3 Best Parks & Gardens For Relaxation In Marrakesh, Morocco

Strolling the busy streets and souks of Marrakesh in the heat of summer can be tiring. However, this city in Morocco has a number of beautiful parks in which to enjoy a gentle stroll or relax in a green environment. Here, we briefly explore three parks for relaxation in Marrakesh, Morocco to take you away from the busy medina.

1. Striking colors in Jardin Majorelle, Marrakesh

Jardin Majorelle is arguably the most famous garden in Marrakesh, with the bold blues and yellows of the Moorish riad. This contrasts beautifully with the green and pastel colors of the vast range of plant life in the garden. Meanwhile, the garden also hosts more than 15 bird species, endemic to North Africa.

Jardin Majorelle is the creation of French Orientalist artist Jacques Majorelle in 1923. Meanwhile, the gardens feature a Cubist villa designed by the French architect, Paul Sinoir in the 1930s. The property was later purchased and renovated by fashion designers Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé in the 1980s.

Covering 12 acres, this botanical garden is a place of shade, with exotic plants and streams and ponds with water lilies and lotus flowers. Meanwhile, the garden features a large cactus garden and plenty of shady palm trees.

While there, make sure to visit the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts and the Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech Museum in the gardens. Moreover, the best times to enjoy this lovely space are in the morning, or in the quiet of the late afternoon.

2. Koutoubia Gardens

Close to the chaos of Djemaa El Fna is the beautiful, manicured Koutoubia Gardens next to the Koutoubia Mosque. While there isn’t as much shade here, it is a peaceful place to stroll or relax before heading back into the city’s most iconic square. The gardens can be accessed from the main entrance on the western side of the square.

Some of the pathways do offer shade from the Moroccan sun as you stroll past orange trees and beautiful rose bushes. It is also the ideal place to get great photos of the beautiful mosque, surrounded by green plants and flowers.

3. Le Jardin Secret, Marrakesh

Hidden away in the heart of the medina, Le Jardin Secret is the perfect place, surrounding a riad of Arab-Andalusian architecture. This privately owned palatial garden was designed by Tom Stuart-Smith and his team, who have achieved the seemingly impossible. In fact, the designers have created two, separate botanical gardens from scratch in the dusty sprawl of urban Marrakesh.

One garden that must be seen is the Exotic Garden, with plants from around the globe. Equally impressive is the Islamic Garden area that is said to recreate heaven as depicted in the Quran.  Meanwhile, the gardens are kept green and lush with water from a spring. Meanwhile, the hammam and parts of the Khettara are still fed from the original irrigation system under the medina.

When visiting the city of Marrakesh in Morocco, take time to visit these and more beautiful parks and gardens.