Marrakech | Latitude 31.38 N Longitude 8.00 W

Marrakech or Marrakesh, widely known as the ‘Red City’, is one of those places that without having any seventh wonder, it is able to haunt you. Its smells, its colours, its life, its crowds, its facades ... everything has something special. The vast palm grove and the ochre wall that surrounds the old town introduce you to the city of details.

To get started and to immerse yourself in the city the first places to visit are the Koutoubia Mosque and its 80 metres minaret, the Menara Gardens, the ancient Bab Agnaou gate of the Almohad palace, the Koranic school of Ben Youssef and the Saadian Tombs built during the sixteenth century.

But these visits are just an appetizer for the main and most powerful place you will visit ... the souk or souq, it is a market or bazaar that you will find not only throughout Morocco but also throughout Maghreb. In the city of Marrakech each artisan’s guild has its souk: carvers, carpenters, potters, carpet weavers, dyers and spice-sellers.

From the Djemaa el Fna, the heart of the medina quarter (old city), you can begin to walk by the thousands of lively streets and corners that the old town preserves. The colours of the peppers, the smell of tea and spices, the call to prayer from the minaret, vendors inviting you to buy their goods... there are so many things to feel, see, hear, smell, touch that you will not want to miss anything.

RECOMMENDATIONS 

• Don’t forget you are travelling to the north of Africa, thus autumn and the months of April and May are good times to go. You won’t suffer the heat of the summer or the coldness of the winter.
• It is important to double check in which month the Ramadan is celebrated (it changes every year) because during that time many activities change and some services will not be offered.
• Bargaining is mandatory. I know, it is exhausting, and you will always have the feeling that they are cheating you. On the other hand it is worth to do it since you can get high quality goods.
• Riads are a good place to sleep. They offer accommodation in houses or mansions that retain the traditional architectural style. They come in all prices: rustic and very luxurious. The most popular is La Mamounia.
  

CURIOSITIES 

• The myth says that when the Koutoubia Mosque’s minaret was built, the land bled so much that it dyed the city forever with a vermilion colour.

MORE INFO
Moroccan National Tourist Office
La Mamounia
Top 10 Marrakech