FARMSTAYHOTELThe next couple of houses are named for their excellent mosaics: the House of the Labours
of Hercules Offline map and the House of the Nymphs Bathing Offline map . The former is
almost a circular comic strip, recounting the Twelve Labours. Several of Hercules’ heroic feats
were reputed to have occurred in Morocco, making him a popular figure at the time.
The best mosaics are saved until last. Cross the Decumanus Maximus and head for the lone
cypress tree, which marks the House of Venus Offline map . There are two particularly fine
mosaics here, appropriately with semi-romantic themes. The first is the Abduction of Hylas by
the Nymphs , an erotic composition showing Hercules’ lover Hylas being lured away from his
duty by two beautiful nymphs. The second mosaic is Diana Bathing . The goddess was
glimpsed in her bath by the hunter Acteon, whom she turned into a stag as punishment. Acteon
can be seen sprouting horns, about to be chased by his own pack of hounds – the fate of
mythical peeping toms everywhere. A third mosaic from this house, of Venus in the waves ,
can be seen in the Kasbah Museum in Tangier ( Click here ).
Sleeping & Eating
Walila €
( 0662 52 81 05; www.walila.com; Oualili; half board Dh450; ) A farmstay is
something of a novelty in Morocco, but this place comfortably breaks new ground. There are
just a handful of pleasant but simple rooms, but the real attractions are the wonderful
surroundings: an organic farm with its own orchard, vegetables and animals. You can get your
hands dirty helping out, ride horses into the hills and tuck into the home-grown food at
dinnertime (cooking lessons are another option).
Volubilis Inn €€€
( 0535 54 44 05; [email protected]; Rte de Meknès; s/d from Dh856/996;
) On a rise above the Roman site, this is a huge four-star hotel, with rooms all having views to
the Volubilis ruins and countryside. There are several terraces with a couple of restaurants
(mains from Dh70) and a noisy bar – the common parts are quite grand although rooms lapse
into ‘airport hotel’ mood at times, and the atmosphere can be lacking.
Getting There & Away
The simplest and quickest way to get here from Meknès is to hire a grand taxi for the return
trip. A half-day outing should cost Dh350, with a couple of hours at the site and a stop at
Moulay Idriss (worth an overnight stay in itself).
A cheaper alternative is to take a shared grand taxi from near Meknès’ Institut Français to
Moulay Idriss (Dh10) and then hire a grand taxi to take you to Volubilis (Dh40 complete hire). If
the weather isn’t too hot, it’s a lovely 45-minute walk between Moulay Idriss and Volubilis.
There are no buses to Volubilis.MOULAY IDRISS
The picturesque whitewashed town of Moulay Idriss sits astride two green hills in a cradle of
mountains slightly less than 5km from Volubilis, and is one of the country’s most important
pilgrimage sites. It’s named for Moulay Idriss, a great-grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, the
founder of the country’s first real dynasty, and Morocco’s most revered saint. His tomb is at the