▷ Marrakech, a city rich in tradition and history.
? It has been one of the destinations chosen to travel with my friends this year. And it was worth it!
✅ Why
⚠️ Warning! It has been a very special trip and I want to share my experience with all of you and that all those who have not been. After reading the post I would like that you encourage yourself to buy the ticket and know the “unknown” Marrakech. ⚠️
? Travel Story
Each year, with my friends, we organize three trips. Two of which, we all leave our families, couples and take a few days to gossip, fix the world, discover a new destination and live dreams together again outside of our daily lives.
We have had this rule in place for the past 5 years and I have to say that these days are always magical.
This time two of them had decided for all of us that our goal would be to go to Marrakech. They both work in fashion and had recently made an editorial and they wanted to see more.
We’d already been there, some even together, so initially it didn’t seem like a great idea, but they convinced us and we’re thankful for that.
✨ The Arrival
Our arrival already announced that it was going to be a magical trip, full of beautiful experiences and adventures to remember.
We were greeted by a spectacular sunset, where the sky literally burned in a mixture of intense reds and where each tonality had its own representative.
⭐ From the plane
From the window of the airplane, we could see a dreamlike panoramic view, where green predominated: palm trees, fruit trees, mixed with the well-known earth browns, with the genius that from the window we could see that at a short distance desert and sea surrounded us.
⭐ Menara Airport
The airport of Menara of futuristic design, immensely wide rooms, with a lot of air, gave us a fantastic arrival, we do not know the reason.
While it is true, there are thousands of stories of people who tell of having had to spend a lot of time for access controls to the country. And that, we know even in the first person, from our previous experiences, in this trip it seems that all the stars were aligned, and we were lucky that in less than twenty minutes we were already in the car that came to pick us up (we hired a transfer service to avoid price abuses by taxi drivers) in the direction of our first Riad.
We chose the wonderful “Riad Jardin Secret“, where good taste and art mix giving life to a place full of charm and harmony.
⚡ Marrakech
A fascinating city despite its immense noise caused by traffic, scooters, bullets that are possible to find in the middle of the streets of the Medina, secret gardens that appear out of nowhere, swimming pools, orange trees, rose bushes. A city of houses lost among the charming narrow alleys that all lead you to the centre of Moroccan life, Jmaa el Fna Square, where falling in love, at first sight, is possible when you see its magnificent sunset.
? Jmaa El Fna Square
A place that as the sunset approaches, is filled with tourists and residents to enjoy the sky and its countless shades of fire colours.
The place par excellence and that everyone will recommend, is the hyper-famous Caffè Glacier. It is so known by all, that we recommend our favourite as an alternative, a hidden place, Chez Chegrouni Bar, a more humble and simple service but where the panoramic is film, no queues and where you can enjoy wonderful teas.
We ❤️ Marrakech
If I have to say what I’m staying with from Marrakech and this trip, I’ll say that I’m staying with this photo in my mind: the ceilings of the restaurant in the Medina, the colors of an excellent Tajin, the sunset in Jmaa el-Fna square, the smiles and courtesy of our guides, the excellently cared gardens full of rose bushes never seen before, tall palm trees, the hour of prayer with the so-called Muezzin, the beginning of Ramadan by choice, the smiles of the children we met on the street, the disappointment of the guides when they give you advice (and even though you tell them you’re not going to tip them), the magic of the nights we live in the desert without electricity and how we enjoy and have fun on those nights, the aroma of oranges, pomegranates, the real mint tea.
➕ Marrakech is a city enclosed in a magical box, which while you’re in it, holds you, hostage. It shows you all its truth in a simple way, what you see is what there is, and that gives this city a pure and very special beauty.
⇨ ¡Volveremos, Marrakech!
After this trip, we have declared Marrakech one of our annual destinations to visit annually. So I invite you to write down our TIPS and if you have any other, share it with us, because we have decided, next year, we will return together.
✍ Our TIPS: ✍
✓ RIAD JARDIN SECRET ?
You won’t find it in the list of the best Riad, nor in the list of the most central places, because it doesn’t even appear in lists, that’s why perhaps and because of the magnificent treatment of its Parisian owners, Cyrielle and Julien, who take care of every moment you live in their house and every space, make a place worth visiting.
Beauty, art and peace unite in unison.
RJS _ Decoration ?
A Riad of three floors, decorated with photographs of a magical Morocco, of another time, real tiles with Moroccan history, furnished with white armchairs, plants, seats and carpets of design.
The vital centre of the place is a wonderful fountain, immersed in a garden where they live in great harmony turtles, birds and a beautiful Persian feline.
RJS _ The Place
Las habitaciones con decoración auténtica marroquí, excelente buen gusto en la elección de cada detalle, te invita a no querer salir de la habitación que tiene incluso para los meses de invierno, una maravillosa chimenea.
Y aunque jamás querrías salir de esa habitación, tienes que hacerlo aunque sólo sea para ir a visitar el Jardín Secreto, la terraza que tienen en el último piso del edificio y que es el lugar elegido por los propietarios para servir cada mañana el desayuno más ideal y digno de reyes, en un entorno de cactus de cine, hamacas de diseño y además de ensueño, columpios, carpas, buganvillas, alfombras y cojines confortables dispuestos en forma bereber.
Un lugar simple en todo el sentido de la palabra, de aroma y felicidad, de pura belleza.
✓ RESTAURANT LA MAISON ARABE ?
For dinner, we recommend another hidden place that is not included in the list of “best places in the city” but that is still our favourite after years.
It’s the restaurant inside the “La Maison Arabe” Hotel. An elegant and unique place in its style, where to live an unrepeatable and memorable experience.
Live music, elegant red velvet sofas, and where we always eat the best Tajin of vegetables and meat that we have never been able to improve or approach anywhere else in the world.
All the times we have been there as a place of work dinners, we always repeat, all the same. Go back there with our partners and be able to have a romantic dinner? Who knows? Maybe next time…
✍ TOO SEE ✍
✨ Jardin Majorelle
Designed by the French artist Jacques Majorelle in the late 20s and early 30s, the vegetation of strange plants, cactus of vertigo, fountains, paths, pots distributed along with this beautiful garden.
In 1980 it was bought by the couple formed by the two great masters of sewing, the French Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint-Laurent, and since the death of Saint Laurent in 2008, its ashes have been scattered here.
→ Taking advantage of the visit, do not hesitate to visit the boutique, the cafeteria and the museum of Islamic art that is inside these gardens.
✔ 33 RUE MAJORELLE
Just outside Jardín Majorelle, you will find a fabulous concept store, where you can buy authentic and unique garments “Made in Marocco” where you can also avoid having to haggle as in the souk. The ideal place to buy souvenirs for friends and family.
✔ MAISON DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE
A place opened in 2009 by Hamid Mergani and Patrick Manac’h open every day of the year from 10.00-18.00 hours.
It’s a documentary centre where you can find the photographs shot between 1870 and 1960 and that is the most beautiful in Morocco and its inhabitants that we have ever seen.
They mix in their three-storey interior, very interesting contemporary photographs.
→ A visit to enjoy and then have tea on the covered terrace.
✔ MADERSA BEN JOUSSEF
It is the oldest Koranic school in the city and perhaps one of the most beautiful in the world.
Founded between the fifteenth and sixteenth century Moorish-Andalusian architecture with mosaic tiles of geometric shapes, a fountain as the center of the building, you can enjoy this “hidden gem” in the heart of the Medina, at the price of a euro tip, and where it is possible to visit the main courtyard and some of the classes where students studied and lived.
✔ LE JARDIN
Eating quality, in a relaxed and trendy place in Marrakech, is possible in this wonderful “secret” garden.
They serve ideal salads, renewed typical dishes, cocktails, healthy drinks… and where they put at your disposal great hats -with which we all take some photographs-, to avoid the sun in summer in spite of the awnings and umbrellas they have.
→ Our recommendation is to book in advance because it is always full.
✔ JARDIN SECRET
And if this trip is characterized for us by its green colour, it is that we were going from garden to garden.
Le Jardin Secret is one of those places of centuries of history, years of restoration and maximum example of Arab-Andalusian architecture with its own personality in the city of Marrakech.
It has the structure of a Riad, but not just any Riad, but those who only see them you know belonged to some personality of his time.
Exotic plants, trees, roses, fountains, hammam, dream cloister and somewhat exorbitant prices, yet it is our classic top in this city.
✔ CAFE DES EPICES
A place that fascinates by its terrace that offers a charming panoramic view of the Medina.
Ideal hamburgers in presentation and measure, quality meat and traditional dishes such as lamb or vegetables Tajin.
→ Healthy, delicious and very high-quality food. Relaxed atmosphere, no hassle and affordable price.
⭐ A BASIC CLASSIC, FENN ⭐
The last few days without a doubt, as it could not be otherwise, we went to our favourite RIAD for years par excellence.
We know, no surprise, but is that RIAD EL FENN, is a dream place that passes the years and we fall in love each time, even more.
❤️ A wonderful jewel, a place of inspiration, a place that makes you think, that makes you dream and fall in love.
A place with 28 rooms, 3 swimming pools, SPA, a panoramic terrace that leaves you speechless, restaurant, bar and even a boutique where you can buy clothes, decoration made by local designers.
EL FENN is a place with a lot of charm, a unique and exclusive place that combines majesty with tradition, design, renovation and contemporary works of art, where you will not only find coloured and geometric ceramics, but also a place where you will find great ceilings from restored times that continue in their splendour as when they were made, modern design, lamps, carpets where you can dream and want to live the thousand and one nights in that place.
→ A place that transports immediately at its entrance, to a decadent, dreamy and unforgettable Marrakech.
✔ BELDI COUNTRY CLUB
Just 15 minutes from downtown Marrakech, it is possible to enjoy a hotel, restaurant, park, ceramics laboratory with shop, showroom and shop selling the best carpets in the city, for that there is only one key name, Beldi Country Club.
A place chosen to spend the day, eat rich, and enjoy its swimming pool, gardens and even take a nap in their hammocks surrounded by olive trees, bougainvillaeas, roses … And don’t worry about the towels, at the price of 35 euros you have unlimited access to their facilities, towel and hammock.
It was the place where we “exaggerated” and filled our suitcases, buying spectacular ceramic plates designed by local artists.
⇨ And after Beldi Country Club, the end of our journey came.
We closed the suitcase, made the check-out at EL FENN, and got on the transfer that would take us back to the airport and where we said goodbye to return each to their respective cities and lives in Rome, Milan, London, Paris and Stockholm.
⇨ We returned with extra luggage, but it was worth it, we spent some unforgettable days, special, again together and enjoy beauty at all times, Marrakech has been to rediscover a flower in the desert that during your stay never leaves you, a city that gave us all its essence and we know, next year, we will return.
See you soon, Marrakech! ?
? I forgot, one of us is getting married next year there! ?
Any doubt why it is one of our cities MUST SEE?
+ HIDDEN PLACES
