Marrakech Adventure
It's just a short 3.5 hour flight to Marrakech yet you are transported somewhere wonderfully different. A place full of genuinely warm smiles, beauty, incredible architecture, sooooo many beautiful doors and tiles, along with great food and a little dash of chaos.
We choose to stay in a Riad in the old town, riads are traditional Moroccan houses with an interior courtyard and intricate décor that reflect the rich culture of Morocco. We stayed in Riad 58 Blu which had just 5 rooms and a lovely rooftop terrace for breakfast. Ismail the manager looked after all the guests with a constant warmth.
Our Riad was a 10 minute walk from Jemma el Fnaa square, its central location meant we could walk everywhere. The old city centre is very busy with motorbikes buzzing up and down narrow alleys, along with horse drawn karts and mini diggers (rebuilding continues from the earth quake in 2023). Between the bikes buzzing past you and the uneven ground, you really need to keep your wits about you walking around.
If 4/5* hotels are more your thing, there are a number of hotels on the outskirts with shuttle buses into the old city throughout the day. If you are going for longer than a few days these offer a lovely mix of relaxation and a chance to explore the city.
Options for day trips include the Atlas Mountains, exploring the coastal city of Essaouira, desert adventures in Agafay, the Ouzoud waterfalls or a hot air balloon ride. We opted for the latter, and it was an incredible experience. The 4.45am alarm call was well worth it, although we were unlucky to miss the sunrise as its was too cloudy, so we had the included Berber breakfast first and then our balloon ride. Twenty four people fitted into our basket and we soared 3000 ft above ground level, but as its so quiet and gradual you don’t feel the height. My parents are in their late 70’s and really enjoyed the experience too. We were back in our riad by 11am so you still have the rest of the day to explore.
Highlights for me included Bahia Palace, Madrasa Ben Yousesef, sunset at Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs, exploring the souks and soaking up the craziness of Jemma el Fnaa square. We also did a Hidden Marrakech walking tour which was fascinating, as its easy to get around to the main tourist sites and everything is close together. We didn’t make it to Badi Palace, Jardin Majorelle or Le Jardin Secret – but that just gives me a reason to come back!
Alcohol is not widely available in restaurants and those that serve alcohol typically cater to tourists so they are more expensive but do offer a wider international menu. If you want to book such a restaurant I would definitely recommend booking well in advance. We ate in La Pergola, DarDar, Kosybar and Cafe Arabe and all were excellent – but were turning people away who didn’t have reservations. Prices are similar to home. We also ate in some more local cafes where the price was about 50% cheaper and the food delicious.
Top Tips * Book restaurants well in advance if you want alcohol * Download the Medina map from Google maps in advance * Make sure each person in your group knows the name of where you are staying – immigration will ask * Prebook Le Jardin Majorelle well in advance * If you want to go to the iconic Bacha Coffee arrive early to avoid the long queue * Wear flat shoes and watch your step, the ground is very uneven * Dress modestly, especially if visiting mosques and cultural sights * eSims worked perfectly for us for data * ATM queues can be long, plan your cash – but cards are widely accepted * Irish visitors do not require a visa
