Around The World #10 The Best Cities in The World! Marrakech (15 picks)

Marrakech Morocco where to go? After this post you know how not to miss out!

I picked 15 cities I either lived in or visited I think you should know more about. Today I will introduce to you pick number 10, Marrakech!

The City list you can expect during the series:
Toronto, New York, Sydney, Melbourne, Jakarta, Tokyo, Moscow, Chicago, Barcelona, Marrakech, Medellin, Paris, London, Hong Kong and Auckland

Ready for this super fun city in “my cities” post here we go!

Why Marrakech
As mentioned in my previous world city post I live Barcelona and being from the Netherlands is really easy to visit Spain, but last year I wanted something different and luckily, I decided to go to Morocco because I really enjoyed it.
Marrakech is a great escape for Europeans to explore a different culture not far from the continent.
Flying there from Amsterdam only takes 4,5 hours and trust me you feel like you entered a different world. Great to recharge and escape the European organized lifestyle for a while.

First Impression
I had an evening flight and only booked myself into a Riad for the first two days, when I arrived in Morocco I found the bus that would take me to Djemaa El Fna the most famous square of town where my Riad was located. My first impression? Different, lively, culture and less structured.
As mentioned Morocco has so much to offer and will give great memories, so skip that comfortable visit to Spain and be surprised

Highlights
So much to pick from but I suggest the following highlights.

Djemaa el Fna
The origin of the name is unclear but nowadays everybody knows how to find the square. If you want to enjoy fresh orange juice and see Apes and Snakes at the same time you are at the right spot! In 2011 the tourism to Marrakech suffered because of the terrorist attack on the square, but when I visited the tourism was going strong and the locals are showing everything they sell to you with true passion.
So, come to the square to at day to enjoy your orange juice and visit again at night when you can enjoy storytellers, magicians and traditional medicines. Also the food stalls will come out.

Souks/ Medina
A souk or Medina is basically a maze of streets and colors and merchandise! I am not even kidding if I tell you that it was the first time I decided to use a compass to not get lost. You literally get sucked in.
It’s super enjoyable and for sure you will find something you want to buy. the medinas are famous for the herbs, lamps, carpets and leather goods, what will you pick?

Ville Nouvelle
If you need a break from the medina, head to Ville Nouvelle, Marrakech new town. You will find shopping malls with western stores and restaurants and bookstores and cinemas for entertainment.
You don’t need to spend a whole day there but it’s for sure enjoyable to get a better understanding about the city.
In general, I would suggest to travel around Morocco and say goodbye to Marrakesh after a few days, that will be more than enough to see all the highlights.

Palace de La Bahia
Bahia means ”shining” and I must say I really like the building, it was built at the end of the 19th century and has 150 rooms. The legend goes that the original occupant of the palace build it like this so all his wife’s had their own garden but could still see each other. It’s a fun visit for a few hours to add to your exploring.

Atlas Mountains
As mentioned after a few days you will have covered all Marrakech has to offer and it will be time to discover more off beautiful Morocco.
A great day trip will be visiting the Atlas Mountains. The mountains stretch for 1600 miles through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
The mountains are home to monkeys, gazelle ang other species that enjoy the space they have there.

Best Food
I decided to rename this part of the posts by naming it best food instead of best restaurant. To many times it’s more a specific dish you should try then a restaurant that really stand out.
In Morocco this will be “tajine” is comes in a “pot” and they will mix it with whatever you like best. Red meat, Chicken or even with only vegetables, so pick your favorite and enjoy.

The Downside
The downside? Maybe the slightly aggressive begging, but if you just stay polite that won’t be a big problem, it’s just people trying to survive like in other countries.

Hope you enjoy this world city! The next city will be Medellin Colombia.
See you soon