Morocco travel

The road form Ouarzazate to Télouet passes through a natural setting of rare beauty with palm groves and verdant areas that owe their existence to the presence of adequate water, including the Ounila wadi. Along the road a series of casbahs can be seen in the distance, their buildings a rich earthy colour. These villages cluster around a strong fortress, an essential stopping point for the caravans travelling this route, but also the centre for small farming communities that, despite the difficulties presented by the terrain, were able to make use of such poor resources for their maintenance. An essential element for existence here are the wadis that flow mainly from the Atlas range, capable, when particular phenomena coincide with a rainfall, of swelling so much that they are difficult to ford and, where there is no bridge, can only be crossed on the back of a dromedary. On the banks of the wadis are small, flourishing oases, filled with lush date palms that not only provide edible fruit but with the shade of their leafy fronds also fulfil the important role of protecting other fruit trees and plots of vegetables and grain from the strength of the sun’s rays.…

The name Ouarzazate is derived from the combination of the Berber word “ouar” meaning ‘without’ and the Arab-Berber zazate (plural of zaza – ‘noise’). ‘A place without noise ‘ therefore, and a relaxing tranquility is indeed felt in the silence that reigns in this town, a veritable gateway to the immense desert. Here the trans-sahara caravans once passed, linking Marrakesh to Timbuktu. to Mali and to the caravanserai of Sahel. Today Ouarzazate, strategic meeting point of the Dadés, Draa, Sous and Marrakech roads, has become one of the main tourist areas of Morocco, particularly suited to those who seek an experience that is peaceful and as far away as possible from the frenetic modern world. Founded in 1928 as a military garrison, the city later became the administrative centre for the Draa region and developed to take on the role as capital of this large and beautiful area with proud historic traditions, situated between the southern slopes of the Grand Atlas and the northern side of the Anti Atlas mountains. The city remained for long on the fringes of mass tourism and although it has recently undergone rapid urban growth it is still famous for Berber ceramics and especially for the…

The Cascades d’Ouzoud (Ouzoud waterfalls) are a fairly long detour from the Beni Mellal Marrakech road taking at least half a day’s journey to reach if you’re going by local bus and taxi. However, there are few places in Morocco so enjoyable and easy-going as these falls, with their seasonal campsites, and in mid-summer it’s incredible to enconter the cool air here, with the water crashing down onto a great drop of rocks amid thickets of lush green trees and vegetation. If you want to view the falls at their best, it is better to go in March, but you’ll find the “resort” side of things pretty much closed down. Getting to Ouzoud falls  is simplest from Beni Mellal; there’s a regular bus to Azilal (a winding 63Km), where you can usually get a place in a grand taxi to the falls (10 dh a place or 50 dh for the taxi). There is also a bus twice a day from Marrakesh along the S508 road, which passes by Azilal. Getting back to Azilal is generally no problem, with grands taxis regularly shuttling from the falls. Better still, if you can arrange to fill a grand taxi from bni Mellal…

The end of the line for the Toubkal bus and Marrakesh grands taxis, Asni is little more than a roadside village and marketplace, and many trekkers pass straight through to get up into the mountains. If you’re in a hurry, this is good reasoning, though it’s no disaster if you have to stay overnight. The village can feel a bit overcommercialized on arrival, with locals hawking meals and jewellery, but this doesn’t last long, and between buses the village drifts back to its usual farming existence. The most interesting time to be here  before heading on to Toubkal is for the Saturday souk, when the enclosure behind the rew of shop cubicles is filled with produce and livestock stalls, plus the odd storyteller or entertainer. An advantage of arriving on Saturday morning (or Friday night) is that you can stock up with cheap supplies, before heading into the mountains.

The Ourika Valley is a pleasant prelude to the Atlas and an enjoyable escape from the summer heat of Marrakech. It’s a weekend resort for young Marrakchis who ride out here on their mopeds to lie around beside the streams and waterfalls. The road through the valley has been wiped out by floods countless times over the centuries, most recently (and catastrophically) in 1995. At time of writing, it’s in good shape as far as Dar Caid Ouriki, and being widened and improved from there to Setti-Fatma, the end of the tarmac. Setti Fatma is the place to head for, with its series of waterfalls in the hills above, and one of the country’s biggest moussems (festivals) in mid-August. Poised above the valley to the west is the ski resort of Oukaîmeden. Getting to the Ourika Valley Weather permitting, access to Ourika is fairly simple. Grands taxis, buses and a fast minibus service leave Marrakesh’s Bab Er Robb regularly throughn the morning, from around 6am to noom, running down to Setti Fatma (if the road is clear of repair work) and returning in the late afternoon/early evening. if buses can’t get through, minibuses generally take over. The valley is also…