Why I Love the Marrakesh Palm Grove

Located just seven miles from Marrakech’s city centre, the Palm Grove area, or La Palmeraie de Marrakech is a purpose-built holiday venue, which specialises in hotel-centred vacations. It is a wonderful resort that is just a three hour car journey from the golden beaches of Essaouira. La Palmeraie, as its name suggests, is covered in thousands of palm trees, giving the resort its oasis-like quality under the Moroccan sun. I first visited the area several years ago and was immediately captivated by it, so much in fact that I’ve been back there on a regular basis ever since.

Originally a well-kept secret, known only by French holidaymakers, the Palm Grove area of Marrakesh has gradually become well-known worldwide. A visit there will tell you why, at anytime of the year. Whether your idea of fun is trekking through the palm trees by camel, playing golf on a par-72 course, or just relaxing by a luxury pool, La Palmeraie has something for everyone to enjoy.

The resort’s hotels are predominantly four or five-star and tend to be laid out in extensive gardens. They offer a wide range of sports and leisure facilities, such as tennis courts, gyms and sophisticated, tranquil spas. There are some impressive hotel complexes to choose from, the largest of which is set in an eleven-hectare estate. The hotels tend to be traditionally themed, a fact that further enhances the feel of Moroccan opulence which abounds in the resort.

Many tourists particularly enjoy staying in a luxurious Marrakesh riad in La Palmeraie. A riad, a traditional palace or grand-house, is a thing of wonder that harks back in time to Marrakech’s past. Riad is the Arabian for garden and the first buildings of this type date back to the 11th century, just after the Moorish conquest of Spain. Linked originally to the Islamic concern for the privacy of the females of a family, riads are inward-facing buildings, designed both for privacy and also for protection from the heat of the North African sun.

Each riad’s centrepiece is an inner garden, or atrium, dominated by four orange, or lemon trees, which the house’s rooms open on to. La Palmeraie is just the place to experience staying in a luxury riad hotel. Here you will experience a timeless sense of splendour and tranquillity, with every possible modern convenience to hand.

Not that staying in La Palmeraie is all about inner space, or purely hotel-based holidays. The area is but a short journey from the old city and its souks, at the heart of Marrakech, which is one of the busiest cities in North Africa. A range of family-themed entertainments, shopping centres and other attractions are also situated within easy travelling distance from the resort.

In conclusion, the Marrakesh Palm Grove has everything to offer. A beautiful location, luxurious hotels and wonderful facilities mean that your holiday there will be relaxing, inspiring and memorable. This is why I love the Marrakesh Palm Grove area so much.