A love guide for two
STROLL BETWEEN BLUE, GREEN AND YELLOW
Okay, you expected something more original. There is no need to be at all costs. Pretending to be original all the time is for millennials. Many times, the best is the most obvious. Visit the Jardin Majorelle is . It's also memorable, and that's what we're looking for in a romantic plan . It is impossible not to find pleasure in walking among the cacti and plants of this garden, one of the most visited attractions in Marrakech. This place is a meeting point between Arabic charm and Art Deco and the result is something very unique.
We recommend making the visit first thing in the morning or last thing and doing it slowly, breathing the green of the vegetation and seeing the play of colors . This garden and its buildings are a creation of the artist Jacques Majorelle (the creator of the cobalt blue color that bears his name), who designed it in the 1920s. Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé , neighbors, bought it in 1980 and recovered it; since then, he has been invaded by a halo of allure. We'll have tea in his garden and buy a postcard with a heart designed by the great Yves. By the way, don't leave without paying your respects at his grave. That is also romantic.
The Majorelle Gardens
REVIVE THE ENGLISH PATIENT
or a novel John LeCarre or any story between the wars in a country of suffocating heat. Or even Casablanca. All those stories resonate in our head when we cross the door of Le Grand Cafe de la Poste . take here in Gueliz, since the 1920s, the time of the French Protectorate. Back then, it was already a place of leisure and meeting and, we like to think, of spies and more or less clandestine romances. In 2005 it was renovated by new French owners, but don't worry, retains its air of colonial coffee , its checkerboard floor, ceiling fans and a large central staircase from the top of which you can see the entire environment. Although it is beautiful at all hours, during the day you can appreciate all the details of the decoration. The menu dances between Morocco and France . Today, Le Grand Café de la Poste continues to be a meeting place for expatriates and people who reveal interesting lives, perhaps more interesting than ours.
SPEND A DAY AT MAMOUNIA
sounds like boutade , but everyone should do it sometime. Doctors of the soul should prescribe it in situations of reluctance or sadness. sounds like boutade and maybe it is, but The Mamounia It is one of those places that generate memories for a lifetime . To enjoy this hotel, a national monument, it is not necessary to sleep in it. For that, to open it and make it a living place, there are day passes that allow to absorb the mamounismo, a secular, universal and very cosmopolitan religion. The Season Pass (1500 dirhams), includes a relaxing massage or a traditional hammam and lunch at the Italian or French restaurant, plus access to the swimming pools, gardens, tennis courts and gym.
Adopt Mamounism, a universal religion
We say the pools as if they were simple pools . They are not: the interior is one of the most photographed in the world and the outside, the axis of the social life of the hotel. There, under the palm trees, always with its ability to transport you to a better place, it is possible to spend hours without looking at the mobile screen. Also, the light is so blinding that even if you wanted to, you couldn't. We also talk about gardens as if they were a succession of trees. They are much more than that and not because of their size, although they occupy eight hectares, but because of their botanical value and their historical heritage. The gardens of La Mamounia are an act of love ; they were the king's wedding present Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdullah to his son, Prince Al Mamoun in the 17th century. To be this beautiful they have only needed two centuries. Its central path of giant olive trees (there are two hundred, in total) it is mandatory , but also its lemon trees, jacarandas, bougainvillea, agaves, prickly pears, cacti... all with their festival of colors and aromas. Walking through these gardens at sunset may be the most romantic of all the romantic things we can do in Marrakech.
The gardens of the Mamounia
** STROLL THROUGH THE KASBAH **
just the word kasbah it's already sexy. kas-bah. It sounds like escapes and hiding places . This area is often forgotten in favor of the souk and the heart of the Medina. It is quieter (as much as it can be) than the Medina and is even more charged with historical density. A kasbah is a fortification; also an example of local defensive architecture. in it there is alleys with small shops, from pharmacies to craft shops. During the day there are fruit stalls (which smell from afar) and various nooks and crannies that lend themselves to many photos. Here are the Saadian Tombs (15th century) where the remains of the Saadian sultans rest. This is an important visit and although it may seem that visiting these tombs discovered in 1917 is not a romantic act, it is. The architecture is majestic and invites a silent walk. The Kashbah, on a trip for two, lends itself to being walked hand in hand.
Let the impulse guide your steps through the kasbah
VISIT A SECRET GARDEN
Gardens make us sentimental and dreamy and, what is romanticism if not that . a visit to The Secret Garden impregnates us with the culture and history of Marrakech. You may get lost finding it but it is part of the charm. It is in the Mouassine area , at the entrance of the medina of Bab Doukkala . You can go through the door and not realize that this jewel is hidden behind it. That is a common feature of this architecture: everything happens inside.
This construction dates from the 16th century and was rebuilt in the 19th. A few months ago it was opened to the public for the first time in its history. . Both can now be visited. riad that compose it and their respective gardens, one Islamic and one exotic. It also has a tower to which, of course, we will climb to feel like a lookout. There are few such towers in the city. Le Jardin Secret is interesting, firstly because it is beautiful and secondly because maintains intact a very old architectural and hydraulic structure . This garden interests us because it has been rehabilitated with exquisite taste. Also because it allows you to breathe from the density of the Medina. By the way, it teaches us a lot about the past of the city and also about the present.
SPEND A NIGHT IN A VILLA IN FRONT OF THE ATLAS
If you haven't fantasized about something like that, it's because you haven't done something like that. Once in your life (or in five years, or a year) you have to consider the option of pay tribute to oneself . sleep in it Mandarin Oriental from Marrakesh it can be that self-gift. This hotel, the first of the Mandarin label in Africa, it opened in 2015 with the logical expectation. One of the apostle hotels of luxury and well-being was installed in Marrakech and it did so in a city where hotel competition is fierce. And where they know a lot about luxury and well-being. The challenge was huge, so the differentiation had to be too.
Mandarin has chosen to be located outside the Palmeral or the Hivernage, areas preferred by other large hotels. It is on a 20-hectare site, ten minutes from the Medina . It has space, a lot of green and omnipresent water throughout the resort, because this is a resort from which it is not necessary to leave. Your bet is in three directions. First of all it is organized around 56 villas and three suites. These villas, decorated like the entire hotel by the duo Gilles&Bossier they are very contemporary and move away from the easy Moroccan codes. Here the colors are whites, beiges and grays and the folk touches, just right. These villas are for a well traveled public that already knows Marrakech well. The decoration is not emphatic and is appreciated. The most spectacular villas are those with private pool and organize all life around that pool. It would be a mistake not to spend as many hours as possible in this villa.
The other bet of the Mandarin is gastronomy . They have brought to the city the Asian cuisine of Hakkasan . Ling Ling, which is the name of the restaurant, has become one of the most desired and reserved in Marrakech. Eating cuisine of this level looking at the Atlas is a guaranteed good memory. And finally, Mandarin has opted for something that it does very well: well-being. Its exquisite spa uses elements and materials from local architecture, such as brick, chiaroscuro or skylights in an almost, almost spiritual way. If we have granted ourselves the honor of staying at the Mandarin Oriental we should not miss a thing. The Medina can wait. Even until the next trip.
The Ling Ling terrace of the Mandarin Oriental in Marrakech
ART, ARTIFACTS AND LOVE
Learning with a loved one is very exciting. Visiting museums and exhibitions involves comments at dinner time and common stimuli. Therefore, a trip to Marrakech also includes them. We can visit the ** Maison de la Photographie ,** a center in the Mouassine area dedicated to photography of the history of the city. A charming place, also in the Medina, is the ** Musée de L'Art de Vivre .** Founded by a perfumer, it is a humble and family project, but one that counts, better than many more bombastic, how is the art of living of the Moroccans. An option outside the walls and more focused on contemporary art is the Gallery 103 . It is on the first floor of a building in Guéliz and allows us to sample the city's art scene.
house of photography,
DINNER UNDER THE STARS
There's no light pollution here, so the nights are a party and turn us all into astronomers. That is why, in every trip for two, it is necessary to include outdoor dining. Any restaurant offers them, but we are never served by just anyone. The Sultana it is hidden in the Kashbah. It is a unique hotel made up of five riads and well known for its spa. However, few know that here you can eat rich, fresh and under the stars. On its terrace it has a restaurant from where you can listen to the muazin without losing privacy. Their fish skewers and vegetable dishes are great . Everything (the candles, the stars, the crazy wine…) invites whispers. Along the way, we can also sneak in to see the interiors of the riads, with their furniture brought from all over the world and their beautiful flower arrangements, and take tons of photos.
La Sultana: essential stop
CHOOSE A PERFUME TO SHARE
Associating each trip with a fragrance is a recommended exercise . Marrakech is a very sensory place, where the aroma of rose water, dates or spices. The perfume tradition is deeply rooted. It is the place to choose a new perfume that always reminds us of the city. For that we will go to Berbère Heritage , next to Jardin Majorelle. Founded in 2008 by Marie-Jeanne Combredet, of Moroccan origin and formed in Grasse sells perfumes, perfumes for the home and candles created by her from local aromas. We will want that we and our houses, around the corner, smell of orange blossom, amber or fig. Let's choose a fragrance to share and add more sensations to the trip.
The aroma of Marrakech in a bottle
** SLEEP IN A RIAD **
In one of our trips to Marrakech it will be necessary to do it. It's like going to the Caribbean and not taking a nap in a hammock. This is more romantic, which is what we have been looking for. A riad is a house (more or less powerful) without windows to the outside, everything happens behind closed doors. It is articulated around a patio or garden where all the rooms open. There are dozens of riads converted into hotels, the majority by Germans, French and English; the traditional riads are in the Medina. Sleeping in this area is quite an experience. They are hard to find and they are camouflaged in the middle of the labyrinth of alleys, but once the door is opened, another world also opens.
The price range of the riads is wide (there is always one that fits what we are looking for). Some interesting ones (from €75 for a double room) are Riad Nice, Riad Up, or Villa des Orangiers. A riad offers long breakfasts in the open air, sunsets on the terrace and decorated so as not to want to go out into the joyful chaos of the Medina. Many offer a hammam (we can't go back without taking one) and even a shop. ** Le Jardin Secret ** (not to be confused with the garden) is a riad that has a concept store with very well chosen artisan products. A particular riad is the Riad Priscilla , which offers an artist-in-residence program, Red'A , and functions as an exhibition and exchange space. You always want to return to a riad. To Marrakech too, even if it is with a broken heart.
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Find your riad and enjoy a breakfast like never before