Villa Abiad

Villa Abiad enjoys a peaceful, tranquil location just outside of Marrakech’s Medina. This beautifully landscaped area of the Palmeraie is smart, attractive, and sophisticated and offers a good selection of entertainment options. It connects Casablanca to Fez. Golf enthusiasts enjoy the Golf de la Palmeraie club, which is moments from the villa. An equestrian centre and camel riding are also nearby. Quad bikes and hot air balloon rides with Marrakech Balloon are also popular.

Marrakech is a bustling, intoxicating, colourful city of wonders that offers an inexhaustible source of surprises. It is Africa’s Capital of Culture, where everything is on the move. Finding out all of its secrets would take forever, but you can visit a handful of attractions in a few days to get a taste of its noble past and its frenetic present. Colourful spices, glistening lamps, colourful carpets and leather in every shade imaginable are combined with rich, ancient architecture to capture your heart and soul. Its souks are loud, thrilling and very exciting. You can shop for sweets, clothing, leather, spices, soap, perfume, rugs, lighting, musical instruments and much more. All prices are negotiable, and bargaining is a social art. You will discover snake charmers, story tellers and potion sellers. Dining in the Medina is an adventure and will set your tastebuds tingling. Smoke rises from barbecues which are enjoyed along with Gnawa musicians, acrobats and fortune tellers. The famous Patisserie des Princes is perfect for sweet treats and ice cream afterwards. Many of the riads boast exquisite restaurants for fine dining experiences where you will enjoy creative, spice-laced modern Moroccan menus, many of which are on rooftops with fabulous views. Your friendly staff at the riad can recommend and book tables for you. The wonderful Riad Yima Tea Room is the home and personal gallery of Hassan Hajjaj, the Andy Warhol of Marrakech and is filled with upcycled pop art. It is fun and a great place to grab a classic cup of mint tea. The Medina’s labyrinth of winding lanes and alleyways is best explored with a willingness to get lost and a sense of adventure. In 1985 the Medina was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hammams were introduced to the city by the Romans and adapted to fit Islamic ablution rituals. Visitors enjoy wonderful hammam experiences at Hammam de la Rose, the Farnatchi Spa, the deluxe Royal Mansour and many other spas.
 
Marrakech enjoys many stunning buildings. The Bahia Palace was built in the late 19th century and now forms the centre of the city’s culture. It boasts incredible decor along with high, gilded ceilings, mosaics, stuccos, paintings, the mesmerising quarters of Bou Ahmed’s favourite concubine, Lalla Zineb and an enormous landscaped garden.
 
Marrakech enjoys an excellent collection of museums, including Maison de la Photographie, a three-storey riad-turned-gallery housing the vintage Moroccan photography collection of Patrick Menac’h and Marrakshi Hamid Mergani. Its rooftop cafe is one of the highest in Medina. The Musee Tiskiwin displays the history of Marrakech and the region in general. The Dar Si Said Museum is an exhibition of historic and contemporary Moroccan art, full of intricate Byzantine designs and colours. The Musee Boucharouite features stunning tapestries and another hidden rooftop cafe, while the Musee de Mouassine shows off the work of a local artist. The Music Museum is located in the Saadian quarter, built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The reception of the museum is a jewel of Arab-Andalusian architecture.
 
The area around Marrakech’s Medina is sprinkled with magical gardens. Le Jardin Secret is one of Medina’s largest and most important gardens, with a Persian garden full of tufty grasses and olive, pomegranate, fig and date trees and a second smaller garden offering exotic plants. An elaborate irrigation system weaves its way through the gardens, part of an ancient network that once distributed water from artesian wells and fed by the mountains. When fashion icon Yves St Laurent arrived in the city in 1964, he was overwhelmed by the city and its vivacity. He lived in the Jardin Majorelle with his partner, a lush garden painted with an intense shade of ultramarine blue. It is full of giant cacti, palms and bamboo groves. The Berber Museum is filled with Yves St Laurent’s personal jewellery and fashion collection, and the Musee Yves St Laurent offers a stunning choreography presentation of the clothes in a dramatic black hall.
 
Visitors to Marrakech usually enjoy combining trips to the Medina with excursions into the mountains and its mountain villages. It is the perfect contrast to the thrillingly frantic energy of the Medina and the buzz of its museums, palaces and gardens. After a delicious Moroccan feast around Djemaa El Fna, you can trek up Northern Africa’s highest peak, Mount Toubkal or enjoy a surprising experience of North African skiing at Oukaimeden. The Atlas Mountains are sprinkled with pretty villages, beautiful waterfalls and dramatic viewpoints. Imlil is a popular hub to start exploring, and the Bureau des Guides d’Imlil can arrange guides. You will enjoy unforgettable day trips, visit traditional villages, taste delicious food, and enjoy the fabulous scenery and a mesmerising mix of Berber, Arabian and European cultural influences. You will also discover some of the best golf courses in Marrakech, including the Amelkis Championship Golf course and the Marrakech Royal Golf Club.

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