Marrakesh is a great choice for a long weekend away from the UK. It’s the shortest distance you can travel (under 3 hours) to experience a culture that feels the furthest away. The city is a melting pot of colour and provides nonstop theatre that attracts artists, creators, and dreamers.
When you first arrive, you’ll be drawn to the cultural heart of Marrakesh at Jemaa el Fnaa Square. Here you will find the souk – a labyrinth of stalls full of treasures. It has a rich history dating back to the 11th century, originally a trading post for caravans crossing the Sahara Desert. You will find all your senses heightened when you first arrive. It has an energy that makes you feel alive and full of wonder. The sound of the pungi flute and the beating of the drums are there to mesmerise you as much as charming the snakes.
The medina that hosts the souk is home to many attractions, such as palaces, tombs, and secret gardens. As you wander through the medina, the smell of mint, lavender, and spices catch your attention competing with the unusual goods on display. Motorbikes, donkeys, and carts thrust through the crowds in the alleys with daring precision while stray cats watch the madness bathing in the sun.
One striking element for me is the colour of the medina. All the buildings and riads are a salmon pink-clay colour that reflects a red hue in the afternoon when the sun shines. It reminds me of the Farrow & Ball, Sulking Pink paint – a relaxed colour that brings warmth when the light shines. In Marrakesh, beauty often lies behind intricate metal gates and high walls, which contrasts with the UK, where houses are proudly on display. A shabby alley with crumbling pink-clay walls often leads to a riad, where, once inside, you find a beautiful oasis.
When choosing where to stay, there are many options including international hotels, traditional riads and farmhouses on the city outskirts. If you are seeking an arty weekend, I would suggest you try one of the following riads to stay or dine at:
Riad Izza
Izza is a fourteen-room sophisticated hotel in the medina. It’s the former home of the famous interior designer Bill Willis. Bill was an American expat and designer who circled in bohemian high society in London, Paris, New York and Marrakesh. In the hotel, there is a wall dedicated to Bill, with letters from Yves Saint Laurent, Grace Jones and other close friends,
The hotel is an airy riad full of plants and over 300 works of art (worth about £5 Million). These contain arguably one of the world’s most significant physical exhibitions of printed NFTs (Non-Fungible Token artworks). Mixed within the art are rich forest green textiles and terracotta pots, providing a sophisticated, elegant, exclusive feel.
El Fenn
El Fenn is an excellent choice if you are looking for a trendy riad in the heart of the medina. Richard Branson’s sister, Vanessa Branson and her friend, Howell James, originally purchased it.
Since Vanessa and Howell purchased the riad, it has expanded to 13 interconnecting riads. It has 41 rooms and suites and a 1300-square-meter rooftop bar.
In 2018, painter-turned-designer Madeline Weinrib and her husband, Graeme Head, partnered with Vanessa and Howell. Madeline ran a textile brand for more than 20 years, blending the beauty of traditional crafts with her own unique aesthetic. Her husband is the president and vice chairman of a US carpet and home store. Their experience in textiles and furnishings has influenced the riad’s design.
You do not need to book to visit the roof garden, but it’s advisable to queue early before it gets busy. The roof garden has a chic, upmarket atmosphere. You enter through the shop downstairs, which is full of beautiful, unique home pieces. Once upstairs, you will be greeted by staff in cardinal red uniforms and El Fenn straw hats. The bar area is a trendy spot with red-striped furnishings and coordinating floral chairs. Guests visit for cocktails and light bites in the sun, over looking the medina.
Downstairs, has a different vibe – relaxed and opulent. The riad has a series of colour-popping spaces. Some areas are a mix of earthy tones in plush green, mustard and purple velvets. The courtyard has contrasting vibrant fuchsia-pink fabrics. This is my favourite area, not for the décor but because it is open with large established trees and bird song echoes around the courtyard. I could sit here for hours with a book listening to the birds. It’s in the middle of the medina, but feels a million miles away.
Hotel & Spa Femer el Dar
If you are looking for a gear-shift from the city scene, you could always opt for an alternative-style farmhouse on the city’s outskirts.
Femer el Dar is an option that has received good reviews from its guests and attracts a young creative community. The farmhouse has a large glass conservatory that serves a restaurant and a large pool. Around the pool, there are eight luxury yurts made from marble and canvas, each with a bathroom, heating/aircon and a double day bed to relax outside in the sun.
The farmhouse is a relaxing retreat with only a handful of guests. The staff cook in the garden kitchen using fresh ingredients from their farm, or locally sourced products. They also offer private cooking lessons to make your own tagine. Everything is cooked fresh when ordered. Breakfast is a set meal but my favourite of the day. A collection of eggs, yogurt, fresh fruit, juice, cakes, honey, jam, tea and coffee.. just how breakfast should be!
The atmosphere here is relaxed. You can lay around the pool sipping homemade rose or lavender lemonade, read in the comfy outdoor bar area, enjoy a massage around the pool or stretch out and practice yoga with the countryside views. The farm’s peacock and cats stroll around the grounds familiar with the guests, whilst the other farm animals are kept in enclosures close by. At night, the atmosphere is relaxed, low key with dinner by candlelight in the restaurant.
Another option, but a bit further out is the Farasha Farmhouse.
Le Jardin Secret
While strolling around the souk, you will find Le Jardin Secret, which is a wonderful respite from the hustle of the market. The complex dates back to the Saadian Dynasty, more than four hundred years ago. However, it was rebuilt in the mid-nineteenth century and was home to some of Morocco and Marrakech’s most important political figures.
Today, it is an attraction where you can discover its gardens and buildings, which are outstanding examples of Islamic art and architecture. The tower provides an amazing view over the medina.
If you visit, my tip is to avoid the weekend as it’s not so secret! The weekend gets very busy with tourists.
Riad Yimma
When strolling around the art at Riad Izza, I noticed some artworks by Hassan Hajjaj – a local artist with a gallery in the souk. So, I decided to visit him.
Riad Yimma is not the easiest to find. You’ll probably need a friendly local to guide you down the unassuming, quiet peach alleyways. However, once you enter through the front door, you are instantly hit by a modern gallery’s vibrancy of clashing colours.
Hassan Hajjaj’s art is Moroccan street style that focuses on the margins of cultural identity. Whether African, Arab, or European, cultural identity is constantly shifting. Hassan styles his models to create friction with Western perceptions of the Islamic world. Models are often dressed in traditional fabrics branded with international labels such as Nike and Louis Vitton.
The riad has a gallery, gift shop, and tearoom downstairs, and two more floors showcase his work. The rooftop is a wonderful, quiet sanctuary with brightly coloured stripy seating on upside-down Coca-Cola crates. When I visited, there was no one else there, and it provided a relaxing suntrap with a camomile and orange tea and Moroccan sweet treats.
Anima Gardens
If you fancy a change from the madness of the city, there are a couple of parks you can visit, such as Majorelle Gardens or Anima Gardens. I chose Anima because it is a botanical garden with the Atlas Mountains as a backdrop and is full of art.
The garden was created by the famous Austrian artist André Heller. It has more than 10,000 square meters of winding paths with sculptures at every turn by Pablo Picasso, Keith Haring, Alexander Calder, Auguste Rodin, and other colourful works of art in the woodland.
The gardens are a botanical retreat. You can easily spend a couple of hours here wandering through the grounds and relaxing by the pond, in a hammock, or on one of the many benches positioned by the works of art. There are as many types of plants as there are sculptures. You’ll find yourself surrounded by aloe, bamboo, palm trees, ferns, cacti, and rosemary hedges, Once you are finished in the park, a café provides refreshments and a rooftop area to relax and view the Atlas Mountains.
Other places to visit
Marrakesh is officially the hub of contemporary art in North Africa. So, if you have longer to explore, there are many other places of interest worth visiting such as the Yves Saint Lauren Museum, Museum of African Contemporary Art, Maison de la Photographie, Bahia Palace, Merdersa Ben Youssef and the Saadian Tombs.
Whatever you choose to do, there is no doubt that the creative energy of Marrakesh will inspire you and draw you back to visit again.
Leave a Reply