Morocco – Discovering Marrakech
By day you’ll find a bustling market town, by night a chance to mingle with sword swallowers and belly dancers. There’s nothing ordinary about Marrakech.
It’s so close to Europe on a good day you can see its shores. So close you think it might succumb to Western charms. But Marrakech, and Morocco itself, is set apart with its strange, almost mystical traditions. Here you will find a unique holiday destination just waiting to be discovered.
Marrakech is Morocco’s main southern trading centre. Its ancient red walls stretch around a town filled with miles of narrow streets that lead to bustling squares and grand palaces. The Djemaa el Fna square is the central hub where everything and everyone meets.
There’s little doubt that tourism is now essential to Morocco’s economy. Now on the budget airline route from Europe, you’d think Marrakech would be one of the first places to succumb to Western tastes. Not so. The central square has always been the place to do business for the local traders and aside from the odd snake charmer nothing has changed.
Meet with a Story-Teller Whatever time of day or night the place is packed with many more Moroccans than tourists. By day it’s mainly a market but by early evening it starts to fill up with fire-eaters, sword-swallowers, story-tellers, veiled women offering henna tattoos, acrobats and always the constant drumming from small groups of musicians.
As the evening turns into a starry North African night the food vendors move in, setting up their stalls lined with wooden benches lit by lanterns. They busy themselves preparing great vats of couscous, kebabs, fried fish and display dishes of snails, tripe soup and pigs’ trotters. For 2 we you can enjoy a feast of spicy delicacies with not a hamburgers in sight.
Haggle for a bargain in the souk Of course a trip to Morocco wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the souk. Beware though; the souk experience is not for the faint-hearted. Along the long narrow lanes you’ll find it impossible to avoid the eyes of traders who shout for your attention. Haggle your way to a bargain if you dare. Best buys include Berber jewellery, kaftans, leather goods and even traditional Moroccan herbal remedies.
The beauty of Marrakech is its proximity to the region’s many natural wonders including the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert. It’s easy to take an excursion to these and other nearby towns including the more tranquil seaside resort of Agadir and fishing village of Essaouira.
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