11 GREAT THINGS TO DO IN GUELIZ, MARRAKECH’s NEW TOWN.
When most people think of Marrakech, they picture the medina. The souks, the riads, the narrow alleyways, and the chaos of Jemaa el-Fnaa.
But there is another side to the city that feels completely different. Gueliz, Marrakech’s modern district, is calmer, greener, and far more familiar to European travellers.
If the medina is intense, Gueliz is where you go to breathe. It’s a chance to reset, as well as see a different side to Marrakech that many tourists miss.
Why visit Gueliz?
Gueliz is the newer part of Marrakech, built during the French protectorate in the early 20th century. It sits just outside the medina walls and feels more like a European city than North Africa. We’ve visited many European cities and it reminded us a little of Tirana, the capital of Albania.
Think wide boulevards, proper pavements, cafés with outdoor seating, international restaurants, boutiques, galleries, and modern apartment buildings.
The pace of life here is slower, the streets are easier to navigate, and everything just felt a little more familiar to us. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the medina in Marrakech, but after a few days we were ready to see something different. And in Gueliz, there’s not a brightly coloured pashmina or leather slipper in sight.
Without wishing to sound like an alcohol hound, it is also the best area of Marrakech if you want a European-style long lunch with a glass of wine. Many restaurants in Gueliz are licensed, which is not the case in much of the medina.
An alternative way to see Gueliz
If you’re short on time, or you’d rather do something a little different – you can take an e-bike tour which starts in the medina and visits Gueliz and other areas of Marrakech, including Menara Gardens.
11 best things to do in Gueliz
Here are our 11 top things to do in Gueliz.
1/ Explore the coffee culture
Gueliz has the best coffee scene in Marrakech. Proper flat whites, oat milk, pastries, and places where people sit with laptops and books. Personally, I’d skip the queue for Bacha Coffee in the Medina and head here instead.
A few places that caught our eye were Palmetto Coffee (grab the beanbags at the front), 101 Caffe and for patisserie Maison Amaj.
2/ Visit concept stores
The shopping experience in Gueliz is a little different to the Medina and can feel like a welcome break. Expect to find lovely concept stores like Lalla, alongside artisan perfumers, beautiful patisseries like Patisserie Al Jawda and even a chocolate shop (Jeff de Bruges).
3/ Head to Booklore
Booklore is a delightful book store, ideal if you want to buy something to read in either English or French. It’s a beautifully curated space to browse.
4/ Visit a gallery or two
Gueliz is known for having art galleries. There are smaller ones like Galerie Tindouf and Loft. And more formal (pay to enter) galleries like Musée Macma.
Rather than plan, we just walked around Gueliz until we found an inviting space. We even came across a lovely pop-up gallery space.
5/ See street art
Like any modern town worth it’s salt, you can find various flashes of street art around Gueliz. Spotting them is always one of my favourite things to do in a new place.
6/ Enjoy a long lunch
If you’re on vacation in Marrakech, I can think of little else that would be suitable for a day off than to linger over a long lunch in one of Gueliz’s fantastic restaurants.
Le Loft is a French restaurant which offers a menu of the day option, Farmers Marrakech focuses on local ingredients, Plus 61 is a modern eatery, and then there are some fantastic Italian restaurants like La Trattoria (quite fancy) and Mamma Mia (fairly casual pizzeria).
Most of these restaurants have a licence, so you can enjoy a wine or cocktail if you choose to.
7/ Or a quick bite
If you prefer something a little more casual but want a break from Moroccan food, there are many popular international food options. Check out Gon’s (Korean chicken) or Mimi Cosy (African food).
If you visit on a Thursday morning, you might find the local farmers market which takes place at 10:00 on Rue Mohammed el Beqal.
8/ Play Petanque
At Pétanque Social Club, you can drink, eat, and play pétanque in a relaxed social setting. It is a fun, unexpected thing to do and a great way to spend an evening.
Cocktail prices are a little high, but if you have a nice sunny day, I can’t think of many better places to hang out. The garden is nicely shaded and surprisingly when we visited there was no queue to play pétanque.
9/ Support Amal Non Profit
Amal Non Profit is all about “nourishing hope through the magic of food.” They have a programme dedicated to teaching women to become chefs and get into the workforce.
This is run alongside a restaurant and cooking classes. The restaurant is in Gueliz (here) or you can book a cooking class which takes place in Targa (10 minutes in a cab from Gueliz).
10/ Explore around Gueliz Plaza
Gueliz Plaza and the surrounding streets are good for casual shopping (there’s a Zara for example), people watching, and wandering. It’s not the prettiest spot in the world, but we quite liked sitting on the square for a bit to see the world go by.
11/ Visit Majorelle Gardens
Majorelle Gardens sits right on the edge of Gueliz and is one of the area’s biggest attractions.
It is famous for its bold blue walls, tropical plants, and Yves Saint Laurent connection. Very beautiful, very busy, and best visited early in the day.
You can find our full guide to Majorelle Gardens here.
Where to stay in Gueliz
Gueliz can be an excellent area to base yourself for a few days, or a longer stay in Marrakech. Here are a few ideas of where to stay:
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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Reading material for your trip
Here are a few great books for your Morocco adventures:
CLASSIC TRAVEL GUIDE:Lonely Planet – Morocco
ESCAPASIM: Night Train to Marrakech by
Dinah Jefferies
SET IN MOROCCO: Secret Son by Laila Lalami
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