Marrakech

Just three hours away from Paris, you'll find one of the most magical cities I know: Marrakech, in Morocco.

Europeans, specially the French, have chosen it as their favorite destination for holidays, long week-ends or for any other opportunity. It's kind of what happens in Argentina with our beloved Punta del Este, a place of peace to escape.

Except that Marrakech has no sea... but it has plenty to offer to us tourists. I've been to Marrakech several times, I love it and I've just arrived from spending a long week-end there.

Marrakech is known as the Pearl of the South, located by the Atlas mountains. The city was founded by Yusuf Ibn Tasufin, the first of the Almoravid Kings in 1062.
903.589 people live in Marrakech, in its 230 km2. It is the fourth most important city of Morocco, after Casablanca, Rabat and Fez, and it comprises both an old fortified city (the médina) and an adjacent modern city (called Gueliz). The Gueliz is the commercial area and was founded during the French Protectorate. It has a neighborhood called Palmaraie that's so beautiful and luxurious that could rival Beverly Hills. 

And at the same time, in the old city (for me the most interesting part) men use caftan and women burqas... some even wear chador. Time there seems to have stopped. The center of the old city is the busy square Jemaa El Fna, where everything can happen!! Street sellers offer tourists anything from snakes to argan oil (a typical plant of Morocco), black soap, dried fruits and nuts... There's also artists and dancers who perform their shows as they've been doing since the 11th Century.

From the square you enter the souk, a huge market where is easy to get lost and where you'll find everything... embroidered caftans, crafted jewelry, fabrics, bags... so much to look at... The smell of cumin, turmeric or paprika mingles with that of amber, musk and sandalwood... it's the smell of Marrakech!!

Another sight to highlight is the Majorelle Gardens, one of the most beautiful gardens in the world and where you'll find all types of cactus.

And the food! A pleasure, with the scented couscous, the tagines and the patisserie...

A place to visit and return many many times...

With a dry weather and a sun than shines 300 days a year!!!