Is a horse-and-carriage (calèche) ride worth it?

The calèche — the horse-drawn carriage — is a Marrakech icon, lined up near Jemaa el-Fnaa and the Koutoubia. As an experience it is genuinely pleasant: an unhurried hour clopping past the old ramparts, the Menara gardens and palm-lined avenues, sitting up high above the traffic. It is inexpensive, it is shaded, and it suits travellers who want to see the city's edges without walking in the heat.

I cannot answer this one honestly, though, without the welfare issue front and centre. Standards among drivers vary enormously. Many horses are well cared for; some, frankly, are not — thin, sore, or worked too hard in summer heat. My firm advice: before you get in, look at the animal. A healthy weight, clean harness, no visible sores, and a driver who clearly tends the horse are your green lights. If anything looks off, walk away — your money is the only leverage that rewards good operators.

On the practical side: agree the price and the route before you set off, because the no-fixed-meter haggling catches people out and 'tourist rates' can be triple the local fare. The official municipal carriages near the main square are generally a safer bet than ones that approach you aggressively. Mornings and late afternoons are cooler and kinder, both for you and the horse.

Verdict: worth it as a gentle, atmospheric, low-cost outing if — and only if — you choose a visibly well-kept horse and a fair driver. If you have welfare concerns you cannot shake, there is no shame in skipping it; a stroll through the gardens or a petit taxi covers the same ground. Vote with your dirhams either way.