While Paris is the city of light, and Lisbon is the white city, Marrakech is known as “the red city” for the colour of its walls and many of its buildings. But, you only have to stroll about the city for a while to realise that the colour red falls way short. Here, then, we offer you a visit in full colour of one of Morocco’s most fascinating cities.

WHITE: You’re sure to whip out your camera the moment you arrive, as the Marrakech Menara airport is the first surprise you’ll encounter. One of the leading airports in the country, during a renovation undertaken from 2006 to 2008 it was endowed with a stunning white structure which combines traditional and modern elements which set up an interplay of light and shadow that generates a different effect at different times of day.

GREEN: Moroccans are very welcoming. As soon as you arrive at your lodgings, you will inevitably be offered mint tea. It will be the first, but not the last. It could safely be considered the city’s “official” beverage, and you are going to see mint all over the place. Apart from the mint they put in your tea, it is well worth venturing into the Souk in search of the mint stalls, housed in a small, less touristy corner of the market near the pyjama and olive stalls. The time we were there, lots of women came to choose the sprig of mint they liked best. It seems there are many different kinds, but neither the photographer nor myself were able to distinguish between them!

ORANGE: While mint tea is the city’s official drink, the beverage of choice in Jemaa el-Fnaa is orange juice. The city’s most famous and packed square is strewn with carts where you can get a delicious orange or grapefruit juice at any time of the day. It is impossible to refuse one, even if it is just to carry a glass around with you, because that is the only way they will stop calling out to you at the top of their voice from each fruit-juice stall.

BLUE: A stroll through Jardín Majorelle is enough to realise why Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, fell in love with this place and decided to acquire and restore it. It is perhaps one of the most amazing spots in Marrakech. It bears the name of Jacques Majorelle, a French Orientalist painter who settled there in 1923 and in 1930 had a studio built in such a peculiar shade of blue that is was christened “Marjorelle blue”. The garden around it is a living artwork in itself, filled with exotic plants and rare species which the artist brought back with him from his journeys. There is also a small memorial to Saint Laurent, which was what spared the place from being swallowed up by a development project.

FUCHSIA: The city is laced with it, as this colour turns up in the most unexpected spots. The fuchsia will strike you when you sit down in the Nomad bar terrace, when you take in views of the city or when you go up the staircase to the terrace of the Maison de la Photographie (highly recommendable, by the way, although perhaps more for the terrace than the exhibits). The bougainvillea fuchsias pop up everywhere – on rooftops, window sills and on top of some garden walls. It provides colour highlights, making the bustling city seem even more lively.

BLACK: One of the least likely colours we would associate with soap is black, yet black soapis a traditional product widely used in Morocco. You’ll come across it if you decide to relax in a hammam, but it is not a “tourist product”. It is sold in markets and is used in the hammams frequented by locals (who have nothing to do with tourists. If you’re up for an experience beyond relaxation, venture into one – it’s something you won’t easily forget). The manufacturing process is mainly artisanal, based on black olives and oil. It is a good exfoliant and contains a lot of Vitamin E, so your skin feels like new.

BEIGE: If you stay in a riad, beige is likely to be the dominant colour during your sojourn. Riads are a highly recommendable alternative to hotels and are becoming more fashionable. A riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with a small patio or garden interior. To lodge in one of these is to live out the Moroccan experience more fully, in a genuine setting. Authenticity is imbued through respect for tradition. More and more westerners are opening riadsand, indeed, it is thanks to them that certain techniques, like tadelakt, have been preserved. For years, this lime-based plastering system was a symbol of Marrakech. However, it gradually fell into disuse and is now being recovered by foreigners, like Stephan and Xavier of Riad Snan 13. They opted for beige, the natural tadelakt colour, which has endowed their small riad and its priceless rooms with a warm, oriental ambience. It is well worth visiting for a stay and is very central. You will be lavished with fantastic breakfasts and, above all, their hospitality, with has the drawback that you won’t want to go home!

Don’t put off this unique experience! Check out our flights here.

Text by Anna Guitart

Images by Noemi de la Peña Fillat

Two clichés about Santander. One is 100% true. The other is gradually becoming less so. The first (true) one – you simply have to visit Santander, as it is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. The second (dispensable) one – you have to eatrabas(deep-fried squid rings). Well, no, you don’t need to because the Cantabrian capital’s culinary offerings have grown in quality and diversity, something we went to try out on our palate.

Umma

Modern, informal cuisine tends to be a ploy. On the pretext of being modern and informal – wham! – they pull a fast one on you. This is not so with Umma. On the contrary. The dishes are recognisable, the produce good and, above all, the sense of taste is above average. Well above average. Miguel Ángel Rodríguez has turned an erstwhile family restaurant into one of the must-visit eateries of Santander. His flair for toying with new ingredients in the same dish, balancing them and bringing out the best in each recipe is prodigious. He takes it in his stride, and it stands to reason, as he has done it all at Noma (Copenhagen), Mugaritz (Rentería) and Cenador de Amós (Villaverde de Pontones, Cantabria), all distinguished by the Michelin Guide and the magazine, Restaurant.

Star dishes; each better, tastier and more dazzling than the next, refining and updating the flavours of Cantabria. Starting with the scrumptious croquettes – round, crisp on the outside, and creamy, almost liquid, on the inside. Then the Santoña anchovy pizza, pork jowl, Gomber cheese, black olives, rocket and dried tomatoes, and ending with two symphonic dishes – beef tongue, mushroom and hazelnut carpaccio and organic eggs with jerky and mushrooms. Take note of the home-brewed beer and the wines, far removed from the wine-cellar establishment. Noteworthy, too, are the exhibits gracing the walls, and the jazz and soul concerts held on Thursday nights.

Umma is what the Japanese exclaim when they like something a lot, and umma is what you’ll say on leaving the establishment after lunching or dining there.

Average price: €35-40 (lunch menu, €18; fast-good menu from Tuesday to Friday, €14, and tasting menu, €39).

Mexsia

When you enter Mexsia and catch sight of the glasses placed any old how, teetering on the edge of the table, you think, “This must be a special place”. Well, yes, because, as you came in, you noticed the background music and the lighting that made you think you were in a pub, rather than a restaurant. Maybe, no… well, yes – this is a gastropub. It is the brainchild of Óscar Calleja, holder of a Michelin star at Annua (in San Vicente de la Barquera). Mixture, fusion, delight. Mexico and Asia – “Mexsia”. Pungent, spicy sauce, like serrano-chile green gazpacho and charcoaled scallop, shrimpaguachile with Chamoy sauce – a fine dish with citrus accompanying excellent produce; exciting like fried maki in tempura with spider crab, masera and avocado pear, or like singed salmon nigiri with crisp nori algae. Sharp, like the homemade nachos served with three, likewise homemade sauces…

Average price: €25-30 (fast-good lunch menu from Tuesday to Friday, €15, and tasting menus for €25 and €30).

El Remedio

They might as well have called it El Paraíso, because the spot where the restaurant is located is paradisiacal, dream-like, marvellous, beautiful… A 19th-century hermitage, a deep green meadow, a cliff, with the sea in the background – unsurpassable! Here, you can live out the Stendhal syndrome for yourself. But, El Remedio is also a good name because, while you are there, you forget about all your concerns; so, it is a remedy for all ailments, albeit a temporary one.

While splendid when the sun shines, in a storm it must be spectacular. A gift on the eyes and the soul, bolstered by the cuisine of Samuel Fernández, attached to the land and sea seen from his restaurant. You must order the megano (a tiny squid done on the griddle) with potato in squid ink, scallop with boletus sauce and cured bellota ham (with a long, intense flavour), dried beans with field mushrooms, a finger-licking, long-simmered stew, fried bull’s tail with beetroot mustard and barbecue sauce. And, all this eaten while gazing out over the horizon. And dreaming away…

Average price: €40.

Goodness me – what gastronomic diversity! Why wait to relish it all? Check out our flights here.

Text and photos: Ferran Imedio (Gastronomistas.com)

Located in the south of France, an hour’s drive from Marseilles and alongside the Rhone, Arles is a town you really must see if you’re heading to Provence. And, if you’re also a fan of Van Gogh, you have even more reasons to rediscover the landscapes and architectures that inspired the grand master in his Post-Impressionist painting.

Arles’ Roman Past

You cannot possibly visit this town without becoming steeped in its Roman heritage. In AD 46, as a reward for having supported Julius Caesar is his struggle against Pompey, Arles was turned into the major harbour in the area, a privilege which was withdrawn from Massilia (the former Marseilles), for having mistakenly supported the opposite side. As a result, the town then lived out its age of splendour, of which several monuments have survived the test of time, some still in excellent condition. One example is the Arles Arenas, an amphitheatre built around the 1st century AD for staging gladiator combats, the most spectacular show at the time. It is still used today, as it hosts theatre plays, concerts, bullfights and courses camarguaises (a typically local type of bullfighting). The 1st-century AD Roman Theatre is another standout monument in the city. Like all Roman cities, Arles also had its forum, the centre of the community’s social, political and religious life. In addition to the nomenclature, Place du Forum, it features an underground Cryptoporticus, a network of galleries where foundations were laid and which is open to visitors, accessed via the Hôtel de la Ville.

Other Sights in the Town

The Church of St. Trophime, located in the town hall square, is a classic example of Provençal Romanesque and Gothic. Built between the 12th and 15th century, its cloister is also well worth visiting. Another interesting sight is the Alyscamps, A Roman necropolis which was taken over by the Christians and used until the end of the Middle Ages. For those interested in discovering the town’s archaeological history, we can recommend a visit to the Musée Départemental Arles Antique, which features some striking mosaics, among other things.

Arles – the Setting for Van Gogh’s Paintings

Apart from drawing tourists to its monumental heritage, Arles attracts visitors for having being one of the major settings for Van Gogh’s works. The artist’s sojourn in the town was comparatively short – from February 1888 to May 1889 – but there he was hugely prolific, producing over 200 paintings. Captivated by its light and colour, he painted it in all its guises. Curiously enough, not one of these paintings is housed in Arles, but you can still visit all the places that inspired them. We recommend getting a street map – which can be picked up in the tourist office – and letting yourself get carried away. Some of the landmarks on the Van Gogh tour are:

- The Maison Jaune (Yellow House), on the Place Lamartine;

- The “Café la Nuit” (Night Café), on the Place du Forum;

- Arles Arenas and the Alyscamps;

- Trinquetaille Bridge;

- “Starry Night Over the Rhone”;

- “The Old Mill”, on rue Mireille;

- The garden on the Boulevard des Lices;

- The garden of the hospital, known as the Espace Van Gogh (where he was admitted during his illness and where he had his ear stitched back on after cutting it off);

- The Langlois Bridge, also known as the Van Gogh Bridge.

However, Arles did not only serve as Van Gogh’s haunts. Gauguin also visited the town and painted some of its spots. It was precisely on account of an argument between the two painters that Van Gogh ended up cutting off his ear. Another genius, Picasso, also frequented Arles over a number of years. He would often go there to watch bullfighting and to visit his friends. Proof of his close ties to the town is the donation he made of fifty-seven drawings, which can be seen in the Arles Fine Arts Museum, the Musée Réattu.

Ready to take a Vueling and be dazzled by Arles?

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Joan Sorolla, Tristan Taussac, Anne Jacko, Shadowgate, Phillip Capper, Claude Valette

Exploring the Bretagne means reviving the exciting medieval European history, delving into its cultural roots, into its traditions and legends. You will discover stunning landscapes: its beaches, cliffs or amazingmedieval towns like Vitre or Fougères, and you will get the most out of the beneficial effects for the body of Atlantic waters. Bretons are fond of spas and some of the best spas to relax and get purified are located in Dinard and La Baute .

The beauty of the breton coastline is prolonged for its islands, to the North Brehart or Ouessant and the South Sein, Glenan, Groix and Belle-Ile to, paradise of wild beauty with its protected bays and their headlights, and a history and personality. Its ports were strategic points for trade as for military defense and even lands of banishment.

By the magic Broceliande forest, you will go over hidden trails that will take you by the Bridge of the Secret, the village of Paimpont and its beautiful Abbey and castles of Brocéliande and the passage of Holly.

To the north, in the estuary of the Rance river one comes to Dinan, with its charming old town, and one of the best preserved medieval cities. For its walled enclosure you will discover fascinating monuments as the basilica of Saint-Sauveur or the tower of l’Horlage.

The dilated Breton coastline, bathed by the waters of the Atlantic, mark the gastronomy of the region, which has succeeded like no other, preserve its gastronomic specialities. Fish and seafood take the menus of the restaurants as anywhere else. One of the best oysters in the world, the Belon, and of course, mussels collected here.

In general, all the shellfish and seafood as the spider crab, lobsters or crabs, is collected in its cold waters. This also translates into delicious fish soups. Although if there is a fish by the that the Bretons have a special fervour, that is the cod, which was prepared in all ways imaginable.

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!