If you’re planning a visit to Morocco, you are not alone. Final yr, the dominion dethroned Egypt as the highest tourism vacation spot in North Africa. In line with UN tourism knowledge, Morocco’s tourism numbers have been steadily rising, with a 20% soar from 2023 to 2024, when 17.4 million vacationers visited. Amongst of all its cities — together with Casablanca, Fez and Rabat — Marrakech ranks the hottest vacation spot in Morocco for guests.
Although Marrakech is not fairly struggling the full-blown results of over-tourism, some early indicators, together with crowds and better costs, persist. Fortunately, there’s a straightforward escape from the crowds accessible in order for you a quieter journey. Lower than an hour’s drive from the bustling metropolis, the Atlas Mountains provide nature, journey and a singular tradition, making them a super detour vacation spot to get off the overwhelmed path from Marrakech for a day or two.
The mountains are dwelling to jutting peaks ripe for climbing (by foot, bike or donkey), dramatic desert landscapes and dozens of villages the place the indigenous Berber communities dwell. Whether or not you rent one of many myriad tour firms providing excursions to the mountains, lease a automobile or snag a bus to the realm by yourself, this is what to do when you arrive.
What to see and do
The Atlas Mountains have three sections: the Excessive Atlas (or simply Atlas), the Center Atlas and the Anti-Atlas (or Little Atlas) Mountains. The Excessive Atlas Mountains are essentially the most accessible from Marrakech, with the closest massive village of Asni nearly an hour’s drive away from Marrakech.
Go mountaineering
The Excessive Atlas Mountains have greater than 400 peaks, with a number of over 13,000 ft. Nonetheless, the vary has quite a lot of trails with an assortment of talent ranges. Mount Toubkal, the best mountain in northern Africa at 13,665 ft, could be trekked with a information. For a scenic, more difficult hike, strive a path by means of Mgoun Nationwide Park, a UNESCO International Geopark recognized for its scenic rivers, deep gorges and dramatic mountain surroundings.
Go to a Berber village
One purpose to hike with a information is that they are going to sometimes deliver you to a Berber village on the finish of your trek (usually a relative of theirs), which is a good way to expertise the native tradition. Within the mountains, it’s common for Berber households to open their humble houses to hikers and vacationers, making contemporary mint tea and flatbreads of their clay ovens.
Witness the person of the home put together Moroccan mint tea, made with contemporary herbs often grown of their backyard, by constantly pouring the combination between the pot and glasses to totally mix it earlier than serving the brew in dainty glasses. In the meantime, his spouse will flatten the bread dough and press it towards the within of her clay wood-fired oven to bake it. When you’re fortunate, your hosts might also serve cured olives from their timber and olive oil hand-pressed of their village’s communal stone mill.
The Atlas Mountains had been additionally dwelling to a number of Jewish communities within the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most Jewish Berbers from the Atlas Mountains left Morocco within the Fifties and ’60s, however a number of villages stay, though they’re unpopulated. One is Anraz, a photogenic ghost city of deserted clay buildings, which you’ll be able to go to with a neighborhood information. There’s a well-kept synagogue — nonetheless used for holidays by Jews from Casablanca — and a preserved cemetery.
Store regionally made textiles
One other spotlight is a go to to the Eve Branson Basis Tamgounssi Weaving Centre within the village of Tansghart, the place girls study to embroider and weave by hand to earn an impartial dwelling. Watching the weavers on the loom is fascinating, and their lovely handmade rugs, tablecloths and different gadgets are additionally on the market.
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The place to remain
There are a number of native kasbahs to remain in, however if you wish to use factors, the Virgin Restricted Version Kasbah Tamadot in Asni is essentially the most luxurious possibility within the Atlas Mountains. Like many buildings within the area, it sustained some harm in the course of the 2023 earthquake; after a seven-month closure, it reopened on the finish of 2024, simply in time for its twentieth anniversary in 2025. The renovation introduced the resort from 28 to 42 rooms, including a brand new restaurant and children membership.
The unique constructing, a kasbah first owned by a neighborhood governor after which an Italian businessman who restored it, dates again to 1920. Richard Branson, the founding father of the Virgin Group, purchased the property in 2000 and turned it right into a resort in 2005.
A number of the largest lodging are the newly constructed, stand-alone riads, which function rooms adorned with native textiles, metalwork and ceramics. In addition they include personal swimming pools or sizzling tubs.
When it reopened, the resort additionally added a brand new restaurant underneath an enormous canvas tent. Assays serves Moroccan and Western meals, some nights providing a conventional Moroccan tasting menu accompanied by dwell Moroccan music. There’s additionally an out of doors patio restaurant overlooking the pool for lunch, the place each meal begins with an array o
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