Charming and interesting garden guest house in the palm groves just outside Taroudant.
ABOUT: Ten minutes from Taroudant’s walls, this eco-friendly guesthouse is enclosed by a magical, maze-like garden, 100 acres and one of the Mediterranean’s very best. Within that is a pool, plus two single-storey buildings – Al Hossoun and Al Borj – constructed using local materials and able to be occupied separately or together. Initially dreamt up by French landscape designers, the Dar’s now run by friendly Olivier and Thierry, along with a fleet of cats, dogs and four peacocks.
ROOMS: Chic but understated, the 15 rooms and suites’ style is all rammed-earth walls and rustic shades. The original owners’ artefacts predominate: Mediterranean clay pots and Berber shag rugs here, pretty tiles and sharply-carved arches there. All have bathrooms, and there’s a larger suite to suit families.
FACILITIES: Divided into numerous sunken sections by high mud-brick walls, the garden contains 900 plant species, with everything from papaya palms and Brazilian potato trees, to water-lilies, wild grasses and plumbago. Slicing down its middle is a 30m-long but just 3m-wide lap-pool, apparently inspired by a similar one at Spain’s Alhambra. Elsewhere there’s a hammam offering beauty treatments and a roof terrace with High Atlas views. Delicious meals – zesty, pan-Mediterranean cuisine – can be eaten up there or on an equally scenic patio.
EXTRA INFO: The Dar can arrange guided tours of Taroudant’s souks and artisan workshops, plus golf, tennis, trekking, horse-riding, ocean-fishing from Agadir, hunting, quad-bike rides and cookery courses.
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We really know Morocco and have had the pleasure of making many people's dream trips become reality over the years. It has been our privilege to be asked to manage holidays, weddings and productions for so many fantastic and discerning clients. We remain small and dedicated to providing excellent honest advice to enable you to sit back, relax and enjoy the fun bits without having to manage the unpredictability of this fascinating country.
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