If Fez is the historical heart of Morocco, then Marrakesh is definitely the beating modern heart of the country.
It still has the old Riads tucked into the streets of the buzzing Medina, but it also has the modern new city which is less traditional and popular with the younger generation.
Since we were only in Marrakesh for a short period of time we stuck to the old city in our explorations, and there is plenty to keep you amused there for weeks.
The Marrakech medina is definitely more touristy than the Fez Medina, and I would say a bit grottier. Don't be surprised if the shop owners are shouting lewd comments as you walk down the street. Some people hate this, but for me it was all part of the fun and the experience. Despite the words that are said (which are never really that bad), everything is in good humour and I never was made to feel uncomfortable - even when one kind shop owner offered to take me up to the back room to make a baby after admiring the tiny baby shoes but saying I has no one to buy them for! But, for every heckling stall owner there are the lovely people too. Like the man we met in a wood carving shop, who hand carves the most beautiful chopping boards and kitchenware, or the family own leather shop where the son haggled hard with me but in the end gave me a good deal because I was buying something for my mum.
Shopping, or even just browsing, in the Medina is likely to take up a fair part of your time in Marrakech, and with good reason! The streets are full of stunning treasures and are just so pretty. The medina really is a photographers paradise, but get beyond the ever-so-tempting stalls and then is plenty more to engage the senses.
We really wanted to visit the Majorelle Garden with their famously blue buildings and fountains, but the queue was so huge when we arrived that we decided to focus our time elsewhere. Next time I go I will be getting there for when doors open to try and avoid some of the crowds. Instead of the crowds at the Majorelle Garden we headed back into the haze of the Medina and through to Jemaa El-Fnaa, the main square. In the day there isn't a huge amount to see except some stalls and milling people, but at night the whole area comes alive. As if out of nowhere, dozens of food stalls pop up and the square fills up with fortune tellers and snake charmers. Every night is a party atmosphere and it is the perfect place to wander around before dinner. The food stalls are the obvious choice with their sizzling BBQ, but they can be overwhelming with everyone shouting at you and trying to get you to sit at their stand. If you do want to try the stalls I would recommend googling which is good and then sticking to your guns and heading straight for the one you want. If the pushy street sellers aren't your thing, there are also plenty of restaurants around the square, many with roof terraces, which are perfect for people watching at any time of day.
At the end of the day, there aren't so many things that I would massively recommend doing in Marrakech. At its heart, Marrakech is best a city to be explored. Wander down all the little alleys (just maybe not alone at night), try out that random cafe that catches your eye, talk to the stall owners - you might just surprise yourself.
Where to Eat and Drink
If I'm honest, we spent an awful lot of time in Marrakech eating and drinking, and it was good! Some places stand out in our eating and drinking experience and are definitely worth the visit. Marrakech really does have it all.
NOMAD
NOMAD has one of the most stunning roof terraces in Marrakech, butted luck getting a table up there. For walks-ins expect to sit inside, but it's still worth it for the amazing food. The menu looks, at first glance, fairly similar to something you might find in London but the Moroccan twists make the food something quite special. Try the sorbets, they are truly delicious. I would recommend the rose, raspberry and black pepper, and the spiced chocolate flavours.
Address: 1 Derb Aarjane, MARRAKECH MEDINA. MAROC
Website: https://nomadmarrakech.com
Café Arabe
Café Arabe is special in that it is one of the few places within the walls of the Medina that actually sells alcohol. But apart from the ability to have an ice cold beer, Café Arabe is a really lovely place to hang out. I would recommend trying to get a seat on the roof terrace for sunset, the sun going down over the roofs of the Medina is really stunning to watch. If you do want to eat while you're there there are plenty of options, but surprisingly the pasta dishes are the ones that stand out on the menu.
Address: 184 Rue Mouassine, Marrakesh, Moroc
Website:
Latitude 31
Latitude 31 is one of those places that doesn't look like much from the outside but then surprises you. The outside actually looks pretty rough, but the courtyard inside is beautiful and the complimentary amuse bouche set the tone for the evening. The food was all good, although nothing spectacular, but it was good, and the music was all 90's hits lending to a weird but extremely fun vibe. One pull is that they have an extensive vegetarian menu, which can be hard to find in Morocco.
Address: 186, Street El Gza, Arset lhiri Bab Doukkala, Marrakech
Website:
Bonus recommendations from Fiona: Fiona stayed in Marrakech an extra week and so had that little bit of extra time to discover a few more hidden gems. Here are her top picks.
Where to Stay
There are plenty of stunning Riads and Hotels to stay in in Marrakech, and you can't really go far wrong, but the ones we stayed in were stunning and the people there were so nice that I'd happily recommend them to anyone.
Riad Fleur d'Orient
The first thing to say about Riad Fleur d'Orient is that it is a nightmare to find. Our taxi driver dropped us off in the middle of the medina ad we ended up having to call the Riad to come find us because we had no idea where we were going and google maps kept directing us to dead ends. Safe yourself the hassle and book a transfer through the hotel. However, even though it's a pain to find the first time, the location is perfect and the Riad itself is stunning. The roof terrace is the perfect place for having breakfast in the morning or relaxing in the evening.
The plunge pool isn't big enough to swim in, but it's the perfect place to dip your feet and cool off from the unrelenting Moroccan sun.
Website: www.riadfleurdorient.com
Riad Clementine
There is one very obvious reason that I wanted to stay at Riad Clementine, but apart from having a fantastic name, the Riad really is an oasis in the middle of the madness. The best thing about the Riad is that it has a pool on the roof, and you can actually swim in the pool! An afternoon can be considered well spent lazily moving between the pool and a sun lounger - just don't forget to wear your trademark Riad Clementine sunhat to protect yourself from the afternoon sun!
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