Le Jardin des Douars is the normal Moroccan kasbah stylishly reimagined, sitting excessive above Essaouira on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Purpose constructed, lower than 20 years in the past, to supply twenty first century indulgent luxurious, Le Jardin des Douars, remembers the structure of a sun-baked-mud kasbah.
And the title? In Arabic a douar is a small village, generally of only one or two homes. On this hill-top, douarais, terracotta homes, are dotted via the verdant gardens. Externally, Le Jardin des Douars pays tribute to the light-terracotta structure of Morocco’s inland fortifications, while the interiors run via Morocco’s trendy design ebook.
This lodge of 19 rooms, 6 suites and 6 villas gives a tranquil retreat. Tall palms and needle-thin cypresses give shelter from the Atlantic’s commerce winds.
In summer time, these winds spare Essaouira from Morocco’s boiling temperatures. “We have two seasons,” confides Abdul our information. “Windy and non-windy.” From September via to April, it’s non-windy making Essaouira a 320-days-of-sunshine-a-year vacation spot.
The welcome
A driver is ready for us, after we have now rapidly cleared formalities at Essaouira’s tiny airport. Quiet, virtually empty rural roads take us to Le Jardin’s lantern-lit drive inside quarter-hour. After check-in the receptionist leads us via the gardens to our room.
The room
Named after honoured leaders in Ottoman occasions, our Pasha room is one in all 4 set in a secluded home within the gardens. In the morning, solar graces the rear backyard of sun-loungers, desk and chairs. By mid-afternoon the solar warms the entrance alcove’s sheltered outside sofas. Discrete air-conditioning / heating is on the market if required.
A hearth with bellows, brush and logs is extra decorative than crucial, taking its place amongst the desert-sand-coloured partitions. On two sides tall fortress skinny home windows, one framed with bougainvillea, infuse mild. On a 3rd wall a glass door opens out onto the patio. Sultan-size, the mattress is past massive. Obscured by the mattress a desk runs behind, simply in case you need to work. No tv or radio however will-fi is powerful over a lot of the positioning’s two acres. Furniture is darkish and distressed, concurrently archaic but sumptuously match for a Sultan. A big cupboard homes the coffeemaker, kettle, fridge and minibar. For bigger teams, Le Jardin has six villas with non-public swimming pools, some internet hosting as much as 14 individuals. Housekeepers present day by day companies together with preparation of meals.
The toilet
Larger than some lodge bedrooms, the toilet includes a separate bathe, his and hers basins, plus an indulgent sunken bathtub. With wardrobe and drawers positioned within the toilet, it additionally serves as a dressing room.
Eco-friendly toiletries in glass phials are topped up day by day by housekeeping. Berber-style hooded bathtub robes await, good for drying off after a swimming pool dip.
Facilities
Entering the restaurant is like strolling via the courtyards, pillars and swimming pools of Granada’s Alhambra.
Guests graze from the breakfast buffet while looking over the argan tree dotted valley of the Oued Ksob. Waiters rapidly be taught friends’ preferences for espresso and tea. Eggs, crepes and French toast are cooked to order.
Lunch might be taken on the restaurant or from the finger-food menu by the swimming pool. Light and citron-tangy, the catch-of-the-day fish ceviche is a spotlight. Come night, menus are impressed by each Moroccan and French delicacies.
A 3-course menu of the day makes probably the most of native seasonal produce, maybe a zucchini soup, adopted by a lamb and fruit tagine, with a fruit crumble to complete.
As effectively as offering a spread of enjoyable massages, the spa includes a darkish cave of a hamman recalling the Ottoman’s love of deep cleaning rituals.
A black-soap wash precedes a pores and skin exfoliating scrub.
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Location
South of Casablanca, north of Agadir and west of Marrakech, many friends drop into Le Jardin for just a few days of restorative relaxation and pampering on their grand Moroccan tour. Guests can ebook shuttles to Essaouira: quarter-hour to the seashore, 18 minutes to the harbour and medina.
Designed by a French architect, the ethereal alleys are Champs-Elysse straight moderately than Marrakech-labyrinthine. To escape into the hills, the lodge provides strolling eco-tours and quad biking. Nor is it far to one in all Morocco’s most interesting golf programs, 18 holes designed by Gary Player, hugging a spectacular shoreline.
On the fringes of the Medina, L’Atelier, a former almond warehouse, provides a cookery course the place friends cook dinner their very own lunch – maybe a tajine or pastilla.
Whilst lunch simmers, the culinary pupils go to spice service provider Mohammed to find out how Moroccans supply and use spices.
Essaouira’s extensive, wind-swept seashore is a spot for camel or horse rides, kitesurfing and browsing.
Other good touches
Late afternoon, by the pool, waiters convey spherical complimentary mint tea and cake.
By the poolside bar, friends will help themselves to straw solar hats. On Friday evenings there’s reside leisure across the restaurant and its terrace. Children had been thrilled by the go to of Youssef the magician.
Spread over two acres, Le Jardin caters for each households and adults. Down a few terraces, a household pool is out of earshot of adults enjoyable by their very own jade zellige-tiled pool.
Al fresco tables on the expansive restaurant terrace swimsuit households for lunch and dinner. While there’s a small and intimate adults-only restaurant for {couples}.
The value
Bed and breakfast is priced from round £140 per room. Villas start from £530 per villa per evening.
The closing verdict
“No news, no blues, no formal shoes” runs the lodge’s credo. Surrounded by vibrant gardens of bougainvillea, cypresses, daisies, ferns, palms and plumbago there’s a relaxed oasis really feel to Le Jardin des Douars.
Yet, it’s a misleading calm, for some friends Le Jardin is the peaceable base for adrenaline fuelled actions as they horse-ride, quadbike or kitesurf.
Disclosure: Our keep was sponsored by Le Jardin des Douars.