Marrakech isn’t Marrakech without Jemaa El Fna square . This huge contemporary square is located in the center of the medina and is the biggest tourist attraction of the entire city. As the morning grows into the afternoon, tourists come by the droves to see and be a part of a rich heritage and of a rhythmic life of the locals.

Dancers, musicians, snake charmers, water-carriers wearing traditional costumes, storytellers, magicians, acrobats and natural remedies medicine men, all fill up the square. Don’t forget to tip all the street artisans, that’s how they make their living. At dusk, food stands are overrun by hungry tourist eager to satisfy their appetites; the air is soon full of the aromatic steam and smokes of the Moroccan specialties ; prepared fresh on the spot, tourist and locals can choose between meat, fish or vegetable dishes. You don’t even need to know or speak Arabic, all you need to do is point, indicate quantity and within a few minutes, a wonderfully prepared dish is handed for you to enjoy.

Jemaa El Fna means ‘assembly of the deaths’ in Arabic, but there’s nothing livelier than this square. Observing all the animation from the terrace of one of the hundreds of Marrakech hotels , or from one of the coffeehouses that surround the square while drinking a refreshing mint tea is possibly the best way to take in the entirety of this immense gathering of people from all over Morocco. But, no matter if you observe from up above or on street level, you will catch the Jemaa El Fna fever.