March 2018
Exciting bicycle tours through Marrakech
Every day I go on exciting bicycle tours with my young Moroccan friend Adnan. I would like to tell you about my three favourite tours for inspiration. Depending on desire and condition they can last anywhere between 1 to 2 hours.
Tour 1: This one leads out of the Medina, runs through the small Kotoubia garden and the famous Mamounia Hotel. Once you reach the Menara gardens, you will come across an olive grove … Rating: “Pure Nature”!
Tour 2: In the Medina, you can reach the old Kasbah district via the Jemaa el-Fnaa square and along the royal park walls towards the Agdal gardens. Here you are rewarded with a fantastic view of the Atlas Mountain. A small tip: In the mornings at Mandarin Oriental you can enjoy a wonderful hot chocolate on the peaceful hotel terrace. Then you take the tour back to where you started. Past the famous Bab Angaou gates with its storks, then a quick detour into the secret side street of Rue Boutouille where you can experience the authentic markets without any tourists … a rush of fragrances! Spread out on the floor you will find an abundance of herbs, vegetables and fruit.
Tour 3 (my absolute favourite ride): Very early in the mornings when there are no tourists on the roads, Adnan and I ride right across the Medina. The alleys are so narrow that there only enough space for a finger to the right and left between handlebar and the wall. In some areas you need to duck your head down low, especially when going through the mystically dark building complexes. You must also be careful at numerous unclear 90° corners. The key maxim: All senses in full concentration – eyes and ears open – both hands on the brakes. Rating: “Absolutely wicked”! 🙂
Speaking of cycling: I will soon be talking about the great Pikala bicycle project started by Cantal Bakker. There are so many aspects worth mentioning in this social project where the young people in Marrakech are trained to be bicycle tourist guides.