The Place
Fiona Duncan, series editor of our printed guides, writes:
‘Though just 45 minutes from the city, Bab Ourika allows a combination of comfort and contact with the real Morocco more readily than any other Marrakech hotel. Reaching this eyrie in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, its traditional ‘rammed earth’ walls surrounding a rose-filled courtyard, means bumping at snail’s pace along narrow track but once there, you are rewarded with astonishing views.
Some come here to hike, rock climb, horse ride or kayak, others to flop with a good book on the terrace or by the pool, set in luxuriant gardens that, like the house, feel far more mature than they really are. Both the bedrooms and the homegrown food are unpretentious and stylish. Try to be there on a Monday, when you can be taken on foot to the colourful Berber market in the lush Ourika river valley below, then to his home for lunch.’