Marrakech is chaotic by nature. The medina is made up of hundreds of narrow alleyways, which during the day are filled with shops and stalls, mopeds, donkeys, and thousands of people. After spending several days getting lost in the city, it's nice to escape the chaos, smells and sounds of the medina and seek refuge in one of the city's gardens.
There are many gardens in and around Marrakech, but the two most popular and arguably most beautiful, are Jardin Majorelle (also known as the Yves Saint Laurent Garden), and le Jardin Secret.
JARDIN MAJORELLE
The Jardin Majorelle is located just outside of the medina, next to the YSL Museum on the aptly named Rue Yves Saint Laurent. For those who haven't guessed it yet, the 2.5 acre botanical gardens and the house that sits within them were previously owned by the legendary fashion designer himself.
French artist, Jacques Majorelle, began building the house and garden in 1923, and he devoted 40 years of his life to their creation and development. As he travelled, Majorelle found new plants to bring back to the garden, cultivating a rich variety of plant species from palms trees and bamboo to cacti and waterlilies. The different varieties of plants are meticulously landscaped to show off each one's unique beauty in the two and a half acre gardens. Unfortunately, the gardens fell into disrepair in the 1950's following Majorelle's divorce from his wife.
In the 1980's, Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé bought the site and began repairing and restoring the house and gardens to their former glory. When Yves Saint Laurent died in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the gardens. Since 2010, the gardens have been owned by the Foundation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent. Pierre Bergé passed away in 2017 and his name has been added to the memorial, next to his former partner.
The garden is best known for the striking, cobalt blue walls, a colour Majorelle loved so much that he had it patented as bleu Majorelle. Along with the contrasting yellow window frames, vast collection of cacti and beautiful water pools, this garden is one of the most photogenic spots in Marrakech.
Once you exit the medina wall on the northwest side, it takes around 15 minutes to walk to the entrance of the Jardin Majorelle. It costs 70 dirhams to visit the gardens, and an additional 30 dirhams to visit the YSL Museum next door. Inside the garden there is a small cafe and a gallery showcasing a collection of Yves Saint Laurent's LOVE artwork.
When I first visited the Jardin Majorelle in 2014, it was extremely quiet. It was Ramadan at the time which may have played a part, but it was also before the rise of insta-influenced travel. When I returned in February 2020, the gardens were full of people taking perfectly orchestrated photos of themselves wearing glamours dresses amongst the cacti. We had arrived before 10am and managed to walk straight through, but as we left the garden was becoming overwhelmed and there were crowds of people queuing down the street to get in. The gardens open at 8am so recommend visiting as early as you can for a true garden escape.
LE JARDIN SECRET
A quieter alternative to the now insta-famous Jardin Majorelle is le Jardin Secret. Situated right in the heart of the medina, this 400 year old garden had fallen into disrepair at the start of the 20th century, and underwent 8 years of restoration before being reopened to the public in 2016.
Unlike the Jardin Majorelle, le Jardin Secret is less contemporary and has a classic Moroccan feel to it. The green tiles... the water features... the bulding at the back... the difference between the two gardens... the terrapins!
Unlike the art deco inspired Jardin Majorelle, le Jardin Secret has a much more classic, Moroccan feel to it. Le Jardin Secret is actually made up of two courtyard gardens which used to belong to neighbouring properties: the Exotic Garden, which is filled with a variety of plants from around the world, and the larger Islamic Garden.
The Islamic Garden is itself split into four parts, which is similar to designs found in Persia as long ago as the sixth century BC. The four parts are watered by a specially designed irrigation system that is more than 100 years old. It feeds through all part of the garden in one continuous stream, including the pools and central marble basin, and would have also fed the building's kitchens.
The perfectly manicured gardens and pools are are laid out in rigid geometric designs, framed by deep green Bejmat tiles and the stone walls of the surrounding riads. There are indoor spaces surrounding the Islamic Garden which explain the excavation process and history of the site, as well as two cafes and a tower which you can climb for views of central Marrakech (additional ticket required).
The Exotic Garden is smaller than the Islamic Garden, and filled with beautiful plants from around the world. It is still geometric in design but less symmetrical, and features plants in a range of heights and contrasting colours. There are succulents like aloes, and cacti, next to sage, lavender and jasmine, with tall palms and even a Jacaranda tree. Towards the back of the garden is a pool which several terrapins call home, and several species of birds flitter between the trees.
Le Jardin Secret is located right in the heart of the medina, on Rue Mouassine, and it costs 60 dirhams for tourists to enter. (There is a reduced ticket price for Moroccan nationals and anyone aged 24 or under). To go up the tower on the far side of the Islamic Garden you need to buy an extra ticket at the main ticket office. Within the gardens, there is a free cloakroom for storing coats and bags, two cafes, exhibition space explaining the excavation of the site, and even a boutique gift shop.
Whilst there are other gardens and courtyard escapes, Jardin Majorelle and le Jardin Secret are two of my favourite spots in this city. It goes to show that there is peace and quiet to be found in the medina of Marrakech if you know where to find it. But when all else fails, there is nothing like a quiet cup of tea from the comfort of your riad...
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