A day in Marrakesh

Waking up in the beautiful airbnb and having a delicious breakfast on the roof top in the sunshine was a perfect start to the day. The first stop was the Bahia Palace. Famed for its beautiful tiling and rich history it was wonderful to walk around and explore. Going early meant we avoided long ticket ques and the palace wasn’t too busy.

Next we walked through a park and along the city wall towards to tanneries. The Tanneries are open air factories where leather is dyed. Upon arrival we were somewhat mobbed by men trying to give us mint (it’s their way of getting your custom, once you are holding the mint they will take you on a guide of the tannery. For a fee of course!) we managed to decline the this and explored on our own.

As we wandered through the streets we quickly came across a square which was covered in tubs full of brown coloured liquids. It was a lot less colourful than many of the photos online, but was still interesting. In some of the tubs full of water men were washing the leather by walking over it. Other men were taking wheel barrows of animals skins to the next step of the leather making process. We poked our heads inside a little room to find men brushing leather and found someone who allowed us to go onto his roof to see the tanneries from above.

Afterwards, we slowly made out way south through the city and into the Souks, here it was incredibly busy, feeling hungry and keen to eat so went to Le Jardin for lunch. It had great reviews and a beautiful green courtyard which when we arrived were told it was full! So we were offered a table inside (lesson learned, next time book!) The food was pretty average, but we welcomed a break from the hectic streets of Marrakesh.

After lunch we were determined to explore a little more, so continued to wander around the Souks, amazingly we weren’t pestered as much as I had anticipated and it was great to see all the bright colours and items for sale. We tried to go to the Ben Youssef Madrasa school but it was undergoing renovations so instead opted for the Secret Garden. Again it was a little bit of peace in an otherwise hectic environment. Hidden behind high walls, a peaceful green garden with a fascinating history. We spent an hour or so here and had a delicious Moroccan tea overlooking the garden.

Next stop was the Jemaa el-Fnaa square in the medina quarter. With restaurants overlooking the square which had snake charmers dotted around and monkeys keen to climb on your shoulders it was an interesting place with lots to see. We happened to go there during a quiet time, so it wasn’t too busy with tourists which made exploring a little easier.

After a busy day in Marrakesh we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the last of days sun on the roof terrace before getting ready to go out for dinner. Our airbnb had suggested a restaurant called Naranja. Just a short walk from the hotel with indoor seating, it was perfect for the evening. The food was delicious and the atmosphere wonderful, would definitely go back here.

A day in Marrakesh was exhaustingly brilliant and although we didn’t manage to do all of the touristy things I feel that we covered the key ones and have left a few for the next trip!