Le Jardin Secret

What it is

Le Jardin Secret is an old medina palace, on Rue Mouassine, with two restored gardens inside its walls. After years in ruins, it was recovered and opened to the public as a garden: today it is one of the few green, quiet spots inside the medina, a few minutes from the souks.

It has two different gardens:

• The Islamic garden, the large one: a courtyard divided in four by paths and water channels, following the traditional riad garden model.
• The exotic garden, smaller, with plants brought from other parts of the world.

Around the gardens are the palace's pavilions and a tower from which you see the medina above the rooftops.

Hours

Open every day. The hours change with the season:

• January to March: from 9:30 to 18:30.
• April to September: from 9:30 to 19:30.
• October: from 9:30 to 18:00.
• November and December: from 9:30 to 17:30.

Last entry is half an hour before closing. During Ramadan and religious festivals the hours change: on the festival at the end of Ramadan it opens from 14:30 to 18:30. Check the website before going on those dates.

Tickets and price

• Garden: 100 DH. Reduced rate of 80 DH up to age 24 and for groups of 15 or more; 50 DH for Moroccan citizens. Free for under-12s.
• Tower: 40 DH extra; 30 DH reduced. Under-6s cannot go up.

Reductions require ID. The garden ticket includes access to its two cafés, the Café Sahrij and the Café Menzeh, which serve tea, juices, sandwiches and homemade cakes. Allow about 45 minutes, more if you sit down for a drink.

For groups there are guided visits with booking.

Getting there

It is at number 121 Rue Mouassine, in the heart of the medina, about 10 minutes' walk from Jemaa el-Fna through the souks. It is a good break between the medina souks and the Ben Youssef madrasa, which lies to the north. There are no cars in the medina: arrive on foot.

When to go

Mid-morning or at midday, when the souks overwhelm: it is when shade and water are most appreciated. First thing, at opening, it is emptier. In summer, the tower at midday gets a lot of sun.

With children

It is a stop designed for catching your breath: shade, water, benches and a café where children can eat something. Under-12s enter the garden free. The tower has stairs and under-6s are not allowed. With a pushchair you can tour the gardens.

Nearby

For lunch, in the same area, Café des Épices, with a terrace over the spice square, and Nomad, with a rooftop. For sleeping in the medina, El Fenn or, on a small budget, Equity Point Marrakech.