Anima Garden

Anima was made by the Austrian artist and impresario André Heller and opened in 2016 on land on the road towards the Ourika valley, and it is a garden built as a composition rather than a plant collection: dense planting of palm, cactus, bamboo and flowering species is cut by narrow paths that open without warning onto installations - a Keith Haring piece, work by Picasso, Heller's own constructions, mirrored objects and coloured glass - so the experience is a sequence of concealments and reveals rather than a view. The High Atlas stands behind it, which is the frame. There is a cafe and a paradise-themed sound piece. It divides opinion sharply: people who want a botanical garden find it contrived and people who want a designed experience find it the best thing near Marrakech. A shuttle runs from the city and a car is otherwise needed.

Highlights

• Concealment and reveal - narrow paths opening onto installations without warning.
• Work among the planting - Haring, Picasso and Heller's own constructions.
• The Atlas behind - the mountains framing the garden from the south.
• A composed garden - designed as an experience rather than a plant collection.

When to go

October to April; morning before the heat. Two to three hours.

Good to know

It is contrived by design and not everyone likes it. It is 27 kilometres out and needs the shuttle or a car. Entry is expensive by Moroccan standards. Summer midday is hot despite the shade.

Nearby

The Ourika valley continues south; Marrakech is north.

Key facts