The most famous of the four imperial cities‚ Marrakesh is a must. It has been called the red city and the desert pearl; it links north and south and is the gateway to the Atlas Mountains and behind them the desert.
Marrakesh is a gem of a city‚ clasped in its setting of palm groves‚ protected by encircling ochre walls‚ ravishing in the liquid orange light of sunset.
The monuments are the work of centuries‚ the minaret of the Koutoubia‚ the Badia palace‚ the Bahia palace‚ the Merdersa ben Youssef‚ the tombs of the Saadian Kings‚ the Museum of Marrakesh‚ the Kouba of the Almoravides and many more wonders for the visitor to marvel at while beginning to understand a little more of this mysterious and captivating city.
The famous Jemaa El Fna Square is a shock to the system. It has been given World Oral heritage status by UNESCO‚ it is the social centre of Marrakesh and an enormous open-air theatre. Here there are mountebanks of all kinds‚ jugglers‚ snake charmers‚ monkey tamers‚ story-tellers‚ musicians‚ and hundreds of stalls selling dates - the symbol of hospitality and prosperity and a vital ingredient of Moroccan cuisine.
There are stalls selling dried fruits and nuts‚ freshly squeezed orange juice‚ soup (including the famous harira used to break the fast every evening in Ramadan.) grilled meats‚ salads... Altogether an overwhelming assault on the senses.
Just behind the Square is the maze of alleyways and dead-ends that make up the medina and the souk - lose yourself as you stroll among them‚ bewitched by the aromas‚ flavours‚ sounds and colours.
The Walls of Marrakesh
The celebrated Trénet Garden could have been the Majorelle. It fell into disrepair after the death of the painter and was then bought by Yves St Laurent and restored to its former glory.
It is now world famous. We also visit the Menara pool and cross the Agdal gardens.
Historical Marrakesh
A tour of Marrakesh‚ with a photo opportunity in front of the famous Koutoubia Mosque‚ its 70m. High minaret decorated from top to bottom in Moorish style.
Then on to the Bahia Palace and its garden of orange trees‚ cypress and jasmine and the splendours of the cedarwood cupolas and marble columns of the tombs of the Saadian kings followed by a visit to the Dar Si Said museum and finally a stop at the Arts and Crafts centre for a glass of mint tea and a chance to see copperwork and carpet weaving.
The Riches of Marrakesh
Marrakesh guards its treasures jealously behind its great ochre walls. This visit‚ undertaken in small groups (maximum 10 persons) allows you to get behind the mask of the medina to reveal the hidden face: riads‚ a private museum‚ caravanserais‚ bread ovens‚ ancient fountains and many more hidden treasures.
The Museums of Marrakesh
The Dar Si Said museum is a sumptuous former residence‚ exhibiting all those things that together constituted Morocco in days gone by.
The Private Museum of Marrakesh is housed in a former palace in the old city and is of interest both for its ever-changing exhibitions and its architecture‚ in particular the beautifully restored hammam. Dar Bellarj in a Moroccan cultural foundation in a former storks’ hospital‚ and is the setting for exhibitions on aspects of Moroccan culture.
Living traditions
a two hour journey in off-road vehicles to the foothills of the Atlas to visit Lalla Takerkoust‚ and a collection of nomads’ tents pitched on a fairytale plateau.
Activities: henna or pottery workshops (minimum 10 persons)
Sports
Introduction to quad biking in the Atlas‚ crossing dried-up river beds‚ trails and oases. Cookery Demonstrations Today‚ Moroccan cuisine is ranked amongst the three great cuisines of the world. It is complex‚ varied‚ refined and tasty. Let us show you our markets and kitchens.
A Moroccan chef will demonstrate the techniques used to create exquisite Moroccan dishes‚ all in the kitchens of a superb Moorish palace that has been transformed into a restaurant. The demonstration is followed by afternoon tea - mint tea‚ and Moroccan pastries. - minimum 10 persons.
An afternoon at the hammam
Avisit to the oldest hammam in the town‚ where we put ourselves at the mercy of the ’guellassat’‚ whose job it is to look after the women who visit the hammam. After some time in the warm‚ hot or very hot rooms‚ we are massaged with a rough black glove for a deep down cleansing of the skin. Next comes a layer of henna and soft soap and a massage from an expert. Finally‚ there is time to relax and recover with tea and little cakes. This is also the time for a henna ’tattoo’‚ if desired‚ on the hands‚ feet or more discreetly‚ on an upper arm or leg
Explore Marrakesh
A visit to the imperial city‚ its old medina‚ its aswak with their astonishing profusion of colours‚ aromas and flavours‚ the Merdersa ben Youssef and finishing up in the Place Jemaa el Fna. Lunch is at a Moorish palace at the heart of the medina.
Excursion to Essaouira
Famous since Roman times‚ when it provided the dye for famous Imperial purple of the Cesars‚ an ancient Phoenician trading post‚ renamed Mogador by the Portuguese‚ the ’beautifully traced citadel’ has a prestigious history.
It is the cradle of artists in many genres an important fishing port and a bustling market-town. Carpenters and cabinet-makers sculpt precious scented woods such as thuya‚ cedar‚ ebony ...
The Tinmel Mosque
An excursion along the Tizin’Test road‚ one of the most beautiful mountain roads in Morocco.
We pass through Ouirgane and the N’fis River gorges. The region is dotted with casabas that once belonged to the Goundafa‚ a powerful clan that controlled the mountain pass and its hinterland in the last century. The famous Tinmel mosque is classified as a historical monument and is the objective of this excursion.
It is contemporaneous with the Koutoubia‚ both date from the 12th century‚ and it is currently being restored. Lunch is in the home of a local family‚ a chance to sample Berber hospitality.
Ouarzazate
This trip to the High Atlas plateaux takes us over the Tichka Pass at an altitude of 2260m.
Crossing through the gateway to the Sahara‚ the desert landscape stretches away on all sides‚ studded with numerous oases and casabas. After passing a series of red clay villages and frond green oases set in the endless wastes of the stony desert‚ we arrive in Ouarzazate. We visit the Taourirt casaba‚ former residence of the Glaoui‚ then after lunch we explore the fortified village of the Aït ben Haddou clan‚ named as a World Heritage site and familiar to cinema buffs everywhere as the backdrop to many Hollywood films.
Off-road excursion to the Atlas explore Berber villages clinging to mountainsides. Excursion to the Ouzoud cascades amazing waterfalls at the heart of the Atlas mountains; Excursion to Ourika a valley of red‚ bauxite-bearing clay villages deep in the Atlas mountains.
Excursion to Asni/Ourigane a chance to visit a Berber village in the High Atlas range‚ crossing through the Ourigane valley‚ known as the 'happy valley'.
Marrakesh by night
Authentic Moroccan dinner in a Moorish palace in the heart of the old medina Evening Fantasia show‚ dinner in luxury tents Tapas bar evening Evening in a happening city-centre disco-pub
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