9th of May 2025 - Saying goodbye to Marrakech

The pool at the hotel looks very inviting but somehow I never found the right moment to go for a swim.

All good things must come to an end and this evening I fly back to London.  I've really enjoyed my stay in Morocco which has been an amazing place to visit.

8th of May 2025 - Atlas Mountains

We drove from the saffron coloured fields surrounding Marrakech into the wooded foothills of the Atlas Mountains with river filled gorges.

 

Up in the Atlas Mountains we visited a Berber dwelling complete with its own water mill and hammam.  A hammam is a place of public bathing which s a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world.

 

On our way back to Marrakech there was a chance to shop and drink more mint tea.

 

Morocco is ramping up its infrastructure projects ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.  The main road we took into Marrakech is a tree lined boulevard with fountains with many hotels under construction along its length.

7th of May 2025 – Essaouira and Argan Oil

On our way to the coastal town of Essaouira we passed many argan trees which are indigenous to Morocco and southwestern Algeria.  Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the argan tree which is used for culinary or cosmetic purposes.

 

Essaouira came to prominence during the 15th century when the Portuguese established the medieval citadel that still stands there today.  We started our visit here by the harbour then walked through the town before returning to the seafront.

 

Cats are everywhere in the towns and cities of Morocco however dogs are only seen out in the country.

 

On our way back to Marrakech we stopped for a refreshing mint tea.

6th of May 2025 – Bahia Palace and Jardin Majorelle

Surrounding the city are impressive ramparts stretching 19 miles long, still largely intact with imposing forts at various intervals.  I have not had the chance to take a photo of these ramparts.

We walked past a trading area on our way to visit the Bahia Palace.

 

The Bahia Palace is a mid to late 19th-century palace, once acclaimed as the world’s most beautiful palace.  The main palace complex today covers almost five acres and comprises a number of inner courtyards and riad gardens (interior gardens with a symmetrical four-part division).  Various rooms and chambers are arranged around these riad gardens.

There is much restoration work being done to the Bahia Palace after recent earthquakes.  The plants in the riad gardens are covered by netting to protect them from the resulting dust.

Our next stop was the beautiful Jardin Majorelle founded by the French painter Jacques Majorelle including the Islamic garden and the Spanish-Hispano-Moorish garden.  Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé discovered the beautiful Jardin Majorelle in 1966 during their first stay in Marrakech and bought it in 1980.

There is a memorial to Yves Saint Laurent in the Jardin Majorelle.

The Palmeraie is a palm oasis of several hundred thousand trees outside of Marrakesh, Morocco.  Some of the trees are leafless due to disease.  Five of our number experienced a brief camel ride.

Traffic in Marrakech is something to behold with motorbikes whizzing around the other vehicles or even driving on the pavements.  One of the motorbikes scratched our coach.  Gridlock takes on a new meaning in rush hour Marrakech.