The Exotic Gardens of Bouknadel were laid out in 1952 by the French horticultural engineer Marcel François at kilometre 13 of the Salé–Kénitra road, north of Rabat. Across roughly four hectares the walk is divided into 'nature' gardens that recreate wild landscapes — the Antilles, Congo, the Brazilian savanna — and 'culture' gardens in the Andalusian, Chinese and Japanese traditions. The site also holds a museum in the founder's former house, an aviary, a vivarium of reptiles, tortoises and a maze, with a short and a long marked route through the plantings.
