Mystical Marrakech

The bustling city of Marrakech is Morocco’s third largest city situated in the foothills of the mighty Atlas Mountains. While not as steeped in history as the medieval town of Fes, Marrakech still retains the old world charm of a bustling old city (the medina) while the Villa Nouvelle represents the modern facet. I felt that Marrakech was a great representation of Morocco, cleverly juxtaposing the old world charm with the new age progress. 

When you talk to most people about Marrakech, they will probably mention the Medina with its countless souks, the magnificent Djema-el-Fnaa, the Koutoubia mosque and the Majorelle gardens, what struck me first when I landed in Marrakech was the striking abundance of natural beauty the city is graced with (although the mentioned places truly deserve all the praise they get and are a must see!!). As soon as you land and come out of the airport, the majestic snow capped Atlas range greets you into Marrakech. It’s a sight to behold, especially if this is your first city in Morocco, as snow capped mountains aren’t what most people would associate with this country. Wide, well maintained roads lined with trees ensure a swift ride to the city center as you marvel at how the architecture changes from modern to medieval in a matter of minutes. 

To get the maximum out of your stay, pick a Riad close to the medina. If this is your first medina in Morocco, be prepared to get lost in the countless alleys, if not, welcome back to the hustle and bustle. Compared to Fes, the medina here is not as overwhelming but strikingly gorgeous nevertheless. Don’t get me wrong though, it is every bit as confusing. My first night here was an adventure to say the least. After arriving in the city (from Chefchaouen via bus and train), I called the Riad I had reserved online but the person on the other end of the line spoke no English at all and repeatedly kept telling me that there was no reservation under my name. I took the help of a cab driver to translate directions to the place but he still repeatedly kept telling me that I have no reservation there that night. After a frustrating 30 minutes on the phone, the taxi driver felt he at least understood where in the medina the Riad was so I thought it would be better to go and argue in person. But after reaching the medina, I realized how much of a labyrinth it was. This was in contrast to my experience in Fes because there the Riad owner personally came to the main gate to escort me and help me navigate my way through the maze.

Anyways, we spent a good two hours tramping though the million alleys of Marrakech’s medina trying to locate the Riad. But all the alleyways will look the same after a 10 hour journey and two hours of walking with a heavy backpack. To top it all, the name of the Riad was so commonplace that we came across at least three places with the same name but they weren’t the one I had booked. It was nearing dusk and this searching and walking was starting to get on both our nerves, so we finally asked the cab driver if he knew of any Riads nearby. Now most guidebooks strictly discourage this as usually what ends up happening is that you get lead to a place which gives a cut to the person taking you there so you end up paying a lot more. But when you have spent 2 hours wandering through a maze such rules don’t apply! Anyways, our cabbie was a good chap and he actually took us to probably the best Riad of my entire trip, so I guess sometimes it pays to break the rules. Tired and weary we walked into a Riad (the name of which I have sadly forgotten, thanks to the fact I didn’t reserve it online, so alas no digital footprint to help me out) with a beautiful courtyard opening up to a full moon night with a pond reflecting the moon. Had more than a few cups of the excellent mint tea that was a hallmark of pretty much every place in Morocco and called it a day!

Marrakech is a base for trips to the Atlas Mountains particularly Ouzarzatte, Ait Benhaddou and such, and I had booked a day tour that would take us there the next day. That is covered in a separate post. Once we got back from our trip, we went straight to the Djema-el-Fnaa and promptly got hooked onto the hustle and bustle of this huge square. The Djema is a huge square right next to the medina, but come nightfall it transforms into a open air market, stalls selling everything imaginable, story tellers, jugglers, snake charmers, fruit stalls and a plethora of food carts and pods. Soak in the culture and food of Marrakech as you lose yourself in the madness of the Djema. Locals and tourists alike throng here so it’s always crowded. It’s a place where you can feel the pulse of the nation and wander around and soak in the culture and step back in time as I feel the Djema has hardly changed! Definitely enjoy some fresh squeezed orange juice (~3-4 MAD a glass) while you walk around and try bargaining for some souvenirs. When you feel hungry there are plenty of places offering a three course meal for ~50 MAD or so, and you can enjoy it while watching nightfall over the Djema. 

Next morning it was time to get lost in the medina again, this time though it was much more fun, since I wasn’t hunting for a Riad. The medina here I feel is much more organized than the one in Fes. The best way to explore remains the same though, let yourself get lost as you wander through souks selling spices of every imaginable color and smell, then head over to the tanneries, wander your way through the gold souk and then head over to the cloth souk before you eventually find your way to the Djema again where you can refresh yourself with another glass (or 3) of the excellent orange juice (did I mention how good the juice is.. Don’t miss it!). Once you are tired of walking around the medina, do take a trip to the Majorelle gardens which has buildings painted in the most vivid shade of blue, incidentally called Majorelle blue. They are an oasis of green in the otherwise built up city. Essaouria is another possible day trip if you have time (which I didn’t). This was the last stop on my Moroccan sojourn and I enjoyed every bit of it. I highly recommend this country not just because of its immense diversity and sheer abundance of natural beauty of culture but also because of the amazing people you meet everywhere who are so happy and welcoming that you hardly feel like a tourist. Here are links to some of the blog posts describing the other places I visited: Chefchaouen, Sahara desert, Ait Benhaddou. Drop me a message if you have any questions regarding Morocco! Leaving you with some more images from mystical Marrakech!

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