Marrakech and The Atlas Mountains, Morocco
updated february 8 2024
Mustapha Blaoui, a sprawling Moroccan design shop on the edge of the Medina.
(Ed. Note: As of Feb 8 2024, renovations and repair to the main building of the Kasbah Tamadot Hotel in the Atlas Mountains resulting from the 2023 earthquake continue, though parts of the resort are re-opened - also, they are adding new private Riad (villa) accommodations at some point in 2024 as well! Most other areas of Morocco are again fully operational). )
Having not traveled internationally for three years, we were craving a grand adventure. Some place mysterious and exotic, but balanced with luxurious accommodations where we could get a well-made cocktail. We immediately thought of Marrakech. It had been a gimlet traveler future destination, so we already had the itinerary more or less prepared.
We started our trip in the bustling Medina (the old city). The Medina is a chaotic warren of narrow streets full of activity: lots of vendors making and selling their wares, mopeds buzzing past, busy restaurants, performers, snake charmers, friendly locals offering to give you directions or sell you a rug…you get the idea. It can be a bit overwhelming, so staying in a quiet, relaxing hotel (with a pool!) is a must. Luckily, there are plenty of fabulous hotels in Marrakech. We chose to stay at the boho luxe El Fenn, a boutique hotel made up from a few former riads (a traditional Moroccan house with an interior courtyard).
After all the hustle/bustle of the Medina, we went out to the Atlas Mountains (an hour-ish drive from the city). The Atlas Mountains have numerous hikes and Berber villages to explore – or you can book a room at the stunning Kasbah Tamadot, where you’ll never want to leave the large pool or the expansive grounds.
We wrapped up our trip with a return to Marrakech. Wanting to experience a different part of town, we stayed at the Four Seasons in the Ville Nouvelle (new city). Yes, another lush resort, but honestly with the hectic pace of Marrakech (even outside of the Medina), you’ll appreciate a quiet oasis at the end of the day.
The trip was a total of 12 days: 5 days in the Medina, 2 days in the Atlas Mountains, and 5 days back in the Ville Nouvelle. While the Gimlet Traveler does like a dry heat (see Palm Springs), we don’t want to actually roast – and Marrakech can be scorchingly hot during the summer. We would suggest traveling in spring or fall; we went in October and it was still in the 90’s during the day (though somewhat cooler in the mountains).
GT Tip: For LGBTQ+ travelers, some discretion is advised. Homosexuality is considered relatively common, and we never felt in any danger during our time there, but one should avoid public displays of affection, as this is something that is even frowned upon when shown by a heterosexual couple. One should be smart and respectful of the traditional Moroccan culture (and laws!).
The Gimlet Traveler Rundown:
All ratings are based on our experience and are on a 5-star rating system (see Site Info for more details). For mapped locations and links to the places listed here (and more) visit Google Map at bottom of page.
Gimlets: ****
Morocco being a primarily Muslim country, cocktails are not an active part of the culture (many restaurants don’t serve alcohol). However, we managed to find some surprisingly lovely cocktails in Marrakech – mostly in the more upscale hotels, plus one really fun speakeasy-style bar in the new city.
We had good cocktails at the rooftop bar at El Fenn, the first hotel we stayed in. El Fenn actually has two full cocktail bars: one adjacent to their restaurant on the roof and another one for guests only in a pretty courtyard. At Kasbah Tamadot by Virgin Limited Edition, out in the midst of the High Atlas Mountains we also had cocktails that were crafted to perfection, though sometimes the gimlet came in a (very elegant) daiquiri glass rather than a martini glass. And on our final stay at the Four Seasons in Marrakech’s new city, we made fast friends with two bartenders – one in their cocktail bar Inara, and one in the bar connected to their restaurant Quattro. Both happily made gimlets to my very specific requests (while my husband swore by their “Cosmorrocans”).
Before dining at the gorgeous Royal Mansour Hotel and The Selman Marrakech Hotel (see “restaurants” below), we made sure to check out their cocktail bars for a pre-dinner tipple; The Royal Mansour mixologists at the Royal Bar made A+ cocktails, suitably served in elegant glassware fitting for such a luxe space, and while Le Bar Selman didn’t do quite as well with the cocktails (too much lime juice – remember “just a whisper of lime juice”), they knocked it out of the park with their opulent Moroccan ambiance and friendliness. The owner of the hotel even stopped to introduce herself while we enjoyed our drinks.
A must-visit in this category is Barometre (advance booking recommended) – a super-fun, subterranean speakeasy-type cocktail bar (and mediterranean restaurant) in the Gueliz neighborhood, where the cocktails are made and served with a flourish in a wild variety of glassware, bottles, and other receptacles. There is a huge cocktail list, but we sat at the bar and the bartender happily made me a delicious (and huge) gimlet to order, in addition to an espresso martini served in a metal goblet! He also created a bespoke cocktail for my husband. We couldn’t remember all of the ingredients, but we do know that smoke was involved. Definitely worth a visit. And sit at the bar if you can get a spot (whether just for drinks or pre-dinner) – it’s quite a show!
GT Tip: Smoking is legal & allowed pretty much anywhere in Morocco and so it is up to the individual hotels/bars/restaurants to determine where and when they allow it. Most of the upscale hotels don’t allow it in the rooms, or indoors in restaurants, and keep it to outdoor terraces and patios (which can still be a bit of a nuisance), but many will allow it inside, specifically in their bars/cocktail lounges, and/or they may only have a non-smoking section in their dining room (remember those??). We were conscious of this and so, we asked for non-smoking area or outdoor seating whenever possible.Restaurants: ****
The Old City/Medina has numerous restaurants, including those at the many “riad hotels.” These restaurants vary in price, atmosphere and quality (many are geared towards tourists), and while there are some trendy spots, many are more traditional by nature of their location and do not serve alcohol (see GT tip below). There are many cool restaurants in the urbane and artsy (i.e. more contemporary) neighborhoods of the Ville Nouvelle (specifically in Gueliz), as well as in the high-end luxury resorts located inside (there are only two) and outside the Medina.
GT Tip: As noted, restaurants in Marrakech often do not serve alcohol – especially in the Medina – so check in advance if you’re hoping to have a cocktail or glass of wine with lunch or dinner. There are exceptions of course, but even some of the trendier spots (Nomad, L’mida) will only serve mocktails, juices or mint tea. Outside the Medina walls you’ll find plenty of well-made cocktails (and alcohol more generally). Finding a dry martini, however, may still be challenging – so be very specific!The rooftop restaurant at our own hotel El Fenn is very popular and we ate there on a few occasions for breakfast, lunch and dinner – all good with very pleasant service and lovely Moroccan-modern decor. La Table (French) at uber-luxe resort The Royal Mansour was delicious. After perfect cocktails at the bar, we dined in a beautifully lit interior courtyard (I still remember that bread!); Le Selman Restaurant at the posh Selman Marrakech Hotel is dripping in luxurious Morrocan ambiance and the dinner was amazing (plus we ate early, so it felt like we were dining in a palace by ourselves!); Plus 61 is a popular Australian-owned bistro with a cool, sleek, all-white modern ambiance, fresh and delicious food and nice cocktails in Gueliz. We quite enjoyed it and it had a more modern feel than other places we dined, which was a nice change of pace (advance bookings recommended); Nomad is an extremely popular modern-Moroccan spot, especially for lunch and known for its rooftop seating in the midst of the Medina (so no alcohol). We didn’t love the food, but its a nice, modern, upscale spot (advance bookings recommended); Other popular choices that were on our list, but which we ultimately did not go to: Le Petit Cornichon, another contemporary bistro in Gueliz,(serves alcohol) is cute looking but smoking is allowed inside; Le Salama and Kabana – both in the Medina, both with attractive rooftops, and both serve alcohol (Le Salama has belly dancing performers on certain nights); Grand Cafe De La Poste, a popular trad French bistro stalwart (also serves cocktails), Le Kilim well-regarded loft-like modern Morrocan in Gueliz (serves alcohol); and if you feel like a splurge, any of the numerous high-end bars and restaurants at the very fancy La Mamounia Hotel in the Medina, or at the the super-luxe fit-for-a-prince (literally — it was commissioned by the Prince) Royal Mansour Hotel.
We opted for the full board program while at the Kasbah Tamadot in the mountains (since there is not much else around). The food was excellent and varied; depending on the night of the week, they decide what is served (i.e. whether an extensive Moroccan buffet, or a European a la carte menu).Sights: *****
The Medina (Old City): The Medina is a sight in itself with its twisty streets, the noisy Souks (Markets), and the Jemaa El Fnaa (the main square and marketplace of Marrakech, where you can see a snake charmer during the day or eat at dozens of street food stalls in the evening). The biggest landmark in the old city is the tower of the Koutubia Mosque, which can be seen from most places in the Medina; only Muslims can enter, but the tower is impressive and the surrounding gardens are pleasant. Tour the Medersa Ben Youssef School for its impressive architecture. The Bahia Palace is definitely worth a visit for its gorgeous tilework, wood carvings, impressive courtyard and Palm-fringed gardens (go early to beat the crowds). The Saadien Tombs, built sometime in the 1400s-1500s, were sealed off until being rediscovered only in 1917. While it is an important site historically and a fascinating story, it was not as fascinating as a tourist site. So, we chose not to wait in the lengthy queue to see the one main tomb open for viewing and instead just visited the small gardens and left. We did visit the small but mighty Slat Al Azama Synagogue, which was founded in 1492 and is still operating today in the Jewish Quarter of Marrakech. We had a quick visit to the House of Photography, which had a decent exhibit of photographers examining Moroccan life through the decades. The former riad also has the small roof-top cafe with nice views. We did not make it to El Badii Palace (ruins of a former palace), nor the Secret Garden, which would be a calm respite from the dusty roads of the Medina.
Ville Nouvelle (New City)/Gueliz: The hip, artsy, more modern neighborhood of Gueliz, just a few minutes outside the old city walls, has some interesting art galleries and museums (including MACMA, the Museum of Art and Culture of Marrakech) and several trendy restaurants and bars mentioned above. In Gueliz, the Jardin Marjorelle (the former site of Yves Saint Laurent’s home where he lived with his lover for decades) includes a beautiful, impressive, unexpected and expansive garden, the small but effective and well-curated Berber Museum,and a very cool gallery/gift shop/boutique. This sits just a few feet down the block from the modern Yves Saint Laurent Museum, celebrating his invaluable contributions to the world of fashion; both the Jardin and the YSL Museum were definite highlights and should be on your must-see list. Another surprise for us was MACAAL, the Museum of African Contemporary Art located just on the edge of the city (and seemingly in golf resort), but worth the 15-minute cab ride. It’s a well-curated, contemporary art museum in a sleek, modern building (and air-conditioned too, which you can’t always take for granted!). Small, but definitely worth checking out.
And if in need for a bigger change of pace and scenery, take an hour’s drive south of the city to stay amongst the beautiful natural landscapes of the Atlas Mountains and the Ourika River Valley. While there, check out the Berber Villages and hike the mountain trails. There are other day trips further afield from Marrakech, but we decided to focus on Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains in this instance.Shopping: *****
Marrakech is well known as one of the shopping capitals of the world for good reason.
The Jemaa El-Fnaa, the main square and marketplace of Marrakech’s Medina is mostly populated by juice sellers, touristy goods and even a snake charmer or two during the day (before transforming into a plaza filled with street food vendors and a variety of street performers in the evening), but in the Souks (the covered market portions of the Medina) you might get casually (or easily) lost and find some nice Moroccan rugs or lamps to take home, and occasionally even a random vintage find. Much of it is repetitive and designed for tourist consumption, however.
There are a number of cool shopping spots in the Medina, however, you just need to know where to look (or someone to help you find them): Mustapha Blaoui is on the outskirts of the Medina, and is an impressively sprawling store filled with thousands of home decor items from rugs, to placemats, to art, furniture and lamps. Next door is V. Barkowski, a refined shop with hand-embroidered bed and table linens, towels, and a small but nicely curated clutch of other home items. The hard-to-find Riad Yima contains a bright and fun collection of pop artwork, bags, sweatshirts, handmade slippers, etc. Head to Chabi Chic for homewares and ceramics. And be sure to leave time to wander and explore inside the Souks. Sometimes an unlabelled booth (or a doorway into a hidden store) in the marketplace may contain a surprise find (and at other times, just junk!).
Outside the Medina, there is also a plethora of interesting shopping. We particularly liked concept shop 33 Rue Majorelle (mens & women’s clothing and lots of home design goods, near the Jardin Majorelle); as well as Anitan Rugs, which in addition to rugs has a small home goods collection upstairs. Chabi Chic also has a store in this strip, though while high-quality we found their designs a bit bland.Further afield in the industrial neighborhood of Sidi Ghanem, are a bunch of interesting design shops: we stopped into Magasin for antiques and vintage finds; Retro-Plus for affordable, but tasteful modern and mid-century furniture and homewares (my husband lugged home a stack of dinner plates); Jajjah by Hassan Hajjaj a colorful (and not inexpensive!) tea shop that also sells and displays pop-art & contemporary art by young artists as well as other merch (part of the fun here is the use of color in their tea packaging and display); William Sarayan for larger-scale furniture pieces and small home decor items (they also have a charming cafe up front); lifestyle and home design brand LRNCE for mostly one-of-a-kind ceramics and rugs.
If you’re driving out to the Atlas Mountains, stop at Popham Design (which is tucked back into an olive grove off the side of a road) for modern, custom-designed graphic tiles (especially if you have a big renovation budget back home) and a limited line of other handmade home design items like rugs and lighting.If you’re staying at Kasbah Tamadot (our hotel in the Atlas Mountains), you should visit the small Berber Artisanal Boutique located behind the tennis courts just outside the rear gates of the hotel - stocked with locally made handicrafts. 100% of the takings for the items made by locals in the nearby villages go directly to them. All other items are bought locally in Morocco and 30% of the takings from these items go to the Eve Branson Foundation, founded by Richard Branson’s mom for various educational and other programs in the local Berber Villages.
GT Shopping Tip 1: Couple of things about shopping in Marrakech – haggling is part of the culture, so shop owners are almost always willing to bargain on the price. It may be intimidating at first, but if you’re willing to haggle, you may end up not only with a better bargain, but with a fun interaction with a friendly local. While some shop owners may be aggressive and pressure tourists to buy their products, if you’re not interested – just give a firm and polite “no” and move on quickly. And never haggle – or accept a glass of mint tea – if you’re truly not interested; it’s considered rude and will become progressively harder (as we found out) to extricate yourself. Also, as always: be aware and smart, as there are pickpockets in the Medina.
GT Shopping Tip 2: As the shops in Sidi GhanemI are quite spread out throughout this industrial neighborhood (and as you might decide – like we did – to actually buy stuff), it was helpful to have our hotel arrange for a car and driver. It’s not a scenic neighborhood.
Review of El Fenn Rating: *****
We opted for our first week to stay at one of the more (perhaps most?) luxe upscale Riads within the Old City – the super-stylish El Fenn, owned and run by Vanessa Branson (Richard’s sister). El Fenn has taken over several Riads and combined them over the years – continually upgrading and expanding – and the property has spacious, beautiful and luxurious high-design rooms full of local character, lovely courtyards (as you walk from Riad to Riad), a rooftop with pool, restaurant and cocktail lounge, and a smaller cocktail bar and restaurant down in one of the pretty ground level courtyards (along with another small pool). They also have a full-service spa. The amazing thing is that when you walk in the front door from a small, dusty, alley, you have no idea what lies on the other side as the Riad’s are all internal-facing. It was a stunning property.
Date of stay: October 2022
Room tip: We were in an extra-large room, which was indeed very spacious, but all the rooms are stylishly designed, and have great bathrooms – many with baths and showers. Ask for a quiet room if that is important.
Another option in the Medina:
• L’Hotel — designed by Terence Conran with a more muted palate and which also has a bar, pretty grounds, upscale restaurant and a courtyard pool.
Review of Kasbah Tamadot by Virgin Limited Edition Rating: *****
(Ed. Note: As of Feb 8 2024, renovations and repair to the main building resulting from the 2023 earthquake continue, though parts of the resort are re-opened - also, they are adding new private Riad (villa) accommodations at some point in 2024 as well!) After 5 days in The Medina, a driver from the Kasbah picked us up and we drove about an hour south of the city to the Atlas Mountains and Ourika River Valley region for a two-day stay at the dreamy and isolated Kasbah Tamidot, part of the Virgin Limited Edition Hotel Collection (owned by Richard Branson). Perched on the side of a mountain above the Ourika Valley, it’s a gorgeous, isolated and unique location with all the amenities of a small five-star hotel and loads of local character. Our room (21) had a small balcony with sunrise views overlooking the mountains and the hotel’s beautiful pool and gardens. Service, food, cocktails, even low-key entertainment (live music) are all top-notch. There are numerous hikes, mule rides, and tours of the surrounding Berber villages available. Definitely a bucket-list stay.
Date of stay: October 2022
Room tip: Our room, 21, which is on the “less outrageously expensive” end of the spectrum here, was lovely, roomy, and had drop-dead views from our balcony.
Other alternatives:
• Another luxury option, the new (2023) Olinto Retreat houses its guests in nine private “pavilions” surrounded by gardens, with an expansive pool, and intimate restaurant in a quiet location.
• For something in the region a little less lofty but still comfortable and upscale, the Kasbah Bab Ourika also has a beautiful location and nicely designed rooms, pool, and grounds with amazing views, plus a well-regarded restaurant.
Review of The Four Seasons Marrakech Rating: *****
After 5 days in The Medina and a couple of days spent in the Atlas mountains, we chose to return to the posh Four Seasons Resort for some coddling before heading home a few days later. Gorgeous grounds, a blissful “adults-only” pool (which they enforced – they sent folks with children to the also very-nice family pool) with poolside service including a complimentary cooler filled with chilled bottled way when you first sit down, a lovely spa, and a couple of restaurants and bars, it was the right choice to decompress from the sights and sounds of Marrakech before heading home. While the property was not as characterful as the other properties we stayed in through our trip (being an international chain) it was a lovely and relaxing few days.
Date of stay: October 2022
Room tip: We had a fairly basic garden king, with terrace and a view of an interior palm-fringed garden. It was comfortable and modern-posh as you’d expect from a Four Seasons property.
Other luxury resort hotels in the vicinity:
• Selman Marrakech
• La Mamounia
• The Royal Mansour
• The Mandarin Oriental
Below is a map of hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping and sights found during our research. We didn’t have time to visit all of them during our trip, but all were of interest. Click on the icon at top left of the map to view the legend. Or you can click on the full-screen icon at top right to expand, which will also bring up the legend.
