Date: Wednesday, 9th October – Saturday 19th October 24

Number of nights: 10 nights

Including: Accommodation, local transport, meals, painting materials

Prices: From £3250.00

DESCRIPTION

Join Simon and Monica for a painting holiday in Morocco from Wednesday, 9th October to Saturday 19th October 24. We’ll spend the first 5 days in the old Medina of Marrakech, before moving to Essaouira, a beautiful fishing port on the Atlantic.

Our painting holiday in Morocco will be a small group (maximum of 8 students) aimed at painters of all abilities. Each day you will have the opportunity to paint in a different location under the guidance of your experienced painting tutor Simon Roberts.

You’ll spend the mornings at different locations where you will have the opportunity to paint the scene in the sketching journal that will be provided. Simon will teach you to simplify the scene, help you with your confidence, and improve your painting technique. After a traditional Moroccan lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll return to your accommodation to continue painting.

Monica, a creative cook has designed a wonderful tasting experience for your holiday. This includes an introduction to some authentic Moroccan eateries. Suppers are mainly catered at your accommodation where you’ll be introduced to an array of local dishes as well as a night out in both Marrakesh and Essaouira.

This holiday does require some walking, so participants need to be mobile to be able to get to some of the painting locations.

PRICES

All painting holidays in Morocco include the following:   Transfers to and from Marrakesh airport  |   All accommodation   |   All continental breakfasts    |   All lunches – a mixture of restaurant meals and catered picnics including wine, beer, and soft drinks   |   All evening dinners – a mixture of restaurant meals and catered dinners including wine, beer, and soft drinks   |   All tuition  |   All entrance fees   |   All transport during the holiday   |   All materials and equipment

Holidays do not include the following:   Flights to and from Morocco   |   Transfers from anywhere apart from Marrakesh Airport  |  Travel Insurance

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation in Marrakesh

Your base for the painting holiday in Morroco in Marrakesh is a traditional old Riad that has been beautifully renovated. The result, an environment that harks back to the past with modern facilities.

The riad has a number of areas for you to use and has been designed to ensure comfort and style not only within your own room but also in the rest of the house. The large courtyard is the hub of the house and its majestic focal point is the wall fountain, which soothes the senses and cools the atmosphere.

​The candlelit courtyard will welcome you on your way back from the busy souks and will purify your senses with its spicy smells, seductive noises, and mysterious lights. This is the space to meet up with other guests, enjoy a drink or read a book.

There is a mix of accommodation available – all rooms are air-conditioned, with private bathrooms.

Ideally located in one of the most authentic quarters of Marrakech’s Medina, it is an ideal base for exploring the old (Medina) and the new (Gueliz) city of Marrakech.

​With important landmarks within easy walking distance of the Riad (Jemaa el Fna, Dar el Pacha, Majorelle Gardens, the souks), and extremely easy to find, this is the perfect address for a magical stay in Marrakech.

Accommodation in Essaouira

Your base in Essaouira is a short drive away from the old Medina of Essaouira. The Dar (large house) is set in a large Moroccan-style garden and is an oasis of calm after the hustle and bustle of Marrakesh. There are several outdoor and indoor seating areas as well as a large heated swimming pool with sun loungers where you can relax at the end of a busy day’s painting. Or, you can play a game of boules on the boules court in the garden before we enjoy dinner together in the kitchen courtyard.

There is a mix of accommodation available, all have a private bathroom and their own entrance.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

• Day 1: Arrival in Marrakesh

  Our painting holiday in Morocco begins. After time to settle in at your accommodation, we’ll take a walk into the medina where we’ll have a drink watching the food stalls come alive in the Jemaa el Fna square before making our way back to the Riad for our first dinner together.

• Day: 2

  Today we’ll take a walk into the Medina to visit the Spice Souk where we’ll paint the view from a rooftop terrace, after a light lunch we’ll make our way back to the peace of the riad for a further painting session.

• Day: 3

  Today’s painting location is the iconic Majorelle Gardens’ which were designed by the French Painter Jacques Majorelle and beautifully restored by Yves St Laurent and Pierre Bergé. The garden with its cubist villa, sculptural planting, and bright colors, is full of visual inspiration. We’ll be going early in the morning before the crowds arrive to take advantage of the golden light to take photos. We’ll then relocate to the Majorelle cafe where we’ll spend a few hours painting and eating lunch.

• Day: 4

  Today we’ll be doing a day trip into the foothills of the Atlas mountains. En route, we will have the opportunity to stop off for some photo inspiration before we stop at a Kasbar where you will be able to paint this typical Moroccan landscape from their roof terrace. We’ll take a break for lunch after which you can continue painting or take a walk into Imlil, a popular Berber village that acts as a base for treks into the Atlas mountains.

• Day: 5

  Our last day painting in Marrakesh before our departure to Essaouira. Today we’ll hop into a taxi for a short ride to the other side of the medina where we’ll be based in a square just outside the ruins of the el Badi Palace.

• Day 6: Travel to Essaouira

  Today we travel to Essaouira about 3hrs from Marrakesh on the Atlantic coast. We’ll arrive at our villa, a short drive outside Essaouira mid-afternoon. After settling in we’ll drive into Essaouira for a quick walk around the medina and an early supper at a local restaurant.

• Day: 7

  Today we’ll spend the morning at a café on one of the main squares in Essaouira taking in the sights and painting the scene. Once finished we’ll make our way to a local café for a light lunch. After lunch, we’ll venture into the harbor where you can take some photos that will make the perfect subject for a painting back at our Dar.

• Day: 8

  Today we’ll make our way to a little beach town Sidi Kaouki on the Atlantic coast where we’ll paint the scene from the beach. We’ll enjoy a light lunch at a local surfer café before we make our way back to the Dar for a further few hours of painting.

• Day: 9

  Today’s painting scene is the view of a typical market street with a mosque tower in the distance. After lunch, we’ll move onto a terrace overlooking the ramparts and a view of the Atlantic crashing on the rocks below.

• Day: 10

  On our final day of painting, we’ll base ourselves on the beach just below the harbor wall. Here you’ll have the chance to paint the scene looking back on Essaouira.

• Day 11

  Travel back to Marrakesh for the early afternoon and your flights back home.

* This is a sample itinerary. All of our itineraries are unique as we take the final group size and the ages of the participants etc into consideration. You will be sent a final itinerary before the tour commences.

NON PAINTING PARTNER PROGRAMME

Bringing a partner who doesn’t want to paint? Our Morocco painting holiday is perfect for this. We can recommend various tours and activities that they will be able to do. From food tasting tours in Marrakesh, walking tours of the Medina, to camel treks through the desert. In Essaouira, you can enjoy a day-long cooking class and for the more adventurous quad biking through the dunes or just relax back at the Dar around the private pool with a book. We’ll put a full program together for you.