Anima Garden: how to visit André Heller's art garden on the Ourika road

• Open all year, 9 am to 6 pm, closed for the two Eid holidays
• Adults 140 MAD (14 EUR), ages 12 to 16 60 MAD, under 12 free
• Free shuttle for ticket holders, twice a day from the Koutoubia car park
• Three hectares of garden and artworks, with views of Jbel Toubkal
• On the Ourika road: easy to combine with a day in the valley

Anima is an art and nature garden of three hectares created by the Austrian artist André Heller, about 27 km from Marrakech on the road to the Ourika Valley. Shaded paths lead between trees, shrubs, flowers, pavilions and sculptures, with a view south to the High Atlas and Jbel Toubkal (4,167 m). According to the garden's website in October 2026, it is open all year from 9 am to 6 pm, except during the Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays. Tickets cost 140 MAD (14 EUR) for adults and 60 MAD (6 EUR) for ages 12 to 16; children under 12 enter free. A free shuttle for ticket holders leaves the Koutoubia car park at 9:30 am and 2:30 pm and must be reserved at least 24 hours ahead. The garden recommends two to three hours. Because it stands on the Ourika road, the visit combines easily with a day in the valley.

We pass the gate of Anima every day on our way to the valley, and many of our guests ask whether to stop. Some call it the highlight of their stay; others find it a pleasant stroll. This guide gives you the practical details and what to expect, so you can decide.

What is Anima Garden?

The garden describes itself as "an immersive art-and-nature garden near Marrakech, combining landscape architecture, contemporary sculpture, and exotic planting across three hectares in the Ourika Valley". In its own words, visitors "stroll along shady paths, between precious trees and shrubs, miracles of flowers and fragrances, pavilions and sculptures".

In practice you walk a loop of winding paths. Around almost every bend there is something to find: a coloured pavilion, a face in the vegetation, a sculpture half hidden among leaves. The planting is dense and the paths are shaded, which makes the garden pleasant even on a warm day. It is not a botanical garden with labels on every plant, and it is not a museum with a fixed route. It is a place to wander.

Practical information at a glance

All the details below come from the garden's official website, read in October 2026. They can change, so check before you go.

How much does a visit cost for your group?

The shuttle is free for ticket holders. Food and drinks at the café are extra.

What will you see in the garden?

The planting

Trees, shrubs, flowering beds and fragrant plants fill the three hectares, laid out so that each turn of the path opens a different scene. The garden insists on shade and scent as much as on colour.

The artworks

Art is everywhere in Anima, set among the plants and not lined up in a gallery. Great Gardens of the World, which lists Anima among its member gardens, mentions monumental sculptures by Pablo Picasso, Keith Haring, Alexander Calder and Auguste Rodin, along with many colourful works, and two museum rooms presenting artists from around the world. Rather than a trail of labels, the art is meant to be discovered as you wander. If you want to be sure not to miss a piece, ask at the entrance where to look.

The view of the Atlas

The garden looks south towards the High Atlas. The garden's own description speaks of "the often snow-capped Atlas Mountains with the 4,167 meter high Jbel Toubkal", the highest summit in North Africa. The view is clearest on crisp mornings from late autumn to spring; summer haze often softens it.

Café Paul Bowles

The café stands inside the garden and is named after the American writer Paul Bowles. According to the garden's café page, it serves coffee and cake, smoothies, fresh juices, teas, pastries, sandwiches, soups and lunch dishes on a menu that changes with the seasons, described as modern Moroccan food with international influences. The garden says it uses ingredients from local farms and from its own grounds, such as saffron, mint and olives. The rooftop terrace faces Jbel Toubkal. It is the natural place to end the loop.

Who created Anima?

André Heller was born in Vienna in 1947. The garden's page about him describes him as one of the world's most influential multimedia artists, with work that ranges from garden art and chambers of wonder to books, songs, flying and floating sculptures, the avant-garde amusement park Luna Luna, films, fire spectacles and stage shows. He lives in Vienna, in Marrakech and on the road. Anima is his garden in Morocco.

The press has been generous. The garden quotes the New York Times ("a wonderland of exotic gardens, gazebos, ponds and mystical artworks"), Die Zeit ("if you still don't smile at this point, you're in the wrong garden"), Der Standard ("André Heller's African Garden of Eden") and the Washington Post.

How do you get to Anima Garden?

The free shuttle: timetable

According to the garden's shuttle page in October 2026, the bus leaves from the Koutoubia car park, called "Parking & Lavage", behind the Koutoubia mosque.

The shuttle is free for ticket holders, capacity is limited and online reservation is required, at least 24 hours in advance. It is a service for individuals: groups of more than ten are asked to contact the garden first. The shuttle is a good option if you only want Anima. If you also want to see the valley, it will not help, because it only runs between the Koutoubia and the garden.

By car

The garden gives these directions. From Marrakech, drive along the city wall in the direction of Ourika and Oukaïmeden. After 27 km there is a TOTAL service station on the left; 1 km further you see the ANIMA sign. Turn right and follow the unpaved road for another 500 m. Coming down from Ourika, leave towards Marrakech and turn right next to the Hotel Le Beau Site, then left along the unpaved road to the garden.

On our map of the Ourika Valley, Anima is the first stop on the road, about 33 km by road from Jemaa el-Fna.

Is Anima good with children?

The garden says yes: "shaded paths, open spaces to explore and a café for breaks". Children under 12 enter free, and the garden suggests two to three hours, with shorter loops for younger visitors. From our side, it is the calmest stop on the Ourika road for a family, a good alternative to the rocky waterfall path with little ones. More ideas in our guide to the Ourika Valley with kids.

When is the best time to visit?

Mornings give the softest light and the clearest views of the Atlas, especially from late autumn to spring, when the peaks can carry snow. In summer, go at opening time to avoid the midday heat. Remember the two closures for the Eid holidays. For the conditions of the week, see our Ourika Valley weather page.

How do you combine Anima with the Ourika Valley?

Anima sits on the road we drive every day, before Tnine Ourika. That makes it one of the easiest additions to a day in the valley. Three options we arrange:

Our Ourika Valley day trip can be adapted to include Anima on request; entry to the garden is paid on top. With a private car and driver, the driver waits at Anima and at each stop, and you are not tied to the shuttle times.

Is Anima worth it?

It depends on what you enjoy. If you like gardens, design, contemporary art or simply a quiet, beautiful place to walk, yes: it is one of the most original sites around Marrakech. If you are mainly after mountain villages, rivers and Berber life, you may prefer to spend your time further up the valley. For many of our guests, the answer is both: an easy morning at Anima, and the afternoon among the orchards and earth villages of Ourika.

Two last tips: wear comfortable shoes, and bring sun protection. Much of the garden is shaded, but the Atlas sun is strong in every season.

Sources

• Anima Garden, official website: visitor information, opening hours and prices
• Anima Garden: shuttle timetable and reservation
• Anima Garden: Café Paul Bowles
• Anima Garden: André Heller
• Great Gardens of the World: Anima Garden