Is Botanical Garden Inside Medina Marrakesh

The hustle and bustle of Marrakesh is exciting, but can become overwhelming. One of the key secrets to enjoying an extended time in the Red City is by taking short breaks in the many gardens and parks across the city. Not only are they places worth visiting as a stand alone reason to go, they will provide moments to take a breath and get back to nature after trawling the shops and souks. Many of the gardens are free or only 10 dirham making it easy to pop into a park or garden for a short amount of time and chill out. If you find yourself needing to escape the madness of the medina, be sure to head to one of these gardens to refresh your spirits.

8 Gardens of Marrakesh

Jardin Majorelle

Jardin Majorelle is perhaps the most famous garden in Marrakesh and certainly the most 'selfied.' The space is a stunning twelve acre botanical garden centred around a riad with Moorish influence to its architecture, vividly coloured in bright blue and yellow. Amble around shady lanes in the midst of exotic plants, and relax beside tranquil streams with floating lillies and lotus flowers. The garden is named after an expatriate French artist – Jacque Majorelle – who designed the edifice (riad style building) in the 1920's and 1930's. A small archaeological museum is located inside the gardens containing interesting glimpses into Islamic art and Berber culture. For a truly calm experience of the garden, it's worth waking early and heading there at 8am before the crowds arrive or later in the afternoon after they have left.

Opening Hours:

• October 1st – April 20th: 8am – 5:30pm
• May 1st – September 30th: 8am – 6pm
• Month of Ramadan: 9am – 5pm

Non Resident Admission Fees:

• Garden: 70 Dhs
• Museum: 30 Dh

Moroccan citizens and foreign residents of Morocco Admission Fees:

• Garden: 40 Dhs
• Museum: 10 Dhs

Children under 12 years free admission.

Anima Gardens

Anima Gardens is a newly opened gardens designed by André Heller which is receiving much deserved praise and attention for its imaginative and creative design. Nestled at the foothills of the High Atlas and inside the Ourika Valley, 27km away from Marrakesh, this garden offers something completely different and is worth the 30min journey out of the city. As you stroll through shady paths and pavilions with the High Atlas mountains as a backdrop, you will meet unusual sculptures of characters – weird and wonderful imaginings of the award winning multi-media artist and designer – which add a magical, "wonderland" feel to the experience. A museum designed by Carmen Wiederin is also an interesting stop, rotating exhibitions of paintings, photographs and objects form artists all over the world. The Café Marocain Paul Bowles is located near the entrance to the garden, serving up fresh juices, teas and pastries. Try to avoid visiting during the midday heat and time your visit towards the afternoons softer, golden light.

Opening Hours:

• October 1st – April 20th: 8am – 5:30pm
• May 1st – September 30th: 8am – 6pm

Non Moroccan Citizen Admission Fees: 120 Dhs

Moroccan citizens and foreign residents of Morocco Admission Fees: 60 Dhs

Children under 10 years free admission.

Bahia Palace Gardens

Located inside the old medina of Marrakesh along the northern edge of the Mellah, or Jewish Quarter, the Bahia Palace is a great example of a traditional Marrakesh palace-garden space. With an Andalusian feel and stunning displays of zelij mosaic and Moroccan architecture, this is one of the must-sees in terms of visiting an old Marrakeshi palace. The exact dates of construction are unknown, but historians and archaeologists agree that the building was in use as early as 1859 and was completed by 1900. It was built in two different stages by Si Moussa and his son, making the layout and design slightly irregular and disjointed, adding to a feel of adventure and discovery as you wander the different sections of the palace complex. The materials used to make the wonderful displays of zelij, ceramic and wood work through out the palace were sourced from all over North Africa – it's worth walking the palace with a guide who can talk you through the geography and history of Morocco by pointing out where different parts of the materials used in the architecture where sourced from. This is another site where it is worth arriving as early as possible to avoid the crowds.

Opening Hours:

Monday – Sunday: 8am – 5pm (all year round)

Non Resident Admission Fees: 10 Dhs

Moroccan citizens / foreign residents of Morocco / Children under 12 Admission Fees: Free admission.

The Agdal Gardens

Perhaps the most important garden in Marrakesh the Agdal Gardens were built in the 12th Century by the Almohad Dynasty. The gardens where originally created as an orchard and encompass a huge expanse of over 400 hectares. The name derives from an Amazigh word to refer to a 'walled meadow,' reflecting the lines of groves which make up the huge expanse of garden, including orange, lemon, fig, apricot and pomegranate trees, as well as lines upon lines of olive groves. It's worth saying that some visitors to the Agdal come away feeling a little disappointed. There is no "trail" to follow neither an interesting museum at the site, but the panoramic view over the water and groves surely won't fail to impress. The importance and true spectacle of the Agdal is found in appreciating it's astonishing and highly sophisticated irrigation system – a network of underground channels which bring water all the way from the Atlas mountains to a vast water basin, which then feeds the groves and orchards all year round.

Opening Hours:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 7:30am – 1pm
• Closed on Sundays & Wednesdays
• note: the gardens can be closed at anytime depending on what is happening in the palaces.

Free Admission

Koutoubia Gardens and Cyber Park

These are the easiest and most convenient parks to take a quick break from the medina. If Djemma El Fna is just getting too much to handle, then simply cross the road towards the Koutoubia Mosque and take a stroll in the parks and fountains found behind the mosque. The Cyber Park is only a 2 minute walk from the Koutoubia and is also worth exploring, offering a slightly modern, sci-fi feel. Locals relax here all throughout the day and is a great place to sit back under a palm true and read a book, or simply watch the world go by.

Open 24 Hours and Free Admission

The Sunken Gardens of El Badi Palace

An old, ruined palace located only a short walk from Bahia, making the two sites easy to do together while exploring the Mellah. The site is a little run-down and is currently being renovated and restored, but El Badi offers it's own unique charm which many people claim makes them prefer the El Badi palace to Bahia. Commissioned by the Arab Saadian sultan Ahmad-al-Mansur and completed in 1593, the complex took 25 years to build and was constructed using the most expensive materials of the time, including gold and onyx. Stroll around the sunken gardens and the pavilions and admire what is considered to be some of the finest examples of Saadian architecture in Morocco.

Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 8am – 5pm (all year round)

Non Resident Admission Fees: 10 Dhs

Moroccan citizens / foreign residents of Morocco / Children under 12 Admission Fees: Free admission.

The Palmeraie Gardens

A large palm grove on the northern outskirts of Marrakesh, don't expect a garden with an entrance, this is simply – and quite astonishingly – a vast expanse of palm trees. Measuring 5 miles in length and covering 54 square miles the Palmeraie was at one time one of the largest palm groves in North Africa. Numerous hotels and restaurants are dotted inside the oasis, such as the Palmeraie Golf Palace, although a vibe of the area can be taken by simply driving the road which takes you through the heart of the palmeries. Camels and guides sit at different places along the side of the road, waiting for anyone who fancies a camel ride through the oasis. There is an ancient legend that the palmeraie was created from the date seeds thrown on the ground by Arab warriors, but it was actually created during the Almoravid period, using a 'qanat' network of underground irrigation channels, like the Menara and the Agdal. If you walk you can still see the traces of the old irrigation system that has now run dry.

Open 24hrs

Free Admission

The Menara Gardens

The Menara garden is located to the west of Marrakesh, at the gates to the Atlas mountains and is known as little sister to the Agdal. Also established by the Almohad dynasty, the name Menara derives from the pavillion with its small green pyramid roof (menzeh), translating as light house. The translation meaning does not refer to any history of having a practical light house purpose, but reflects a religious significance to the building. The menara is very similar in feel to the Agdal, with a large basin which also served to irrigate the surrounding groves and orchards using a very sophisticated network of underground channels.

Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 6am – 6pm

Non Resident Admission Fees: 10 Dhs

Marrakesh isn't the only city with gorgeous gardens. There are hundreds of naturally beautiful spots to enjoy when you visit Morocco. If connecting with nature is high on your list of things to experience we can help. Give us a call or send an email to get started today.

Is Botanical Garden Inside Medina Marrakesh

Source: https://www.journeybeyondtravel.com/blog/gardens-of-marrakesh.html

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