Yes, asking locals is the only way to go. There are things that map will never help you with i Marrakesh.
After two days in Marrakesh locals told me that there is a shorter way from my riyad (kind of a guesthouse) to Jamaa-el-Fna (main square). Easy! You just have to turn left here instead of right, after twenty steps use the arch to find seemingly dead-end internal yard, enter some non-descript door and ... wait for it... smile at the receptionist of the spa salon on your way to their front door, which opens to one of the main streets. And from there it is a direct way to Jamaa.
It is like a magical world from child fairy tales, with wormholes in time and space behind every corner.
We stayed at a riad quite close to the souks, along a very windy lane down the side of a mosque. Even 20 minute walk from the taxi that took us from the airport to the riad was an adventure!
After two days in Marrakesh locals told me that there is a shorter way from my riyad (kind of a guesthouse) to Jamaa-el-Fna (main square). Easy! You just have to turn left here instead of right, after twenty steps use the arch to find seemingly dead-end internal yard, enter some non-descript door and ... wait for it... smile at the receptionist of the spa salon on your way to their front door, which opens to one of the main streets. And from there it is a direct way to Jamaa.
It is like a magical world from child fairy tales, with wormholes in time and space behind every corner.