Morocco’s magical city, Marrakech, is home to many exciting sights and sounds. A strong sense of history can be felt around almost every corner. The bustling souks offer plenty of opportunities to practice your haggling skills and buy a range of souvenirs and traditional items. The effervescent Djemaa el Fna is a hive of activity, with performers, henna tattoo artists, food vendors, and more.
Popular sightseeing hotspots in or close to the old medina include Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrasa, and two old palaces. The old colonial area of Gueliz is home to even more interesting attractions, and the Majorelle Gardens are loved by many.
After long days of sightseeing, the city has numerous decadent spas and traditional hammams that are perfect for relaxation and rejuvenation. Rest, regenerate, and enjoy some blissful pampering while visiting the Red City.
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What is a Hammam?
A hammam in Morocco is a traditional bath house. Other countries have similar traditional facilities, including Turkey, Iran, Egypt, and Syria, whilst even more have adopted practices from overseas.
The hammam could be described as the Islamic version of a Russian banya, a Roman steambath, or a Scandinavian sauna.
The Moroccan hammam typically has three connecting areas in addition to a changing area. There is a steam room that gets piping hot. Another room is warm, and this is where people traditionally bathe. The other area provides a cooler environment.
People can draw water from both hot and cold taps. The hot water is heated by a large oven next to the building. Bathers use buckets to mix their water to their preferred temperature.
Almost every neighborhood in Morocco has a public hammam; they were especially important in the past when many homes didn’t have private bathrooms or bathing facilities.
Even today there are many Moroccans who choose to use the hammam on a regular basis, either because their homes do not have good bathing facilities, out of habit, or because of the social aspect.
The Moroccan hammam can trace its use back to the 12th century, when the Almohads built many public bathing areas around the country.
Men and women bathe separately. Larger hammams might have separate areas, though many hammams simply have different operating hours for men and women.
Some visitors simply alternate between the hot and cold areas and wash themselves with water and soap. Bathers may lend a helping hand and scrub each other’s backs.
For many visitors, however, a major part of the cleansing ritual is paying a relatively small sum of money to an attendant to give them an invigorating body scrub. The body is cleaned from the top to the bottom.
A person first wets their body and then every inch of skin is scrubbed, usually with a special black soap and an exfoliating glove.
Hammam Etiquette
Many public hammams are open to foreigners as well as to locals, though do be careful not to try and enter at a time that has been designated for the opposite sex. Gay and lesbian visitors who are visiting the hammam together should definitely not view this as a time to get amorous!
Both men and women will be expected to wear underwear to bathe. Dark colours are essential—lighter colours have a tendency to go somewhat see-through when wet.
It’s acceptable to wear bikini bottoms, so long as they are full bottoms and not a thong or g-sting. (This also applies to underwear.)
There are some items that you should pack in your bag for a hammam visit. These include a spare pair of underwear (yours will be wet and likely soapy after your hammam experience), a towel, a wash glove, a body / hair brush, soap, and shampoo.
Men might also want to take a razor, and some people prefer to wear flip flops or plastic shoes rather than going barefoot.
In addition to paying the admission cost it is also customary to tip the attendant who scrubs your body as well as the changing room attendant who takes care of your bag.
In the changing area, strip down to your underwear. Women usually remove bras, though it’s okay if you’d feel more comfortable wearing a bikini top—you may just get a few raised eyebrows and quizzical looks from locals.
Leave your towel and clothes behind in your bag, and take all your bathing equipment with you.
It’s common for people to claim their own small bathing area by setting out their belongings on the floor; be careful not to stray into somebody else’s space.
When you’ve finished bathing, wash out your buckets and return them to the pile (if you didn’t take your own, as some people do). Return to the changing room to get dry and to dress. Cover your lower area with your towel when changing your underwear.
Private hammams, such as those in riads, hotels, and spas, are often a lot more relaxed when it comes to hammam behavior than public ones where people bathe in groups.
Marrakech Spa Recommendations
There are numerous spas around Marrakech, most of which have hammam facilities. Many of the high-class hotels have spas, and there are also independent spas that are not attached to any accommodations.
Of course, visiting a spa tends to be significantly more expensive than a trip to the public hammam, but a spa offers a lot more facilities and other treatments than a run-of-the-mill hammam. How about a relaxing massage after bathing?
Here are some of the top spas in Marrakech that also have hammams:
- Le Spa – this spa in the Four Seasons Resort features Middle Eastern designs and offers massages, various signature treatments, facials, and beauty services. There are special hammam experiences available for children and teens.
- Hammam de la Rose – located in the medina, a specialty is the four-hand massage, performed by two masseurs.
- Spa La Mamounia – found within the upmarket La Mamounia hotel, this is a top spa for those seeking the ultimate in luxury and decadence. The beautiful spa is also among the most Instagrammed spas in the city. There are many treatments to choose between.
- Spa at Mandarin Oriental – a beautifully designed spa, some treatment rooms have private gardens. Thai massage, beauty treatments, and hair treatments are among the services offered. Sultana Spa – within the luxurious
- La Sultana hotel, the Sultana Spa’s specialties include argan oil facials, a range of massages, and cinnamon body scrubs. Le Spa – part of the exclusive
- Royal Mansour hotel, Le Spa is a glorious vision with intricate gleaming white metal that makes it look like something out of a fairytale. High-class products are used, and different hammam experiences are available.
- The Clarins Spa – as the name suggests, this spa uses only products from the Clarins range. Treatments combine both traditional Moroccan techniques and French expertise. Within the Royal Palm Marrakech, the spa also has a yoga area, beauty salon, juice bar, and pool.
- Spa MK – guests can enjoy a private hammam and massage at the exclusive boutique riad, Maison MK.
- Les Bains de Marrakech – this was one of the first private hammams in Marrakech and it is popular with couples who want to bathe together. (Very few spas offer couple’s hammams.) The spa offers an assortment of other treatments and produces its own range of beauty items.
- Heritage Spa – one of the most luxurious spas in Marrakech, visitors can enjoy various hammam packages in addition to an array of treatments designed to soothe the mind, body, and soul. Several types of massage are available, drawing on global techniques.
- The Spa at Amanjena – a celebrity favorite, the Spa at Amanjena has separate hammams for men and women, each with a whirlpool. Other services include massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures.
- Hammam Rosa Bonheur – quickly gaining popularity among visitors, this spa offers hammam experiences and massages for reasonable prices.
Marrakech Hammam Recommendations
If you’re looking for a more authentic and local experience, head to one of the public hammams around Marrakech. Some are better known than others, and some are more used to seeing tourists, but you’ll be able to find many hammams in most parts of the city.
Here are some of the city’s top hammams to check out:
• Hammam Bab Doukkala – open since the 17th century, Hammam Bab Doukkala is in a good state of preservation. Women are welcome between noon and 7pm, while men can bathe after 8pm.
• Hammam Essalama – located close to the Menara Gardens, Hammam Essalama is one of Marrakech’s jewels when it comes to public hammams. There are raised marble slabs for patrons to lie on, and there are multiple hot and cold water taps, allowing each bather to have their own personal water supply.
• Kennaria Hammam – mainly frequented by locals, it can be difficult to find this hammam. It’s located near Rue Riad Jdid, though ask locals in the area and they’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.
• Hammam Dar el-Bacha – this is one of the city’s biggest hammams and it can get very busy. It’s especially popular with local women because of the favorably operating times for females. It appears on many lists as among the best local hammams in Marrakech.
For many foreigners, however, the building can seem a bit outdated, bordering on decrepit, and the poor drainage can be off-putting.
• Le Bain Bleu – located in the medina, Le Bain Bleu is smaller and more private than many other public hammams in Marrakech.
• Hammam Mouassine – tourists are a fairly common sight in this public hammam.
Whether you opt to visit a luxurious spa or a public hammam, having a steam bath and traditional scrub is a quintessential local experience not to miss when visiting Morocco’s marvelous Marrakech