The back story
The Ourika valley: gardens and kasbahs on the river
André Heller’s ANIMA garden and the hilltop Kasbah Bab Ourika on the road into the Atlas.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © User:China_Crisis · CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia CommonsThe road south from Marrakech to the Ourika valley climbs into the foothills of the Atlas. On the way is ANIMA, André Heller’s art-and-nature garden; at the head of the valley, Kasbah Bab Ourika looks down on the river, green fields and groves of olives, oranges and lemons, and up to the snowy peaks (its site).
ANIMA
ANIMA spreads across three hectares of planting, sculpture and pavilions with views of the Atlas; tickets are sold online and a shuttle runs from Marrakech (its site).
Kasbah Bab Ourika
Kasbah Bab Ourika stands on a hilltop at the apex of the valley, 45 minutes from the airport, with 42 rooms (its site).
Lunch above the river, and the garden on the way home.
Our advice: in winter, look for snow on the high peaks from the kasbah’s terraces.
Why it's on our list
- ANIMA
- Kasbah Bab Ourika
What’s nearby
Distances from The Ourika valley: gardens and kasbahs on the river are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Saadian Tombs32 kmCar or taxi 103 min
- Bahia Palace32 kmCar or taxi 104 min
- Koutoubia33 kmCar or taxi 107 min
- Ben Youssef Madrasa33 kmCar or taxi 107 min
- Menara gardens33 kmCar or taxi 108 min
- Marrakech Menara Airport33 kmCar or taxi 108 min
- Jardin Majorelle35 kmCar or taxi 112 min
The station and the square
- Jemaa el-Fna33 kmCar or taxi 106 min
- Marrakech station35 kmCar or taxi 112 min
Location
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More in depth
The back storyMarrakech at the table: tagines, terraces and the night marketLe Marocain at La Mamounia, Al Fassia’s kitchen of women, the roof terraces of Nomad, L’mida and Le Foundouk, the brasserie of Gueliz and the smoke of Jemaa el-Fna at night: how Marrakech eats.
The back storyMoroccan FoodThe tagine, Friday couscous, pastilla, the tanjia of Marrakech, harira and the ceremony of mint tea: what to eat in Marrakech.
The back storyWhere Marrakech sleeps: palaces, riads and the gardens beyond the wallsLa Mamounia and the Royal Mansour inside the walls, riads such as El Fenn and La Maison Arabe in the lanes of the medina, and the garden resorts of the Palmeraie and the Atlas road: where to stay in Marrakech.