MOROCCO


FOR SALE €837,100


The three- bedroom Dana villa at the Ritz- Carlton Marrakech comes with a private pool and a large open-plan living area that opens out to the terrace, with views of the Atlas mountains. Knight Frank (020–7629 8171)


Tiny storefronts—some no larger than a downstairs loo—house goods piled to the ceiling, including silver ice buckets rescued from the refurbish- ment of the La Mamounia hotel, a favourite with Churchill and once a byword for Marrakech-chic, and still bearing their insignia. Baskets spill out on the (surprisingly clean) streets packed with leather slippers in rain- bow colours for tiny feet. Bags and tassels dangle in all directions. For anyone who has experienced


the chaos of Old Delhi and expecting an African version thereof, the Medina is a much calmer cousin. The atmos- pheric houses or riads are hidden behind nondescript wooden doors and are built looking over private courtyards and often come with rooftop plunge pools to make the most of the views. However, it’s not a life for the faint-hearted. ‘You have to do your shopping in the Carrefour outside the Medina and then park and walk to the house,’ comments one local expatriate. Life is considerably easier (and quieter)


if you opt to buy in one of the deve- loping estates outside the city centre. Thus far, the best known are those on the Palmeraie to the north of Marra- kech, an area of fruit orchards and golf courses with a smattering of hotels. Amy Redfern of Aylesford International says she’s witnessed renewed interest in the past six months from the semi- retired/retired community, who are realising their dreams by releasing funds from pension pots and invest- ing them in Marrakech. ‘It’s an attractive option, offering


buyers a pleasant climate in which the sun routinely shines for 10 hours


44 Country Life International, Summer 2015 www.countrylife.co.uk/international


a day and family can easily visit from the UK,’ she exlains. She’s marketing Villa Liaca in the Palmeraie, which has an established rental business, for £1.475 million. A new wave of villa development is


now taking place to the south of the city, on the Amizmiz road where the foothills of the Atlas begin to rise. This is the location of the new Ritz- Carlton Residences at the Jnan Amar polo club, which are being launched by Knight Frank (www.rcr-marrakech.com). ‘It’s an excellent location,’ says Brett


Gregory-Peake of marketing agency Adoreum, a Marrakech fan who also owns a riad in the centre of the Medina. ‘You’re out in the countryside, but only a short ride from all the action, you’re the right side of the city for the airport and you’ve got the likes of the Beldi Country Club—something of a social hub for the Marrakech expatri-


NEED TO KNOW


Where to stay The Capaldi hotel (www.thecapaldi.com) sits in the foothills of the Atlas, a good half- hour from the centre of Marrakech. Alternatively, El Fenn (http:// el-fenn.com) for a riad experience


Where to shop Mustafa Blaoui’s shop—behind a wooden door with no sign—on Bab Doukkala is the closest thing to the cliché of an Aladdin’s Cave in the city, but don’t let that put you off


Where to swim The Beldi Country Club (http://beldicountryclub.com) has a nice poolside restaurant


Where to enjoy a hammam Les Bains de Marrakech (www. lesbainsdemarrakech.com)


FOR SALE £1.475m


The main house at Villa Liaca has five bedrooms and there is also a two-bedroom cottage in the grounds with its own pool. A new owner could take on a strong rental business. Aylesford International (020–7349 9772)


ate crowd—just up the road.’ Once completed, there will be 85 residences and an 80-suite hotel overlooking two polo pitches. Starting prices for a three-bedroom


house, which comes with a pool, is €650,000 rising to €2 million for a five- bedroom villa directly overlooking the polo field. ‘The idea is that you’ll be able to wake up in the morning and make yourself a coffee and wander out onto the terrace to watch guys practising a bit of stick and ball,’ explains Nick Young of Knight Frank. ‘But it’s not all just about polo,’


adds Brett. ‘From here, you can drive to the beach at Essouaira in two hours on good roads or there’s skiing in the mountains and, nearer to the residences, you’ve got water sports and golf.’


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