A turquoise Cable Park

A cable park with turquoise water! From the BSR located in Waco Texas to the Hydrous Park in Dallas, from Bali to the EXO Cable Park in France we have visited, we have never been seeing that. The Waky Park is set on a large artificial lake of 3 hectares in the south of Marrakech in a resort site called “Les Jardins de l’Atlas”. This Cable Park offers a turquoise water in the middle of a green expanse of landscape and of a luxury housing complex ochre-colored with of an adjoining golf. It is Francis Koot, the quadruple world champion of water-skiing, who is in charge of the management of the site opened in October 2015.

The cable park has a liner that gives it a large pool appearance, the cable pulley system has 5 towers and allows up to six riders at a time to turn around a small island with palm trees. The park has 5 modules and stepping stones allowing a few stunts. Outside on the small path that runs along the water, it is three relaxing spaces to the idleness atmosphere with two bars, a restaurant and a large swimming pool with beach mattresses which gives the finishing touch. The sessions on bi-pulleys is also offers for beginners at one end of the lake. Naturally, all this has not been without needed a certain level of investment amount and the owner suggests a ticket of about 30 million dirhams. It is true that nothing is done by half measures in this province! And icing on the cake, for our wakeboard session by the end of April, we even had a splendid view of snow-capped Middle Atlas Mountains in the background. Conditions that our young wakeboarder has very much enjoyed, and that we could easy share it …

… But very soon the question of the lack of measures in the authenticity arises. The more my eyes fell on the green of the golf on the other side of the waky park and more I faced with growing sense of discomfort. Obviously, I did not to wait to be face this golf to realize that an activity as significant as tourism in Marrakech would be without consequences. Even if this activity has its positive features which especially state in economic terms, it seems to be difficult to say that it has no negative effect on the landscape, the environment and even on people. Because the tourist is not afraid of the paradox. He can claim come with the desire to discover a country, a culture, traditions, and in a same time, address this country with its requirements. That is when infrastructures not necessarily adapted to the country visited are set up in order to fulfil the expectations of the tourists. For sure this is exactly what happen in Morocco. The 150 hectares of the “Les Jardins de l’Atlas” includes a charming villas village whose architecture inspired by the medina of Marrakech, green spaces, a 18-hole golf courses who can be the scene of international competition and the waky Cable Park. The complete wants to be undeniably luxurious, neat and sophisticated. The more than 100 million dirhams of investments have however not been enough to refine the level of detail since at the golf clubhouse only an industrial lipton tea is for example available. For the coffee fans we cannot judge if the coffee is good since the espresso machine did not work anymore during our visit. I keep in mind that a tourist, like me, staying at the hotel consumes three times more water per day than a local. But the green lawns of the golf courses watered in daytime really bother me. A golf green between 50 and 150 hectares would need one million cubic meter each year, an output equivalent to the power consumption of a town of 12,000 inhabitants. What if our golfing friends turned to eco-friendly golf? For example, the Dinard golf courses in France are not being maintained with chemicals and the lawns are watered thanks to recycled water come from the Saint Brieuc wastewater treatment plant. More exotic and highlighting that there are alternatives, in March 2016, Morocco inaugurated the “Golf Rio de Oro”, its first ecological golf located in Dakhla between sea and desert. I am not a golfer, but having been kite-surfing in Dakhla, I am confident that golfers will love this absolutely magnificent site. They can practice golf on an innovative concept opening into fairways with an exceptional quality of play reputation. The Golf Rio de Oro underlines that a golf course which is respectful of its environment is possible. So, I would therefore say “golfing friends, it is to you to encourage this model! “.

But back to wakeboard with a little advice, do not forget to go talk with Francis, a good-natured and engaging personality, to get a cable speed of at least 27 km/h, and even 30km/h at the end of the day. Indeed, the large flows of beginners often leads the cable speed at only 25 km/h.

Ultimately, for sure the water is less beautiful and yet I find personally more restful and consistent the Cable Parks that rehabilitate ancient quarries. And that even if the teenager in front of me explains that the waky park is too beautiful and stylish!