An overview of the main gardens
Marrakech has more public green space than many visitors expect. Some gardens are huge historic estates on the edges of the old city, others are compact and carefully designed. The descriptions below summarise the history and character of the best known gardens. They are written as background reading and do not cover practical arrangements, which change over time and should be checked with each garden directly.
| Garden | Origin | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Agdal Gardens | 12th century | Vast walled orchards and water basins |
| Menara Gardens | 12th century | Olive grove around a large basin with a pavilion |
| Majorelle Garden | 1920s | Artist’s garden with exotic plants and cobalt blue buildings |
| Secret Garden of the medina | 16th century, restored 2016 | Restored palace courtyard gardens |
| Cyber Park | 18th century, renewed 2005 | Central public park with old olive and orange trees |
Agdal Gardens
The Agdal Gardens stretch south of the royal palace and cover a very large area of orchards enclosed by long earthen walls. They were laid out in the twelfth century under the Almohad dynasty and expanded in later centuries. Their design is essentially agricultural: rows of olive, orange, pomegranate, fig and apricot trees are irrigated from large rectangular basins fed by water channels from the Atlas foothills. The largest basin is big enough that it was historically used to test boats and for leisure. Together with the old town, the Agdal is part of the area recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1985. Because the gardens belong to the royal domain, access has varied over the years.
Menara Gardens
West of the city, the Menara Gardens are another Almohad creation. A huge olive grove surrounds a rectangular basin, and on one side stands a pavilion with a green tiled pyramid roof, rebuilt in the nineteenth century. On clear days the snowy peaks of the High Atlas appear behind the pavilion, reflected in the water, and this view has become one of the classic images of Marrakech. The Menara shows very clearly how a garden here could be both productive and beautiful: the basin stored irrigation water for the trees while also creating a place for rest and contemplation.
Majorelle Garden
The Majorelle Garden is the most famous modern garden in the city. It was created from 1923 by the French painter Jacques Majorelle, who settled in Marrakech and spent decades collecting plants from around the world. He built a studio painted in an intense cobalt blue that is now widely known as Majorelle blue, and he surrounded it with cacti, palms, bamboo, water lilies and bougainvillea. The garden was later opened to the public. In 1980 the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner acquired and restored it, saving it from redevelopment. Today it is a reference point for anyone interested in twentieth century garden design, colour and botanical collecting in a dry climate.
The Secret Garden of the medina
Inside the old town, a historic palace complex with two courtyard gardens was carefully restored and reopened in 2016. One garden follows the traditional Islamic four-part layout with paths, fountains and fruit trees, while the other presents plants from many regions of the world. The restoration also revealed and repaired the old water system that once supplied the palace. This garden is a valuable example of the enclosed garden tradition described on our garden design page.
Cyber Park
Close to the Koutoubia mosque, the Cyber Park occupies an old royal orchard dating from the eighteenth century. It was renovated in 2005 and transformed into a public park with wide paths, fountains and many mature olive and orange trees. Its unusual name comes from the internet terminals installed during the renovation. It is a good place to observe how traditional orchard planting can be adapted into a modern city park.
Gardens beyond the city
The countryside around Marrakech also contains several gardens created in recent decades by artists and plant collectors, often in the direction of the Ourika valley and the Atlas foothills. Many combine sculpture, water features and a broad range of drought tolerant plants. Their designs show how the ideas of the historic orchards continue to inspire new projects.