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While the story of Marrakesh is relived every day on its streets and in the medina, its museums allow you to slow the pace and take stock of it all. The Marrakesh Museum is housed in a wonderful 19th century palace, the perfect surroundings to show off its collection of traditional arts. The nearby Maison Tiskiwin offers a more eclectic and personal collection showcasing Marrakesh’s position as a trading stop for caravans coming from south of the Sahara. Perhaps the best way to travel back in time is at the Maison de la Photograhie, with its astounding collection of period photos of the city dating back over 120 years. Mortel/Flickr.

The spaghetti explosion of lanes and alleys of the Marrakesh medina are seemingly designed to confuse the unwary visitor, but getting happily lost is part of the fun – you never know what might lie around the next corner. Strike out from the central square of the Djemaa el Fna to explore the many kissarias (covered souqs) and funduqs (courtyard caravan resthouses). The kasbah district contains the city’s royal heritage, while the ancient mellah still bears traces of Marrakesh’s Jewish population. If you do get confused, there’s always someone happy to offer directions, and a café selling mint tea (or shop with a tempting souvenir) is never far away).

Marrakesh’s spice shops know how to attract custom – colourful pyramids of spices and herbs are proudly displayed outside to entice the shopper. If you want to take home a taste of Morocco, these are the places to come to. Ask for ras el hanout (‘top of the shop’, a special blend of up to several dozen spices) that gives Moroccan cuisine its distinctive twist. Every shop and kitchen has its own particular blend, but cumin, cinnamon, allspice and cloves are all essential ingredients. Moroccan saffron is also an excellent buy. Many spice shops double up as apothecaries. Herbs, bark, mineral and infusions are all offered to cure anything from headaches and skin complaints to impotency – a truly spicy offering.

I sampled tagines from a half-dozen places in Marrakesh, including fancy restaurants, and the succulent chicken tagine at Bakshish, an unassuming and bohemian-flavored café in the souk, topped them all. It’s a nice spot to take a break from haggling with spice and leather vendors—and has Wi-Fi, too. On Rue des Banques.

Going to the hamman, or public bath-house is an essential part of the Marrakesh experience. After being scrubbed down in the steam room, you’ll never have felt as clean as you like. Upscale hammans now offer the best treatments to entice the spa tourist crowd, with many riads have their own in-house hammam for guests. Choose from a menu of different options, with Moroccan ghassoul (mineral clays mixed with herbs and petals), gommage (scrubs), body wraps and most types of massage on offer. Noted hammams with the full spa experience include Le Bain Bleu and Sultana Spa – but check with your accommodation as to what they offer before booking.

The beautiful 12th-century minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque is Marrakesh’s iconic landmark – and is visible for miles around. But the call to prayer rings out from a hundred other minarets across the city – watch out for storks’ nest adorning many of them. While non-Muslims are forbidden from entering Moroccan mosques, you can get a taste of their interior splendor by visiting one of the historic medersas (theological colleges). Most famous of all is the Ben Youssef medersa, a masterpiece confection of Moroccan architecture, with barely a square inch left undecorated.

Argan oil is celebrated for its skin-nourishing properties. It’s also hugely expensive when bought outside Morocco, so this cosmetic wonder is pretty much a no-brainer for any Marrakesh shopping list. Inside the medina, argan products are not hard to find, but it can be hard to know which merchants are selling the real, unadulterated deal. My first suggestion, then, would be either to enlist a guide or visit a dealer you know to be legitimately government-approved. Otherwise, if you’re deep in the souk, keep an eye out for Assaisse Ouzeka, which sells legit argan products made by a women’s cooperative in the coastal town of Essaouira. Look for a slightly messy setup by the door with women demonstrating the oil-extraction process. (It’s apparently still done by hand everywhere, which strikes me as amazing.) Inside the tidy, well-lit shop, you’ll find everything from hair and skin oils to lip balm and anti-wrinkle cream. The salesgirl who helped us was very sweet and—a true rarity in the go-go souks, one sometimes feels—not too pushy. I wish I could be more specific about where the shop is, but anyone who’s been in the souks knows what a labyrinth they are!

Morocco is one of the most agriculturally-productive countries on the continent, and its markets groan with produce to celebrate the fact. Bab Doukala, off the Djemaa el Fna has the best produce in the medina, but everywhere you can find the mountains of olives and oranges grown locally in huge groves. Every day bar Friday, stallholders bark out prices for fresh fruit and vegetables, still cats sit patiently at butcher’s stalls waiting for scraps (those used to buying meat at the supermarket should prepare themselves for the barrow-loads of heads and hooves for sale). Fresh bread is stacked warm and fresh from the community ovens it’s baked in, and in season orange blossom sweetens the air, ready to be turned into infusions for cooking.

The city’s first concept store is the vision of Egyptian entrepreneur Yehia Abdelnour, a self-confessed interior design nut and global nomad who wanted to create a one-stop shop in which to showcase quality Moroccan-designed gifts, fashion, and housewares. When the store opened a few years back, Vogue declared it the Collette of North Africa, both in terms of the sleek interior and the goodies therein. And while Colette has come and gone, 33 now represents 90 or so independent artisans. Come here to buy cute tasseled djellabas (hooded robes for children and adults), quirky ceramic cactus platters (they look gorgeous piled high with citrus), beaten-brass jewelry, and Chabi Chic’s covetable gold-dipped coffee beakers. The adjacent café, with its modern Moroccan bistro dishes, juicy burgers, and freshly pressed juices, is justifiably popular with expats and tourists alike.

“A Medina institution, Café des Épices is all about the ambience on the square. It’s a great place to meet people and to grab a sandwich. I like their vegetarian sandwich, made with avocado and tomato, and a nous nous, which is like a Moroccan cappuccino.”—Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj

Marrakesh can sometimes feel like a lot of hustle and bustle, but thankfully several green oases exist to help you reconnect with your inner calm. Many larger riads come complete with well-planted courtyard gardens, but for a hint of the spectacular, head to the Marjorelle Gardens in the Ville Nouvelle. Once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, it’s beautifully planted and watered, with an art deco villa at its heart, painted in the brightest colors imaginable—cobalt blues and acid yellows that pop in the sunshine. Offering more space are the Menara Gardens on the edge of the city, fringed by palms and with a royal pavilion and reflecting pool—perfect for picnics and late afternoon strolls.

The conical earthenware pot of a tajine is synonymous with Moroccan cooking, and you don’t have to go far in Marrakesh to lift the lid and taste what’s inside. Classic tajines include chicken stewed with green olives and preserved lemon, beef with prunes and almonds, and kefta (meatballs) in a tomato sauce with baked egg, but high-end restaurants add plenty twists to the old themes. Couscous is available at every tourist restaurant you can imagine, but the best is served up to locals on a Friday, the traditional day for the dish. Any street restaurants worth its salt can serve up a decent tajine and couscous; try more fancy options at Dar Mimoun, Dar Marjana or Le Tanjia.

Marrakesh’s legendary La Mamounia, which dates back to the 12th century, reopened in 2009 after a meticulous three-year renovation by noted French architect and designer Jacques Garcia. Step behind its fabled doors and a sensory feast awaits, from the gentle tinkling of the numerous water fountains and basins; to the fragrant waft of jasmine, orange blossom, and cedar; to the lush Arab-Andalusian interiors, filled with traditional Zellige tilework, sculpted wood, and carved plaster. There are 209 rooms and suites, with the largest topping out at more than 1,000 square feet. Views range between Koutoubia Mosque, the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, and La Mamounia’s own legendary gardens, which abound with 2,000-year-old rose bushes, 700-year-old olive trees, and flowering bougainvillea and jacaranda. Three secluded, standalone riads each feature three bedrooms arranged around a central patio and private pool, though guests would be remiss not to hang around La Mamounia’s dreamy central pool, lined with palm trees, loungers, and lanterns.

“A beautiful riad that must be 500 years old, Dar Cherifa is owned by Marrakech Riads, an organization that renovates riads properly. I have had shows in its gallery. The riad also hosts cultural events.”-Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj This appeared in the August/September 2014 issue.

Dried fruits, nuts and more at Djemaa el Fna, I didn’t know what most of the items were but was sure to try 90% of them and everything was delicious. Moroccan food is amazing but only when eaten in Morocco!