Le Jardin Marjorelle.

The stunning botanical gardens in Marrakech.

This is the most visited attraction in Marrakech.

Inside the beautiful Majorelle Garden, there are over 300 stunning plant species from all over the world.

Mexican agave, Chinese windmill palms, African date palms, coconut, and banana trees amongst a labyrinth of pathways.

The incredibly tall bamboo and exotic Cacti species coexist together to create one of the most beautiful gardens in marrakech.

These stunning gardens were originally designed by Jean Majorelle in the 1920s.

After he was forced to abandon his home because of divorce, the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent took it over with his partner Pierre Berge to save it from hotel development in 1980.

Together, they restored it and made it their home, bringing the garden back to it’s former glory.

For many years the Jardin Majorelle has provided me with an endless source of inspiration, and I have often dreamt of its unique colours – Yves Saint Laurent

There is a memorial to Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge in the garden. 

Majorelle Garden attracts over 900,000 visitors each year, making it one of the most touristic attractions in Marrakech.

I would have loved to have sat in quiet contemplation amongst the lush green vegetation, admiring the pop of colour from the bougainvillaea, but I was never alone for too long.

It’s a busy place, and tourists queue to enter constantly throughout the day.

Despite its beauty, there are swarms of people who flock to spend time here, and it’s not particularly peaceful.

The attractive art deco pavilion with its striking colours of blue and yellow is a popular place for visitors to get their photographs taken.

Tourists queue for the perfect instagrammable shot.

There is also a cafe and shop on site.

I purchased some postcards of Yves Saint Laurents’ yearly ‘Love’ drawings.

They are a small souvenir from my visit.

The gardens open daily at 8.00am and close at 6.00pm, the last entry is at 5.30pm.

I would suggest getting there before 10.00 am, preferably at opening time if you want a more peaceful experience.

Luckily, I had prebooked online, so I didn’t have to queue.

I recommend booking online to guarantee entry.

I’m thankful that I did because the queues were already really long, and it was a very hot day for standing around without any shade.

The YSL museum is also part of the visit, along with the Pierre Berge Museum of Berber Arts.

It’s worth a look around if you are interested in the history of Amazigh culture.

Photography is not allowed inside these museums, though.

Opening times for the museum are from 9.00 am until 5.30 pm with the last entry at 5.00pm.

The price varies depending on where you purchase tickets from but you can expect to pay approximately €24 to visit everything.

There are plenty of nice restaurants outside the gardens, and I decided to get something to eat and drink in one of those instead.

It was much quieter.

I recommend My Kawa for a nice salad.

There are a few shops across the road from Majorelle Garden selling souvenirs and a few attractive boutiques.

Stuff was a bit pricey being a touristic area, but I picked up some nice jasmine oil.

Overall, Le Jardin Marjorelle was absolutely beautiful.

It is  colourful and lush with several spots to sit and take in the splendid surroundings.

However, the number of tourists detract from the calm sense of serenity you’d expect to get from such a delightful setting.

It was worth visiting to see the beautifully landscaped gardens with their wonderful trees and plants and to get some great photos.

Unless you go very early during the quiet season, though, you won’t find a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.

Le Jardin Marjorelle is located to the north west of Marrakech medina.

It can be reached by taxi from the main square, Jamaa El Fna, or is a steady 30-minute walk.