Walk north from Jemaa el-Fna and you'll land straight in Souk Semmarine, the wide covered lane that serves as the main gateway into Marrakech's souk district. Reed matting overhead filters the sunlight into dappled patterns as porters, donkey carts, shoppers and visitors flow past the stalls. For anyone visiting the souks for the first time, Semmarine is by far the easiest place to start: the lane runs fairly straight at its beginning, so it's hard to get properly lost right at the entrance, unlike the tangle of alleys that branch off deeper inside.
What's sold along Semmarine
Near the entrance, textiles dominate the scene: embroidered kaftans, djellabas and bolts of colourful fabric hanging above the stalls. Moving further in, the lane starts branching into narrower side streets, and that's where the range really opens up — leather goods and bags, babouches (slippers) in every colour imaginable, wrought-iron and coloured-glass lanterns, and eventually spices, whose scent often reaches you before the mounds of ochre and red powders come into view.
Atmosphere and practical tips
Semmarine is the busiest and most touristy stretch of the entire souk, and prices here tend to run a little higher, with bargaining expected as standard practice. Even so, it's a great way to get your bearings before venturing into the quieter side alleys, where the pace slows and the feel becomes more local.
A useful tip: the small streets branching off Semmarine usually offer better prices than the main lane itself, since stallholders there aren't paying the same premium footfall rent.
Riad Dar Kawkawa, at Hay Laksour, Derb Deffa Ou Rbaa, N°30, sits just three minutes' walk from Jemaa el-Fna and right by this entrance to Souk Semmarine. That makes it easy for guests to start or end a souk day right at their doorstep, without crossing the whole medina. For any questions, the riad's team can be reached at +212 661 13 22 74, by phone or WhatsApp.