Majorelle Garden, Marrakech (must see)

When you visit the Museum of Islamic Art, you will first go through Majorelle Gardens and it is a good place to linger for a while.

Jacques Majorelle was a French artist, specializing in Art Nouveau paintings. He lived in Morocco for many years in his lovely house in Marrakech, where he laid out the gardens and opened them to the public in 1947.

The beautiful botanical gardens cover 12 acres with the house, which is painted in bold Cobalt called Bleu Majorelle. Most of the stonework in the gardens is in the same color, with jardinières painted in bright yellow, orange and green.

The gardens are home to over 15 different species of native birds, and goldfish, turtles and frogs abound in the ponds. You can follow the shady paths and admire the fountains, or relax on one of the many benches. There is a wonderful bamboo plantation, olive and banana trees, palms and bougainvilleas that add a slash of bright red and pink.

The gardens are an oasis of calm, but likely to be full of visitors, especially during the afternoon. There is a very good café serving mint tea and coffee and a shop where you can buy souvenirs and prints of Majorelle’s work.

After the artist’s death, the gardens became rather overgrown and abandoned-looking. The land was bought in 1980 by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who restored the gardens to their former splendor. Yves Saint Laurent’s ashes were scattered here and there is a small memorial to him. The gardens are now managed by the YSL Foundation.

Why You Should Visit:
Blue is the main color here and it goes beautifully with the different plants and garden settings. Even with some crowds, you can still manage to take a few good pictures.
The YSL memorial, the Berber Museum, the water features, the bookstore, and the café are all fabulous.

Tip:
Buy a combination ticket at the YSL museum about 100 yards down the road. You can skip the line!