Hivernage – Menara – M Avenue

Hivernage – French for overwintering in a warm climate.

In the late 1920’s the neighbourhood of Hivernage was designed as a winter playground for French diplomats and the social elite, an exclusive quarter south of Gueliz.

Hivernage was laid out in the palm and olive groves along the road that connected the old city with the Menara Garden in the west and up to El Harti gardens in the north separating Hivernage from Gueliz; just behind the Koutoubia Mosque and with the help of the architect Antoine Marchisio, the luxurious La Mamounia hotel was built in 1929, elegantly melding Art Deco and Orientalist-Marrakeshi designs, marking the eastern boundary of Hivernage.

Hivernage, is home to grand villas, lavish hotels, chic apartments, airy tree-lined streets, gushing fountains, luxury retail shops, exclusive restaurants, cafés, and night clubs.

Menara

The Menara Gardens date back to 12th century (circa 1157); are laid out around a central water basin and reservoir, next to which is a pleasure pavilion dating in its current form from the 19th century. Capture an image of the pavilion reflecting in the reservoir with the High Atlas Mountains loaming in the background, this is an iconic symbol of Marrakesh.

M Avenue

Marrakech’s new open-air mall hosts a long list of restaurants and shops and includes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Pestana CR7 Hotel. The avenue offers a chic extension of the city centre and is largely inspired by the architecture of the ochre city. Beneath the palm trees are gardens and green spaces. M Avenue is best described as “A lifestyle destination in a mesmerizing city.”

Our Recommendations for booking this walk:

You will want to schedule between 2-4 hours for a leisurely time out and don’t forget to include a memorable lunch roof-top along M Avenue.