Adventures in Morocco Part 1: Magical Marrakesh
Magical Marrakesh is an assault on all senses with the bustling Jma El-Fenna, flavourful tagines, and wonderfully chaotic souks.
For our annual “crimbo limbo” trip, aka the period between Christmas and New Year, we went on an adventure-filled trip to Morocco. Initially, we planned on a ‘fly and flop – rest and relaxation’ sun trip at a western-style resort. But after some thought, it would be sad not to see some of Morocco’s historic UNESCO sites and beautiful landscapes. We reshuffled our itinerary to include a 4 day/3 night “Marrakesh to Sahara Desert” tour. It was simply amazing! But first, we began our adventures in magical Marrakesh.
Marrakesh: The Red City
Marrakesh was one of our first trips taken when we first moved to London in 2008. Fast forward 15 years later, we are back in magical Marrakesh with our nearly 6 year old daughter in tow. With the exception of California, all of our trips with Lady Yeya have been beach holidays with very minimal sightseeing. Being intrepid travellers with a zest for new experiences, Kenz and I were itching for an adventure-filled trip. Thailand, India, and Bali are all on the travel list. But alas we couldn’t work out logistics as my HK-based sister was visiting California for Christmas. What to do to scratch our itch?
Enter Morocco!
We were lucky to snag some free seats using our BA Avios points and companion voucher. Just under a 3.5 hour flight from London, Morocco is a great destination to introduce Lady Yeya to Arab and Islamic culture. Here are my favourite things to do in magical Marrakesh in no particular order.
Stay in the Medina
Across the Islamic world, the medina is the old part of town, typically walled with a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, main square, and a souk with several ‘bab’ or gates to the old city. I highly recommend staying in a traditional Moroccan riad inside the medina for a truly unique and authentic experience. Most riads are independent with no more than a dozen rooms, all beautifully appointed with an internal courtyard. We stayed at Riad Zoraida, a lovely riad owned by a French-American couple who quit corporate life in Boston. Located near the Bahia Palace, Riad Zoraida had a lovely rooftop terrace and jacuzzi to soak up the Moroccan sunshine as well as a cute resident cat.
The advantage of staying in the medina is that you can walk everywhere. All the main attractions are less than a 10 minute walk. Sure, the narrow alleyways can be chaotic with mopeds and donkey carts, but it all adds to the charm and sense of adventure.
People Watch at Jemaa el-Fnaa
In the centre of the medina is the lively main square called Jemma el-Fnaa, filled with snake charmers, monkeys, henna artists, traditional Berber music, street performers, and a nightly food market. As the central meeting point for locals and tourists alike, Jemma el-Fnaa is always bustling day and night. It is worth grabbing a table at one of the rooftop cafes such as Cafe de France for some Moroccan mint-tea and enjoy some serious people-watching. At sundown, watch the food stalls get set-up and Moroccan families gather together for a tasty meal.
Shop in the Souks
A day of shopping and wandering around the souks is a must-do whilst in Marrakesh. The souks are brimming with spices, Moroccan slippers, rugs, textiles, ceramics, clothing, jewellery, homeware, artisan crafts, lanterns, antiques, and kaftans. The souks are located north of Jemaa El-Fna with Souk Semmarine as the main artery until it forks with Spice Square (spices) on the left and Souk el Attarine (lanterns) on the right. Souks are neatly organised by trade – Souk Nejjarine (woodwork), Souk Smata (shoes), Souk Cherratatin (leather), Souk Haddadine (blacksmith) – for example.
Be ready for sensory overload with big crowds especially on Fridays and some mild haggling. Part of the fun is getting lost in the maze and network of souks. In between there are some places to visit such as Musee of Marrakech, Madrasa Ben Youssef, and Le Jardin Secret. If you need a break, there are ample rooftop terraces and cafes dotted around the souks. We weren’t in the market for anything in particular, but Lady Yeya got an orange genie lamp to complete her Aladdin collection and two Moroccan camel stuffies for friends. I also picked up a few Moroccan souvenirs and local spices. For avid photographers, there are so many lovely places for some very instagram-worthy photos.
Visit the Historic Sites
Several historical palaces and tombs are on the southside of the medina near the Jewish Quarter (or mellah). This includes Bahia Palace, the 19th century palace; the ruin palace of Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour’s El Badi Palace, and the royal Saadian Tombs. In theory, you could visit all three historic sites in one day, and end with a stop at the Koutoubia Mosque.
Of the three major historic sites, we only visited the Bahia Palace. The stunning 8,000 sqm palace with exquisite marquetry and a grand courtyard consisting of Italian Carrara marble was home to the Grand Vizir Si Moussa. Bahia Palace was later inherited by his son and successor who expanded the palace for his harem. Only a small portion is open to the public including the Petit Riad, the bright blue and yellow Cour d’Honneur, and the oldest part of the palace – Grand Riad.
The Koutoubia Mosque is the oldest mosque and Marrakesh’s most famous landmark built in the 12th century. Koutoubia Mosque was not open to the public due to the damages from the recent earthquake in October 2023. Behind the 250ft high minaret is the Koutoubia Garden, a wonderful oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the medina.
Bask in the Moroccan Sun
There is no shortage of sunshine in Morocco. Although chilly at night in the winter, the daytime temperature hit 25C. It is easy to soak up the Moroccan sunshine on a rooftop terrace or poolside with Moroccan mint tea. We enjoyed a chilled sun-filled afternoon at Café Des Épices wearing only a t-shirt and a relaxing day on the rooftop jacuzzi of Riad Zoraida basking in the glorious Moroccan sun in magical Marrakesh.
To be continued for Adventures in Morocco: Part 2.
