This was published 13 years ago
Escape from the bazaar
Steve McKenna heads to the garden of Morocco for a breather from the hustle and bustle of the medinas.
IT'S something you may find hard to believe when you're lost in a dark, almost claustrophobic bazaar in the bowels of a frenetic medina but Marrakesh prides itself on being the greenest city in Morocco.
There are more public parks and gardens here than anywhere else in the country; these oases are a godsend when you need a breather from the city's thrilling, yet energy-sapping, tout- and tourist-heavy areas.
Koutoubia Gardens
The scent from the rose bushes and orange trees is wonderfully strong as I wander the grid-like, lawn-fringed paths of Koutoubia Gardens, which are overlooked by the iconic Koutoubia mosque. The largest place of Islamic worship in Marrakesh, the mosque's focal point is a striking 70-metre minaret, which was the model for the famous Giralda minaret-turned-bell tower in Seville, a structure that in turn inspired the design of thousands of buildings across mediaeval Europe.
It's hard to drag your eyes away from this mesmerising sight especially when the muezzin's evocative call to prayer sounds but the quiet, peaceful and family-friendly gardens are a wonderful place to come any time of day.
They're just 500 metres from what is arguably the city's busiest spot - the loud, brash market square Djemaa El-Fna. In terms of atmosphere and noise levels, however, the difference between these neighbouring spots is remarkable. After an enervating morning exploring the medina and having just been harassed by snake charmers in the square, I sit on a Koutoubia bench, close my eyes and wallow in the tranquillity, the smell of those roses becoming stronger by the minute. Bliss.
Arsat Moulay Abdeslam Cyber Park
Just a pebble's throw from Koutoubia's treats, this eight-hectare former royal park has a quirky modern twist.
Named after 18th-century prince Moulay Abdeslam, it was originally used as a food-producing zone before the French turned it into a leisure park during their early-20th-century rule of Morocco.
Today I see people hunched on tree-shaded marble benches, strolling neatly raked red-earth paths, lounging and praying on mown grassy spaces - and checking their email. More than a dozen computerised information points are studded around the park. I watch a clutch of young children, straining on tiptoes, trying to reach a screen as their burqa-clad mother looks on. At the next one, a tall young Moroccan is looking at the BBC website. A few metres away, figures with laptops are tapping into the park's free Wi-Fi access.
At the eastern tip of the grounds is an exhibition centre with revolving displays; the latest shows photos from around the world, encompassing climate-change and conservation themes.
Jardin Majorelle
Marrakesh is an enchanting place for a long weekend and its charms and challenges have seduced many foreigners to stay longer.
One such character was the painter Jacques Majorelle, who was born in Nancy, France, in 1886. He moved to Marrakesh at the age of 33 and not long after created what many critics consider his masterpiece - and it wasn't on canvas.
Fusing Islamic and Mediterranean influences, cosy Jardin Majorelle is composed of lily-filled ponds and fountains, raised pathways, banana trees, bamboo groves, coconut palms, bougainvilleas and various weird and wonderfully shaped cactuses. It's also home to a striking villa - splashed in a vivid-blue colour that Majorelle loved to use, known as ''bleu Majorelle'' - while more than 15 species of North African birdlife flutter around.
Majorelle died in 1962 and the garden lost its lustre. Two decades later it was restored by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Berge.
When Saint Laurent died in 2008, his ashes were scattered around the place that had given him inspiration and refuge from prying eyes. Today there's a fairly obscure plinth dedicated to him.
Unlike all the other important gardens in Marrakesh, this one - jardinmajorelle.com - isn't free. But the 30 dirham ($3.60) entrance fee shouldn't put you off. There's a lovely tree-shaded alfresco cafe here, too.
Menara Gardens
The sprawling royal grounds of the Aguedal Gardens, south of the royal palace, are a pleasant place in which to amble in the shade. However, their opening hours are limited and sporadic and they are closed when the king is in residence.
A better bet is the Menara Gardens, about three kilometres from Marrakesh's medina. Though they lie in the shadow of the city's airport, planes aren't whooshing overhead every minute a la Heathrow and it's actually a delightfully laid-back place.
Families and couples picnic amid Menara's vast olive orchards and vineyards and, come sunset, they head to the large reservoir that mirrors a stately 19th-century pavilion and offers a sublime vantage point from which to take in the city's snow-capped Atlas Mountain backdrop.
Legend has it that a sultan used to entertain his concubines in the park and toss them into the reservoir if they failed to please. Very much a place dominated by locals rather than tourists, the park only has a few refreshment stalls and there's nary a pesky tout in sight, though outside its eastern gate men with camels try to tempt you to take a ride.
My energy stocks replenished after an enjoyably lazy couple of hours, I walk back to the Djemaa El-Fna which, come nightfall, with its vibrant food stalls, storytellers and musicians, is the place to be.
Trip notes
Getting there
Emirates flies from Sydney to Marrakesh via Dubai and Casablanca for $2109, 1300 303 777, emirates.com.
Staying there
The grande dame of Marrakesh hotels, La Mamounia, is a short walk from Koutoubia mosque. Doubles from 4500 dirham ($562); +212 524 388 600, mamounia.com.
Le Deux Tours is a boutique resort in the lush Palmeraie (palm groves), which are on the outskirts of Marrakesh. Doubles from 1550 dirham; +212 524 329 523, les-deux-tours.com.
More information marrakech.travel.
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