Palmeraie of Marrakech

The Palmeraie is the oasis that frames Marrakech on its northern side, a palm grove of several hundred thousand trees a few kilometers north of the Medina, according to the Marrakech-Safi Regional Tourism Council. Tradition says the first palms grew from date stones dropped by the Almoravid armies who founded the city in the eleventh century; what is certain is that the palms depend on the same ancient irrigation that feeds the Agdal and Menara, khettaras and channels carrying water from the Atlas. For centuries the grove was farmland and villages. Today it is a mix of old palm groves, traditional earth villages, luxury villas, golf courses and resort hotels, including Jnane Tamsna and La Maison Arabe's country club, and it is the city's favorite setting for gentle outdoor activities. The camel ride is the classic, an hour or so on a camel through the palms with a stop for mint tea in a village, and quad and buggy tours run along the dusty tracks. It is not the Sahara, and the landscape is flatter and more built-up than the photographs suggest, but it is an easy, enjoyable outing for families and first-timers, and the light in the late afternoon is beautiful. Palm groves around Marrakech have suffered from drought and urbanization, and a long-running replanting program has worked to protect them. Driving through is free; activities are bought from operators, often with hotel pickup, and many hotels in the Palmeraie offer them to guests. Animal welfare varies between operators, so look for camels that are well fed, rested and not overloaded, and choose quad tours with proper helmets and briefings.

Choosing an activity: for a camel ride, a one-hour sunset ride with tea is plenty for most people; longer rides become uncomfortable. Quads and buggies are noisier and more adventurous; the UK government's travel advice has highlighted safety risks in adventure activities such as quad biking, so choose established operators with helmets, insurance and a safety briefing. For something quieter, rent a bicycle or simply stay in a Palmeraie hotel and walk the lanes in the morning.

Who it suits: families with children, first-timers who want a taste of the desert without the drive to Agafay, and travelers staying in Palmeraie resorts. If you want real desert scenery, Agafay, about forty-five minutes south, offers stony desert landscapes, and Merzouga, far to the east, has true dunes.

Getting there: the Palmeraie lies off the Fes and Casablanca roads north of the city, about fifteen to twenty minutes by taxi from the Medina. Most activity operators include pickup. Combine a morning ride with an afternoon at the Jardin Majorelle, which lies on the northern side of the new town on the way back. If you are staying in a Palmeraie resort, the grove is also lovely for an early walk or run before the heat, when the light comes low through the palms and you share the lanes only with villagers and their donkeys. Hot-air balloon flights over the region usually launch from sites outside the city, and some combine a balloon morning with a camel ride, which makes a full outdoor day.