The "red" city of Marrakesh is like no other in Morocco. Once a "must" for any hippie with wandering feet, Marrakesh is certainly used to housing tourists of all types. The Medina, or old town, attacts street performers including monkey handlers, snake charmers, and acrobats. Surrounding the main square are dried fruit stands and fresh orange juice vendors, with the markets only a few steps away. The markets are much less daunting than those in other Moroccan cities (such as Fez) and all roads are meant to lead back to the main square. The front sections of the market are filled with silk, leather slippers, silver wares and jewlery, wood crafts and paintings. Bargaining is a sport in Marrakesh and most retailers will go to extremely lengths to make a sale.
It is possible (but not recommended) to venture off the beaten track into areas that sell electronics and metal good to the locals -our trio of young women found it best to avoid doing so in order to avoid the overly friendly overtures from the local men. We found throughout our trip in Morocco that men were excessively friendly but never intimidating - we seemed to be a curious sight and were seldom hassled.