Marrakech
Words Katie Newton
It’s long been a destination for the adventure-loving traveller, but Marrakech also has plenty of chic accommodation and delectable restaurants to satisfy the most discerning luxury traveller.
Morocco’s beloved monarch, the late King Hassan II, famously likened his country to a desert palm, “rooted in Africa, watered by Islam, and rustled by the winds of Europe.” Perhaps the luckiest country on the African continent, its unique geographical position has seen it absorb a myriad of diverse influences that, combined and simmered over thousands of years, have created a unique and utterly intoxicating experience. Compared to its neighbours, it has fertile land and a stable government, but for those who appreciate a bit of spice and adventure in their travels it still remains a firm favourite.
In Marrakech, the flurry of chic hotels that have opened recently (with accompanying upscale restaurants and spas) has meant it is now entirely possible to have a safe and sanitised version of the Moroccan experience. That’s as long as you don’t leave your hotel however, because no matter how many Westerners pour into this city, its narrow sinuous streets still retain their skin-pricking mystique. The central, walled town centre (or Medina) contains the country’s largest traditional market (souk) and the town square, Djemaa el Fna, is the busiest in all of Africa.
Thanks to the fashion for dabbling in Moroccan cuisine over the past few years, dishes like couscous and tagine are part of the common culinary lexicon of the West. But of course you haven’t really tasted it unless it’s been traditionally prepared, by a local, using a recipe that takes advantage of the natural bounty of the surrounding land. Mint and olives from Meknes, oranges and lemons from Fez; pomegranates, almonds, dates and the most beloved ingredient of all, succulent lamb.
The shopping is frenzied but worthwhile, with the souks not just selling the usual beaded slippers and Persian rugs but stylish gold Berber jewellery, genuinely good antique furniture and hand-embossed leather bags as well. There is even the odd shady den that will whip you up a snake venom love potion for a song. Afterwards, a steam and scrub in a traditional hammam might just be in order, before you head out for a night on the town quite unlike any other – with the arrival of Pacha and Nikki Beach, Marrakech might soon rival Ibiza as a serious nightlife centre.
Where to stay
The fashionable sun-seekers that flock here from Europe certainly need to stay somewhere. Marrakech has an abundance of accommodation, from dusty backpackers to grand desert fortress and fashionable, boutique-style riads in the Medina.
With walls more than a metre thick, the newly opened Riad El Fenn offers a coolly quiet escape from the madness of the Medina. Owned by Richard Branson’s sister, Vanessa, its tasteful design and luxurious touches such as marble patios and leather floors saw it debut on last year’s ‘Hot List’ in Conde Nast Traveller www.riadelfeenn.com
Eye-wateringly expensive, the grand Ksar Char Bagh is situated beyond the walled Medina in the vast, arid tracts of the Palmerie. There’s a French restaurant and extensive spa, but the centerpiece of the extensive grounds and palatial buildings is the main court, an outrageous version of Granada’s Moorish palace Alhambra. www.ksarcharbagh.com
Renowned British hotelier Jonathan Wix renovated three adjoining Riads to create a holiday home for him and his family. Now, he’s opened the five suites of Riad Farnatchi up to the public, to a rapturous response and a guest book now smattered with names like Russell Crowe, Scarlett Johansson and Angelina Jolie. Each of the five suites features slick lighting and custom-designed, locally made furniture; while the outdoors is a cool oasis dripping with calm and bougainvillea. www.riadfarnatchi.com
The grand 150-year hilltop fort now known as Kasbah Agafay has views out over olive and date palm groves and out to the snowy Atlas mountains. Choose to stay in one of the 20 uniquely decorated rooms, or camp out luxury-style in a traditional Moroccan Caidal tent, complete with a sunken mosaic bath, four poster bed and air conditioning. www.kasbahagafay.com
Where to eat
Most locals in Marrakech insist the best cooking is to be found in the home, although there are plenty of fine places to eat in the city.
On a recent visit, Urbis couldn’t even get into the wildly popular Dar Yacout for a drink, so make a booking if you want to dine in this sumptuous, madcap mansion, featuring flowering columns, an atmospheric rooftop terrace and fireplaces in the bathrooms. Multi-course traditional Moroccan feasts are served in several different settings – beside the azure pool, in the vaulted upstairs room, the glassed-in salon or the main cushion-strewn lounge.
Located in a residential area, Le Comptoir Darna is popular with well-to-do young Moroccans. Serving traditional snacks and light meals, this cool, candelit club can be a welcome relief from the usual fanfare that can accompany meals, although if you stay too long you’ll be belly dancing for sure.
At sunset, the square Djemaa el Fna really comes alive, with hundreds of open kitchens strung with lights miraculously appearing in orderly rows. Pick a stall (most specialise in a particular dish) and take your place on a bench to participate in what must be one of the world’s biggest open-air eateries.
Kssour Agafay bills itself as Marrakech’s first-ever private members club, but that’s as in a ‘literary club’ rather than ‘nightclub’. Though quite empty when Urbis visited, during the city’s cultural festivals it becomes a buzzing hub.
What to do
Although some say it isn’t as well-preserved as Tangiers or Fez, Marrakech has got plenty of attractions to give visitors a feel for the sensory experience of old Morocco.
There’s a plethora of cookery schools throughout the country, but there’s a particularly enjoyable one at Kasbah Agafay. With its own lush organic vegetable garden extensively planted with herbs, you can learn to cook traditional dishes in the rustic open-air kitchen with a view of the mountains.
The town square of Marrakech is thronged night and day with sellers, buyers, snakecharmers, scribes, herbalists, and eclectic troupes of entertainers. Despite is thoroughly mad appearance, Djemaa El Fna is as old as the city itself and nothing about it is staged for the tourists.
Exquisitely planted in cacti and bougainvillea by two generations of the Majorelle family in the 1930s, the Majorelle Gardens are now owned and operated by a fashion designer and long-time Marrakech resident you may have heard of – Yves St Laurent. www.jardinmajorelle.com
If the thought of being scrubbed, scoured and steamed in a marbled room filled with strangers all your naked glory doesn’t appeal, a visit to a public hammam is probably not your thing. Best to stick to the spa at your hotel, although that’s not a guarantee you won’t feel uncomfortable on your first time.
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