A Considered Guide to Marrakech

Marrakech is a city that does not perform for tourists. It simply exists, in all its noise and beauty and contradiction, and asks you to keep up. The reward for doing so is immense — a place that gets under your skin in a way few cities can.

The Medina

The old city is the heart of Marrakech, and it is best approached without a plan. The souks are organised by trade — the dyers, the leather workers, the metalworkers, the spice merchants — and walking through them is like walking through the city's nervous system. Everything is in motion, everything is loud, and everything is ancient.

Find Jardin Secret, a restored riad garden that offers a moment of stillness in the chaos. The contrast is part of the point.

The Gardens

Marrakech has some of the most extraordinary gardens in the world. Jardin Majorelle, once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, is the most famous — and deservedly so, despite the crowds. But also seek out Le Jardin Secret, and the Anima Garden, created by the artist André Heller, which feels like stepping into a dream.

The Desert

Even an hour outside the city, the landscape changes dramatically. The Agafay Desert is not the Sahara — it is rocky, lunar and surprisingly close — but a sunset there, with the Atlas Mountains behind you, is one of the most quietly stunning experiences the region offers. No dunes, no camels, no spectacle. Just space, light and silence.

The Table

Marrakech has become a serious food destination. Beyond the tagines (which are wonderful, when done right), there is a generation of chefs reimagining Moroccan cuisine with modern technique and deep respect for tradition. Seek out the places that feel personal — the rooftop with six tables, the riad restaurant where the cook comes out to ask how the meal was. These are the meals you remember.