Riads, Rooftops and a Desert Dinner

By Ava Laurent · Marrakech, Morocco · 2025-11-18

The riad first, because it sets the tone: a quiet tiled courtyard, an orange tree, and mint tea every time you walk through the door.

Breakfast on the rooftop: msemen, honey, and the Atlas mountains on the horizon if the morning is clear.

Jemaa el-Fnaa turns into an open-air kitchen at dusk. I joined Youssef's souk walk, best decision of the trip.

The souks with a local guide are a completely different place. Youssef knew every shopkeeper's grandfather.

The spice square, Rahba Kedima. I left with saffron, ras el hanout, and no regrets.

Le Jardin Secret, hidden in the medina, the calmest hour of the trip.

Bahia Palace: look up. Every ceiling is painted cedar.

The rooftop cafés above the medina at sunset, when the call to prayer echoes across the city.

My first proper hammam. Black soap, a scrub that took off a layer of LA, and the best sleep of my life.

Jardin Majorelle at opening. The blue is real.

Then the Agafay desert, forty minutes away. Not sand dunes, a stone desert, and the Atlas mountains glowing behind.

A short camel ride at sunset. Camels: not comfortable, very photogenic.

The desert dinner: lanterns, rugs, tagine, and a long table under the sky. Easily one of the most beautiful nights of the year.

After dinner, drums around the fire until midnight.

Sunrise from the tent. Marrakech, you were a lot. I loved every second.