The Agdal Gardens cover about 340 hectares south of the medina, behind the Royal Palace, within an enclosure almost 9 km long. Created in the 12th century under the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf, then maintained and enlarged by later dynasties, they combine orchards of olive, orange, lemon and pomegranate trees with large irrigation basins. They still belong to the royal estate and open to the public only on certain days. Together with the medina and the Menara Gardens, they have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
Highlights
The Sahraij el-Hana basin
The largest basin on the estate, about 208 metres long and 181 metres wide, dates from the original Almohad creation. Built of rammed earth mixed with lime and gravel, it holds about 83,000 m³ of water and was used to irrigate the orchards. To the south stands the Dar el-Hana pavilion, rebuilt in the 1970s-1980s and still partly unfinished.
The paths and orchards
Long dirt paths lined with rammed-earth walls separate plots planted in a grid. Olive trees dominate; a census in 1916 already counted more than 29,000 of them, alongside nearly 10,000 orange trees.
Views of the Atlas
On clear days, especially from November to March, the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas stand out behind the palm trees and the main basin.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Entry is free and there is no ticket. Opening days are limited, most often to Friday and Sunday, and the estate stays closed when the royal family is staying at the palace or during official events. No official schedule is published: these are the days reported by guides and residents, so check with your accommodation the day before. The estate is vast and the paths offer little shade: bring water and a hat.
How to get there
Entrance on the north side of the estate, by the Royal Palace and the Mechouar, south of the Kasbah On foot from Jemaa el-Fna square: about 35 minutes via Bab Agnaou and the Kasbah By petit taxi: ask for "jardins de l'Agdal"
Opening hours
Nearby
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