Rentals are available from Action Sports Loisirs ( Click here ) and Marrakesh Motos Offline map
Google map ( 0524 44 83 59, 061 316413; 31 Ave Mohammed Abdelkrim el-Khattabi;
scooter & 125cc rental from Dh300 per day; 9am-8pm) , located about 2km out of the town
centre on the Casablanca road just beyond the Goodyear garage.
If you do rent a car or motorcycle, there are public parking lots near the Koutoubia Mosque
and just south of Pl de Foucauld on Ave el-Mouahidine; expect to pay Dh20/40 during the
day/24 hours. If you find street parking, a guardian will expect a Dh10 tip for keeping an eye on
your car; look for the guy in the blue coat, and pay your tip afterwards.
Taxi
The creamy-beige petits taxis around town charge Dh8 to Dh20 per journey, with a Dh10
surcharge at night. They’re all supposed to use their meters, but you may need to insist,
especially coming from the airport – but if the meter is mysteriously broken, just know that no
trip within town should cost more than Dh20 by day, or Dh30 at night. If your party numbers
more than three you must take a grand taxi, which requires negotiation.
EAST OF MARRAKESH
After a few especially hot days, Marrakesh can leave you feeling as cooked as a kebab left on
a Djemaa el-Fna grill. For a dramatic, restorative change of scenery, head for Berber villages
tucked into the striped hills of Aït Bougomez Valley, or the rainbow-raising waterfalls of
Cascades d’Ouzoud.
Demnate
Who knew that an authentic immersion experience in Berber culture and cuisine could be found
less than 1½ hours from Marrakesh? A cultural hub for centuries, Demnate is often overlooked
by bus-tour hordes rushing to the Cascades d’Ouzoud – conveniently leaving intrepid travellers
room to see, hear and taste Demnate’s rich Berber culture.
The once-grand Glaoui kasbah and mudbrick ramparts have been left to crumble, yet
Demnate’s fascinating interfaith heritage has survived. At the heart of town is a mellah , with an
entry about 150m on the right after the town’s main gate. Hundreds of Jewish families from
Morocco, France, Israel, Canada and the United States arrive each July for the Jewish
moussem (festival), a weeklong mystical event said to offer miracle cures. Demnate also has
two zawiyas , making the annual Hamdouchi Moussem in September twice as raucous. Each
zawiya dances to a different rhythm in an all-day music festival in the town centre before going
their separate ways in three-hour parades to the zawiyas . Sometimes the moussem peaks in
blood purification, with dancers cutting themselves on the scalp in dramatic acts of ritual
cleansing.
The 100-year-old olive groves dotting hillsides around Demnate produce Morocco’s best olive
oil, with trace mineral salts, a golden colour, and subtle woodsy flavours that compare
favourably to prized Tuscan oils. Almonds are another renowned local product, and the
flowering of the local orchards makes March a lovely time to visit. Meals at Restaurant Al
Jazira, Kasbah Illy and Kasbah Timdaf are prime opportunities to sample Demnati olive oil and
almonds.