Marrakech, imperial city, is the famous Jemaa el-Fna square, its souks, its riads, its palaces, its lush gardens and its large palm grove.
It is also the pleasure of getting lost in the narrow streets of the medina, discovering its colors, its smells of spices and orange blossoms, and meeting the Marrakchis, its friendly inhabitants. Located in the center of Morocco, the city is increasingly focusing on luxury with numerous 5-star hotels that attract international stars like Madonna, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Victoria Beckham…
Very lively and festive, the red city is by far the most visited in Morocco. “It is our first destination, the city where there is the greatest tourist offer, a bit like Paris for France or New York for the United States,” confirms Siham Fettouhi, director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office for North America. In 2023, 14.5 million tourists visited Morocco, a record year – although we can add a little nuance to these figures, because 51% of arrivals come from Moroccans who reside abroad and visit their family .
That said, Morocco is a destination that is still little-known to Quebecers. “We want to develop the North American market. We still have work to do on destination awareness and air connections. It is a safe country. There is Marrakech, but also Tangier, Fez, Meknes, Rabat, Essaouira. There is sunshine all year round, beautiful landscapes, incredible culture and gastronomy,” says Siham Fettouhi.
The cold season is an ideal time to discover the city. Thanks to its semi-desert climate, winters are very mild in Marrakech, with cool nights (10 degrees), but be careful, it can be very hot in summer, around 40 degrees Celsius!
Visit the Visit Morocco website
Getting to Marrakech
Royal Air Maroc offers the Montreal-Casablanca flight (nearly three hours drive from Marrakech). Starting June 12, Air Transat will offer a Montreal-Marrakech flight.