Your essential guide to Marrakech

EXPLORE

You can’t come to Marrakech without venturing into the medina, whose pink walls encompass sprawling souks, cobblestoned lanes and the teeming Jemaa el-Fnaa square. Feeling frazzled? Retreat to the serene Maison de la Photographie de Marrakech, whose collections, documenting local life, include some remarkable portraits.

LUNCH

Dotted with Art Deco architecture, Guéliz is the ideal neighbourhood for lunch. At Plus61 an ever-changing menu riffs on local, bio-organic produce (think aioli-laced chargrilled octopus, or a superb date and orange trifle). For Fez-style cuisine, try the elegant Al Fassia, run by an all-female team and famed for its pigeon pastilla.

DISCOVER

Featuring the Mondrian dress and other iconic silhouettes, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum celebrates the city’s most famous expat. Afterwards, head to the Jardin Majorelle, which the couturier saved from destruction in the 1960s. Its fountains and cacti are famously set against swathes of cobalt blue.

DINE

Head back to Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech to claim a table at Ling Ling, where Hakkasan’s talented team serve contemporary Cantonese cuisine. Dine on sociable small plates – siu mai dumplings or salt-and-pepper squid – while sampling the stellar cocktail list. The prime seats are on the poolside terrace, overlooking the olive trees.

PLAY

There’s direct access from the hotel to Royal Golf Marrakech, opened in 1927. Sir Winston Churchill honed his swing on its Old Course, lined with olive and eucalyptus trees, and there’s also a newer nine-hole circuit. Book ahead for lunch on the clubhouse’s shady veranda.

SHOP

Marrakech excels when it comes to homeware, from hand-knotted antique rugs to gilded tea-glasses. Away from the souks, check out Chabi Chic’s sculptural ceramics, or browse Anitan’s rugs, made using natural dyes. For the coolest souvenirs, head for pioneering concept store Max & Jan or the chic 33 Rue Majorelle.

SEE

Not far from the hotel, MACAAL has a remarkable collection of contemporary African art. Its rammed-earth exterior and light-filled galleries are quietly commanding, while its pieces run from psychedelic 1970s paintings to striking textile installations. Afterwards head to the ground-floor café for a restorative mint tea, or browse the beautifully curated shop.

SAMPLE

Beyond the giant scrap-metal ‘B’ out front, Le Baromètre is Morocco’s first ‘speakeasy’. Apothecary jars filled with tinctures and spices fuel its creative cocktails, served in equally spectacular glassware. Its menu eschews tajines for clever fusion cuisine – think traditional mhamsa semolina, reinvented as a seafood risotto.

BROWSE

A 20-minute drive from the medina, the industrial quarter of Sidi Ghanem is today full of workshops and ateliers. Browse handwoven harem pants at Marrakshi Life, or LRNCE’s bold textiles and ceramics. Other beacons include coffee roastery Marrekech Fine Food and edgy contemporary gallery MCC.

COOK

Moroccan cuisine is renowned for its bold spicing, from the comforting warmth of cinnamon to harissa’s fiery hit. To get better acquainted with its flavours, sign up for a cooking class with the hotel’s chefs. Start by picking your own vegetables from the organic gardens, before turning them into a note-perfect tajine.

SEE

The 18th-century Dar El Bacha (‘the house of the Pasha’) is one of the city’s loveliest riads, with its carved wooden ceiling, exquisite zellige tiles and orange tree-edged courtyard. Now the Musée des Confluences, it houses jewellery, ceramics and archaeological finds, along with an exceptional café that’s beloved by coffee connoisseurs.

EXPLORE

Blue is the defining colour of the village of Essaouira, from its turquoise shutters to its painted fishing boats. Less than three hours’ drive from Marrakech (the concierge can arrange a transfer), it makes for a dreamy day trip. After strolling its walled medina, galleries and boutiques, watch the kitesurfers racing along the windswept beach.