A Secluded Retreat in the Agafay Desert That Delivers an Otherworldly Experience

While there are plenty of memorable destinations around the world, there are few that truly captivate. Once you get to Morocco, you plunge into a world that involves all the senses and rewards you with her charms: the colours, the scents, the frenzy of activity—a place of wonder and continual discovery.

Marrakech, the capital, offers Jemaa-el-Fna Square, a series of narrow alleys crowded with foot traffic, spice markets, and sun-bleached buildings.

About 30 kilometres from the metropolis, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, is the Agafay Desert, where the luxury camp Inara has set up. The tented oasis, conceived by Vincent Jaquet, offers a bespoke desert experience. Jaquet, a French native who has lived in Morocco for the past 18 years, describes the Agafay Desert as “a landscape that seduces me.”

There are no sand dunes here; rather, gradients of brown make for recurring patterns in an expanse of space that further highlights the natural environs.

Inara is a unique hotel accommodation. The rooms are embodied by safari-style tents that surround a lagoon pool. The aesthetic differs from its sub-Saharan cousins; stones, wood, raffia, fabric (much of it recycled), and local Moroccan handicrafts are used to decorate.

The aesthetic differs from its sub-Saharan cousins; stones, wood, raffia, fabric (much of it recycled), and local Moroccan handicrafts are used to decorate.

The 18 luxury tents with king beds, living room, and separate bathroom offer rare comfort—along with a woodburning stove for cool desert evenings. Inspiration has been taken from nature and the history of the nomadic Bedouin tribes that originally made Agafay their home.

Dining at Inara goes beyond the food, which is entirely local cuisine with well-sourced products. In the open-air restaurant, each table is in its own individual tent positioned with a panoramic viewpoint from which to admire the mountains.

Once the sun makes its retreat and the night has taken hold, the magic of dinner begins by the light of dozens of candles. Traditional Moroccan cuisine is combined with a touch of creativity for an explosion of flavours: tajine with beef, lamb, fish, or chicken, along with organic vegetables and dessert, all prepared in the small kitchen in the desert field.

Beyond the confines of camp, activities include camel rides, horseback-riding, quad mountain-biking, trekking, and desert safaris. Inara Camp is an invitation to be enchanted.