The Illustrated Wild Guide #01 - Marrakech, Morocco
Greetings my lovely friends! Today I’m taking you to Marrakesh in my new series of newsletters named ‘The Illustrated Wild Guide’ - a mini travel guide to my favourite destinations!
Hello, and welcome to Greetings from Somewhere in the Wild! I’m Ine Beerten and I’m an artist from Belgium. In the spring of 2023 I decided to take my art into a new direction by combining my love for illustration and my love for travel… and Somewhere in the Wild was born! Join me here on Substack on my illustrated travels around the globe!
Hello my friends! In the past month I’ve been crazy enough to make all these illustrations for this Illustrated Wild Guide, just for the fun of it! And I definitely pushed my limits of what I can do in a month! I’m honestly feeling a bit frazzled while I press the ‘send’ button for this newsletter 😅.
Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the result of my labour!! Here’s this month’s ILLUSTRATED WILD GUIDE!!
For this Illustrated Wild Guide I’m taking you to Marrakech, a magical city in Morocco with so much to offer for any curious traveler!
I’ve been to Marrakech a few times now and I love this city!! Living in Belgium, Marrakech is only a 4hr flight away and it amazes me that such a short flight brings me to a place that is so exotic and magical and has such a different energy from western Europe. It feels a bit like arriving in a fairytale of 1001 nights - the smells, the colours, the hustle and bustle in the city! It’s so wonderful and exciting!
The old medina is the historic part of Marrakech between the ancient city walls. Marrakech was founded almost 1000 years ago and it’s filled with beautiful examples of islamic architecture - palaces, riads and mosques. Walking through the narrow streets of this enchanting city you’ll find artisanal craftsmen working on their centuries old crafts in ateliers tucked away and hidden in corners, beautiful palaces with secret gardens, colourful markets and shops, fantastic restaurants where they serve the most delicious local foods, … There’s so much to explore!
In the heart of the old medina you’ll find the souks. This maze of covered narrow lanes is filled with hundreds of shops selling local crafts, hand painted pottery, beautifully made leather goods, gorgeous hand knotted carpets and other textiles, Moroccan footwear, handblown glassware and so much more. It’s very easy to get lost, but that’s part of the fun!!
Make sure you haggle to get the best price for any souvenirs you’d like to buy!
In late afternoon Jemaa El-Fna, the big square in the centre of the medina slowly comes alive. This is the place to be to experience the magical atmosphere of Marrakech!
The square fills up with people looking for good food and entertainment! Street performers - from acrobats to musicians and even snake charmers - perform for curious bystanders. You can hear the music from far away. There are hundreds of lively food stalls. Smoke rising from the barbecues, delicious smells wafting through the air, food hawkers shouting to praise their goods, … It is a sight to behold!!
Make sure you try some of those delicious foods! There are barbecued meats, spicy tajine, yummy seafood, freshly made fruit juices and mint tea! And you can get it all for a cheap price!
Marrakech is dotted with stunning palaces from centuries past, decorated with colourful Moroccan tiles, stone reliefs, painted ceilings and hand carved wooden doors. They have lush inner courtyards with orange trees and fountains and beautiful gardens.
Some of the not-to-be-missed palaces are: Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace, Dar Si Said, Dar El Bacha, The Agdal Gardens, the Menara Gardens, …
Also worth visiting: Ben Youssef Medersa, which looks like a palace but it’s actually an Islamic school with stunning architecture!
Le Jardin Majorelle is without a doubt one of my favourite places to visit in Marrakech. This striking blue house with the lush gardens was originally the home of artist Jaques Majorelle.
After his death in 1962 the house came into disrepair but in the 80’s fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé rediscovered the property, bought it and returned it to its former glory!
Nowadays the house and its beautiful gardens are open for visitors every day of the week…
Riads are traditional Moroccan houses and palaces with inner gardens and courtyards. There are lots of riads in Marrakech and many have been transformed into boutique hotels. You’ll find stunningly beautiful riads in the medina and prices range from very affordable to luxuriously expensive! It’s like staying in your own fairytale accommodation!
Treat yourself to a relaxing hammam session in a local bath house where you’ll be steamed, soaked and scrubbed, and afterwards your skin will feel smoother and cleaner than ever before!
A session at a public hammam comes as cheap as $1, though you will be sharing the space with other people and they may even ask you for some scrubbing help! You may also have to bring your own hammam kit (soap, scrubbing glove, brush, shampoo, …)
A session at a private hammam will be more luxurious and you’ll be able to get the full pampering experience with a personal attendant taking care of your every need in a gorgeous location!
Moroccan cuisine is mouthwatering delicious, there’s no doubt about it! Not too surprising with all the spices they sell in the city, they are masters in flavour!
Make sure you try tajine, couscous, kefta, harira, fish chermoulla, zaalouk, spicy sardines, briwat, khobz, … And for those with a sweet tooth there is maamoul, m’hancha, ghriba, , svenj, baklava and of course mint tea!
Take some time to explore modern day Marrakech. Outside the Medina there is a very different part of Marrakech that’s worth visiting, with contemporary architecture, design shops, museums and art galleries. Don’t miss the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, Comptoir des Mines Gallery, …
Go on a beautiful 1 or 2 day trip from Marrakech to Ouarzazate, a.k.a. the gateway to the Sahara Desert. It’s is located south of the high Atlas mountains in the valley of the Ouarzazate river and amidst the rugged looking landscape and has been used as a film location for many movies.
The Taourirt Kasbah which houses a 19th century palace and the Atlas Movie Studios are must-sees on your trip to Ouarzazate! And Aït Benhaddou, a fortified village and Unesco World Heritage site, not far from Ourzazate is also worth a stop!
My favourite time to visit Marrakech is in the spring, from March until the end of May, but the fall is also a great time to visit.
I love the spring because it’s when the Jacarandas and many other flowers are in bloom making the city even more colourful than it already is! And both the spring and fall will be the best time temperature wise, not too hot and not too cold.
The summer months can be very hot, and also very busy and more expensive thanks to the school holidays in many parts of the world! So if you have the option, it’s better to choose to go outside this time period.
I hope you enjoyed my Illustrated Wild Guide for Marrakech! I definitely enjoyed creating the art and writing this post!
Let me know in the comments what you thought of it and if you’ve ever been to Marrakech or if you’re dreaming to go!
Cheers!
Ine
Dear readers, if you like my work and want to support me there are a few different ways of doing so. And I’ve just added a new option!
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Cheers,
Ine
I was brought here by your comment on Beth Kempton’s post. I love to journal and sketch and have been thinking about merging the two things. Your posts are so beautifully done. I am going to Morocco again in February and your pictures of Marrakesh are so perfect. Thank you for sharing.