Moroccan bread, plain or flavoured with fennel seeds and caraway.
• Mechoui, meat roasted on an open fire.

Desserts

• Ka'b al ghzal or gazelle horns.
• Briouat with honey and almonds.
• Ghoriba with almonds or sesame seeds.
• Bechkito: crispy butter cookies.
• M’hanncha: coiled pastry sprinkled with cinnamon powder.
• Shebbakia: fried strips of dough with warm honey and toasted sesame seeds.
• Ktefa: milk pastilla, made from sheets of warqua pastry (flour paste and water) flavoured with orange blossom and almonds served with a little cold milk.
• Orange salad flavoured with orange flower water and cinnamon.
• Pancakes with honey and sesame seeds.

Drinks

• Fresh fruit juices: orange, banana, avocado, almond milk...
• Local Beer*: Flag Special, Casablanca, Stork, Heineken.
• Mahia: fig liquor*.
• Mint tea.

*alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation