Villa Achbarou

Villa Achbarou enjoys a superb location where you can truly relax in sensational surroundings. The villa is situated within a four-hectare estate in Douar Akrich, thirty minutes from Marrakech’s Medina on the road leading to Amizimiz.
 
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 frenzied. 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, storytellers and potion sellers. Its dizzying array of sights, smells and tastes with provide a sensory overload. Dining in the Medina is an adventure and will set your tastebuds tingling as Marrakech offers one of the world’s tastiest cuisines. Smoke rises from barbecues, which are enjoyed along with Gnawa musicians, acrobats and fortune tellers. The souks are lined with rows of sweet oranges, plump dates and an enormous variety of olives, while the air is infused with intensely fragrant spices. You will discover the delicious shakshuka and spongy Moroccan pancakes for breakfast and delicious tagines and tanjia, succulent lamb slow-cooked in a clay pot for hours, for dinner. Sfenj are yummy fried doughnuts drizzled with floral honey. Mint tea is served as a sign of welcome at the end of a purchase or to unwind in the afternoon. 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 with Islamic ablution rituals. Visitors enjoy wonderful hammam experiences at Hammam de la Rose, the Farnatchi Spa, the deluxe Royal Mansour and many other spas.
 
This Moroccan city-break favourite is also home to a glossy modern quarter, the Gueliz. Beyond Marrakech’s ancient heart is this contemporary, manicured area full of funky cafes, chic shopping opportunities, upmarket restaurants and wonderful museums that are architectural statements. It is alive with artwork, with one of the most famous galleries being the Matisse Art Gallery, named after the 20th-century artist Henri Matisse. It draws some of the best artists from all over Morocco with inspirational exhibitions. You will also discover the Royal Tennis Club of Marrakech with its nine courts plus a stadium court. The club is the oldest and largest tennis club in Marrakech and is often used for sporting events.
 
Marrakech enjoys a fabulous collection of fascinating 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 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 the city is sprinkled with beautiful gardens. Le Jardin Secret is one of the 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 sprinkled with 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 also enjoy heading to the quiet cool of the surrounding mountains. 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, enjoy fabulous scenery and a mesmerising mix of Berber, Arabian and European cultural influences. The Valley of Ourika is nestled half an hour from the buzz and energy of Marrakech. It is absolutely gorgeous and very popular with tourists wanting to escape from the city centre and see another side of Morocco. The area is very scenic, with groups of waterfalls tucked behind the village of Setti Fatma, colourful restaurants by the river and friendly Berber tribes wanting to show you around their villages and homes. The Berbers have lived in North Africa for five thousand years. During the Arab invasion in the 7th century, the Berbers took refuge high in the Atlas Mountains. Today, most Berbers are Muslims but have retained the Berber languages in the villages. Barbary macaques are found in the Western High Atlas, an endangered primate. It is a wonderful area for hiking where paths are shaded by trees, and every waterfall looks even more beautiful than the last. In August each year, there is a vibrant four-day market and fair in Setti Fatma.

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