Marrakech in spring: 5 things to see and do in North Africa’s most famous city

1. Jardin Majorelle: Spring brings the vibrant blooms of this iconic garden, originally designed by French painter Jacques Majorelle, featuring exotic plants, fountains, and the striking blue of the villa, which was later owned by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
2. Atlas Mountains: Spring is the ideal time for hiking in the nearby Atlas Mountains, where the snow melts and the weather is mild, providing stunning views of the peaks and lush valleys.
3. Marrakech Souks: Explore the colorful and aromatic markets, or souks, which come alive in spring as local artisans showcase handmade crafts, textiles, and spices, creating a vibrant shopping experience.
4. Essaouira Day Trip: A short drive from Marrakech, the coastal city of Essaouira offers pleasant spring weather, fresh seafood, and a UNESCO World Heritage medina, perfect for a day of exploration by the ocean.
5. Festival of Roses: Typically held in May near Marrakech, the annual Festival of Roses celebrates the blooming of the local roses with traditional music, dance performances, and craft displays, attracting both locals and tourists.

Red walls, snake charmers, intoxicating scents, carpet sellers, strong colors: this is not the beginning of a fairy tale, it’s just a small part of the charming Marrakech….

April and May are the best months to discover the beautiful Marrakech, choosing one of the spring bridges to immerse yourself in a world of colors of scents, sounds that seem to bewitch you to the point of losing your bearings is an unforgettable travel experience. Among the souks, the iconic Djemaa el-Fna Square and the Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech is one of the most fascinating cities in the North Africa, not far away for a getaway, but different enough to detach completely from our reality. Marrakech is the reality of a thousand faces, that of tradition mingling with the more modern and Western, the eccentric one coexisting with the more discreet one, the deeply religious one grafting nicely with the more profane one. This city, which in the past was one of the imperial cities, is now protected in all its wonder in the riads, by red walls, and life is punctuated by the call of the muezzin that sets the rhythms of the days and ends in the magnetic Place Djemaa el-Fna, which really looks like an open-air circus show in the evening. Let’s discover together some must-see features of this picturesque city….

Immerse yourself in the Place Djemaa el-Fna: your ticket to the fantasy world of Marrakech

To enter the Moroccan world of Marrakech without any filter and let yourself be transported fearlessly into the charm of this metropolis you have to start here, from this vital, energetic, bewitchingly scented square where everything seems to be there to make you lose your bearings and immerse yourself in a new world. Its name has a veil of strange mystery because literally its name means “Gathering of the Pierced,” because of the executions held right there until two centuries ago. This square seems to fit the hours of the city, by day it will amaze you with the trainers of monkeys who will climb on your shoulders to the spellcasters of snakes, and even some dentists who display their freshly extracted “pieces” and will make you want to taste orange juice, spices, mint and snails sold by strange characters. As the sun sets, the square is completely transformed, the hawker stalls disappear, and the square fills with food stalls, where you can dine surrounded by street musicians and performances of various kinds. If you want to enjoy the show from above, you can go up to one of the terraces of the various cafes to experience the square as a truly magical theatrical spectacle.

Getting lost in the Medina

For live Marrakech, so you will have understood it, that the right way is to surrender to the city, forget about stages, navigators and just follow your instincts. Enter the Medina and discover! This is the mood you have to follow to fall in love with its small unexpected corners between the main streets and the side alleys, high and reddish walls seem to accompany you in this labyrinth intoxicated by strong spicy smells and distracted by some individual who will try to bewitch you with the most colorful carpets, the most magical finds for your skin. On your walk, do not forget to climb high into one of the terraces, for Marracheck always has its places to be experienced from above; the advice is to do so at the hour of sunset when you will see the sun behind you of Djemaa el-Fna and you can watch the palm trees in the distance and give yourself a moment of pure relaxation that will seem impossible to find when walking through the Medina.

Visit Jardin Majorelle an oasis of color and style so beloved of Yves Saint Laurent

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How enchanting this place is! She knew it well Yves Saint Laurent who made it his magical place, a source of inspiration, the place of peace and serenity. Welcoming you is the song of the bulbul, a variety of red-eared tropical birds, and rich vegetation such that those who enter this place where everything blends into the pastel colors of fascinating Islamic architecture will be enchanted. When you are here you will feel as if you have reached the Garden of Eden, the one capable of bewitching and seducing. This place was conceived in the early 1900s by the painter Jacques Majorelle with the intention of creating a lush garden that would be a place of peace and tranquility in which he could devote himself to painting. It is located not far from the Medina and is set in a Moorish-style villa. This garden is considered the most beautiful in Morocco and one of the most beautiful in the World and was purchased by Pierre Bergé and his partner Yves Saint Laurent who turned it into their love nest.

Visiting Koutoubia, the main mosque in Marrakech

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To immerse yourself in the religious spirit of Marracheck a visit is definitely worth thea Koutoubia Mosque the most important mosque in Marrakesh. which dates back to 1158 by Caliph Almohade Abd al Mu-min. Its beauty and uniqueness lies in its tall minaret reminiscent of that of the Giralda and for its color due to the pinkish sandstone, typical of the city. Its name, which means “mosque of the booksellers“, is due to the numerous book stalls that have surrounded it since its early years. The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque is 69 meters high, transforming the Koutoubia into the rooftop of Marrakech. A beautiful and truly unique work of art that, however, like all mosques you must be content to see only from the outside unless you are a Muslim.

Visit the El Bahia Palace, the palace that was meant to be the grandest of all time

This palace is a of the most important architectural works in Marrakech dating back to the 1800s and created with the intention of being the most impressive palace of all time and that its name actually means “The Palace of Beauty”.It took more than a decade to build the palace and its construction was completed under the supervision of Sultan Abdelaziz Si Moussa who made it reach its full splendor. The palace covers 8 hectares of expanse in which there are 150 rooms overlooking different courtyards and gardens. The most interesting part of the El Bahía Palace is theharem of the 4 brides and the 24 concubines By Abu Bou Ahmed.