Morocco Retreats

Marrakesh 

Sitting amid palm groves in Morocco’s central plains, Marrakesh is the country’s most famous city. Encircling an ancient, UNESCO-protected medina and named the ‘Red City’ after its rose-coloured buildings and walls, it originated as a Berber oasis near the Atlas Mountains before becoming a trading hub and falling under Morocco’s French protectorate for the first half of the early 20th century. Today, Marrakesh is a colourful melting pot.

At its heart is stall-packed Jemaa el-Fnaa, a vast market square lined with rooftop restaurants and courtyard ‘riad’ houses, which leads into the atmospheric medina. Radiating out from here are striking landmarks and distinctive neighbourhoods, from the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque and 19th-century Bahia Palace to a modern French quarter, museums, and exquisite gardens.

Beyond this hustle and bustle, however, Marrakesh’s outskirts and surroundings are oases of peace. Here, rose-filled parks and palm groves melt into desert and the Atlas foothills, where lush valleys and Berber villages promise seclusion and nature in abundance.