Most riads and hotels stay open for the Christmas and New Year season, and some of these have interesting special offers for their remaining rooms – you can read more about there in our recent article on special offers here. Remember that most of these special offers have been negotiated by Morocco Gateway and are therefore only available through ourselves.

For those people who want to get away but for peace and quiet, there are a number of riads and hotels on the outskirts of Marrakesh such as La Palmeraie area, which are always popular over the Festive season. We have listed these in a selection called “Marrakesh Borders” here.

Almost of interest may be our list of clubs and restaurants in Marrakesh here.

For family trips in Marrakesh and across Morocco, have a look at our selection of family-friendly riads and hotels here, and for multi-family parties, you may also want to look at a choice of riads and hotels that cater for large parties by clicking here.

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We have also written about a number of family activities in Marrakech and other places across Morocco that you may wish to view and be inspired by! Examples of these are Riad Attajmil’s new working farm (which can also accomodate – great as a combination with a stay in Marrakesh, Fez oe Essaouira). Also, for people staying in Marrakesh is the Oasiria Water park, which you can read more about here.

We also have some useful articles written for us by the experts on the main site about Mountain Biking and white-water-rafting.

All of the hotels that we have selected for Morocco Gateway can provide guests with good tips and advice for families staying in Morocco. For multi-family parties, you may also want to look at a choice of riads and htoels that cater for large parties by clicking here.

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Morocco’s Barbary Macaque measures somewhere between 38 and 76 cm in length and has a mass between 5 to 13 kg. They are tailless macaques and their front limbs are longer than the hind limbs. The fur of the Barbary Macaque is yellow-brown to grayish with paler undersides. Their faces are a dark pink color. In general, they are recorded to live for approximately 22 years.

So where will you find Barbary Macaques in Morocco? They are typically found at elevations between 1 600 and 2 100 m or higher, in the Atlas Mountains. They prefer forests consisting of oak, cedar and pine trees. Their waking hours, which are during the day, are spent both in the trees and on the ground. They are an herbivorous species and thus feed on fruit, leaves and roots, but are also known to nibble on insects.

Image by Jan Hoogendoorn

Barbary Macaques are gregarious and live in troops of between 10 to 30 monkeys. It is a matriarchal system, which means that the head female leads the group. However the troop is generally a blend of males and females. The lead female is determined through family lineage and the entire troop hierarchy is also run according to lineage. Barbary’s are unique amongst the macaques in that the males play a vital role in rearing and caring for offspring. They participate in grooming and playing with the young monkeys and thus form close social bonds. They have even been noted to have favorite youngsters with whom they spend more time. It appears the females prefer to select males which show greater parental ability and willingness.

Mating season for the Barbary Macaques is between November and March. Following conception, the gestation period lasts 196 days. The female will give birth to a single offspring. These young monkeys will only reach maturity at around 3 to 4 years of age.

Sadly, the Barbary Macaque is under threat due to habitat loss and ignorance. The IUCN Red List has added the species to the “Vulnerable” list.

The Barbary Macaque can be seen in the OUzoud valley, a day trip from any riad and hotel in Marrakesh and from any hotel in the Atlas Mountain area.

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On the ground floor you can find clothes, objects in beaten copper, arms and Berber jewellery.

Splendours from the past? Not at all, for many of the objects on display are still used and worn in mountain areas of Morocco.

The first floor salon impresses with its Hispano-Moorish decoration and elegant furniture in cedar wood.

The other rooms are filled with an abundance of carpets such as those originating from the Sahara region, characterised by the use of leather, and large, simple mats evoking the dry beauty of the semi-desert.

A remarkable collection of door and window frames is to be found around the courtyard, all encrusted with delicate and refined ornamentation.

And once back in the streets of Marrakesh, one can often better appreciate that the City’s inhabitants know how to keep the traditions of their culture alive.

The DAR SI SAID MUSEUM is located within a short distance of many of the riads and hotels of Marrakesh listed here.

A more recently added 300m heated pool tucked away from the rest of the park  in a beautiful secluded garden with its own restaurant is the perfect place for any sun worshippers to spend the day soaking up some rays.

In another area of the park, children, they will be thrilled to climb aboard the pirate ship and sail the Marrakesh seas. Then they can ride the artificial waves as they crash down onto the Marrakesh beach the Park has created, and like all good beaches you can have a game of volleyball or football.

As water slides, the Park offers  the Anaconda, the Boa and the Cobra. For the bravest visitors, there is the 17m high Kamikaze slide.

When your energy starts to fade you can take a dinghy and lie back and be carried along by the lazy river.

The Park also provides a choice of 5 different restaurants and snack bars so you will never go hungry. Each restaurant menu offers a variety of choice from snacks and pizzas to a full sit down multi-course lunch.

After lunch, you can take a stroll through the 10 hectares of shady gardens.

Oasiria is easy to get to as the park provides its own bus shuttle service to and from town. Click here for a timetable.

For a full day at Oasiria in the summer season that runs from The 27th of March to the 31st of August you can expect to pay 180dhs (€12-14) adult and 100dhs per child (€6-8) whilst children under 80cm go free. For just an afternoon its 140dhs per adult and 80dhs per child, and again children under 80cm go free.

The Oasiria Water Park is a short distance by taxi from any of the hotels and Riads of Marrakech listed here.

The owner of Dar Attajmil, Lucrezia Mutti tells us more about the Farm and what it offers it guests:

“Working with families of the area, we cultivate and process our products using local materials and traditional techniques” under the caring eye of Argan Abouch, a hundred year old argan tree to whom locals are devoted. We welcome guests to visit us and enjoy a healthy way of life that can only be found in rural Morocco.”

“During their stay, guests can enjoy privacy, a tranquil setting, traditional rustic meals and also easy walking treks through the surrounding area, donkey trails and other farm activities. Breath-taking sand beaches and the lovely beachside town of Essaouira are close by. We also offer massage and yoga classes at the farm, and for those who appreciate culinary arts a cooking experience is available, introducing guests to some of the most typical and authentic Berber dishes.”

The Farm of Lalla Abouch grows a variety of herbs, vegetables, and grains including barley and wheat for our breads and couscous. They also raise poultry, rabbits, and goats for milk and goat cheese – all organic.
They also produce their own organic olive oil and argan oil for both culinary and cosmetic purposes. 

Guests are welcome to share in any moment of the farmer’s life, from barley harvest in May and olive oil extraction at the old mill in October, to caring for the goats and cultivating the orchards and gardens all year round. If preferred, guest can just rest in a hammock, have a dip in the pool, or go on a walk with the farm’s dogs.

To get in contact with Lucrezia directly and to learn more about staying at the Farm, visit our Dar Attajmil profile.

Generally, Morocco is very welcoming of children and a child friendly country to visit. Depending on your destination and the age of your children, there are a range of activities for all the family to enjoy.

Activities such as camel trekking are a great way of entertaining older children and teenagers, enabling them to get out and about and experience the richness of Moroccan countryside and stunning Atlas mountains.

If you have younger children, a family excursion in a jeep may be a better option, enabling the younger ones to have a sleep if the heat gets too much for them.

Visiting Marrakesh is an excellent family holiday because there’s lots to do within easy access of the central city. Oasiria Water Park is open throughout and a shuttle bus runs from the city to take you there. There is also an amusement park adjacent to the water park, with bouncy castles and other entertainment to keep the young (and young at heart) occupied.

In the Menara Gardens you can go on cycle rides, climb trees and enjoy a picnic, while at the Royal Equestrian Centre the whole family can have riding lessons and go for a pony trek.

If your children like to try new foods, you can usually ask for a smaller portion of food. In Marrakesh there are also familiar chains such as KFC and Macdonalds. You can also get pizza quite readily here.

Many of the Morocco hotels and riads that Morocco Gateway work with are family friendly, although it is always best to check before making a booking. In general, however, the noise and buzz that children create is welcome and expected in Moroccan destinations.

You can find Morocco Gateway’s family friendly riads and hotels here.

Image credits – CCA: Camel by Mr Angeloux; Marrakesh by Cafe du Monde.