Le Jardin des Douars is the standard Moroccan kasbah stylishly reimagined, sitting excessive above Essaouira on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Objective constructed, lower than 20 years in the past, to supply twenty first century indulgent luxurious, Le Jardin des Douars, recollects 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 e-book.
This lodge of 19 rooms, 6 suites and 6 villas offers 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’ve got 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 now have shortly 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 certainly one of 4 set in a secluded home within the gardens. Within 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 out there if required.
A fire with bellows, brush and logs is extra decorative than essential, 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 robust over a lot of the positioning’s two acres. Furnishings 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 personal swimming pools, some internet hosting as much as 14 individuals. Housekeepers present each day providers together with preparation of meals.
The lavatory
Bigger than some lodge bedrooms, the lavatory encompasses a separate bathe, his and hers basins, plus an indulgent sunken tub. With wardrobe and drawers situated within the lavatory, it additionally serves as a dressing room.
Eco-friendly toiletries in glass phials are topped up each day by housekeeping. Berber-style hooded tub robes await, excellent for drying off after a swimming pool dip.
Services
Getting into the restaurant is like strolling via the courtyards, pillars and swimming pools of Granada’s Alhambra.
Visitors graze from the breakfast buffet while searching over the argan tree dotted valley of the Oued Ksob. Waiters shortly be taught friends’ preferences for espresso and tea. Eggs, crepes and French toast are cooked to order.
Lunch will be taken on the restaurant or from the finger-food menu by the swimming pool. Mild 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 essentially the most of native seasonal produce, maybe a zucchini soup, adopted by a lamb and fruit tagine, with a fruit crumble to complete.
In addition to offering a variety of enjoyable massages, the spa encompasses 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 a number of days of restorative relaxation and pampering on their grand Moroccan tour. Visitors can e-book shuttles to Essaouira: quarter-hour to the seaside, 18 minutes to the harbour and medina.
Designed by a French architect, the ethereal alleys are Champs-Elysse straight fairly than Marrakech-labyrinthine. To flee into the hills, the lodge provides strolling eco-tours and quad biking. Neither is it far to certainly one of Morocco’s most interesting golf programs, 18 holes designed by Gary Participant, hugging a spectacular shoreline.
On the fringes of the Medina, L’Atelier, a former almond warehouse, provides a cookery course the place friends prepare dinner their very own lunch – maybe a tajine or pastilla.
While lunch simmers, the culinary pupils go to spice service provider Mohammed to learn the way Moroccans supply and use spices.
Essaouira’s large, wind-swept seaside is a spot for camel or horse rides, kitesurfing and browsing.
Different good touches
Late afternoon, by the pool, waiters convey spherical complimentary mint tea and cake.
By the poolside bar, friends may also help themselves to straw solar hats. On Friday evenings there may be reside leisure across the restaurant and its terrace. Kids had been thrilled by the go to of Youssef the magician.
Unfold 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. Whereas there’s a small and intimate adults-only restaurant for {couples}.
The associated fee
Mattress and breakfast is priced from round £140 per room. Villas start from £530 per villa per evening.
The ultimate verdict
“No information, no blues, no formal footwear” 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.
But, 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.
