Walking/Hiking

Introduction

From the sand of the Sahara to the Atlas mountains, Morocco offers an infinite variety of landscapes. Arid and rocky plateaux, secret gorges and lush green valleys, rolling sand dunes, forests of cedar and cork oak, and semi-desert hills. Everywhere, nature has remained authentic. This natural wealth makes Morocco a dream destination for walkers and hikers in all seasons.

From Chefchaouen, you can explore the green mountains of the Rif, a magnificent, relatively untouched landscape. In the region of Fez and Meknès, hiking trails take you through hills planted with majestic cedars. Further south, Agadir and Ouarzazate are the best gates to the desert.

Around Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains, which arc southwards from the Mediterranean coast for 1,000 miles (1,609km), providing a trekker's paradise. Numerous guided walking tours and treks are on offer, generally starting from Marrakech or the village of Imlil destined for the spectacular High Atlas to hike beneath forbidding peaks, through deep canyons, and past remote and ancient Berber villages. Do-it-yourself trekkers will find locals willing to act as porters and guides, and hikers can also hire mules to carry equipment. The adventure opportunities in the Atlas are varied, and range from challenging, like the ascent of Jebel Toubkal, the highest summit in North Africa, to a tranquil stroll through the wild landscape of Jebel Sahro region, where rocky plateaux are interspersed with oases where exotic creatures congregate in crystal clear pools.

Hiking in the Atlas Mountains

If you plan to go hiking in the Atlas Mountains, the following are some of the most popular treks. To avoid all the hassle of arranging your hiking trip, let Erlebnis Tours make all the arrangements for you, including hiring your guide.

• Jebel Toubkal (4,167m), North Africa's highest mountain, is the most popular hiking region and offers trekking routes to suit all levels of fitness. The village of Imlil (65km from Marrakech, 17km from Asni) is the established starting point for treks around Toubkal, where we recommend staying at the Kasbah du Toubkal. They can arrange a 2-day fully-supported hike to the summit and back, with 1 night in a simple mountain refuge. The ascent is strenuous (several sheer scree slopes) but involves no actual climbing once the snow has cleared in spring. Those who prefer to take their downhills slowly should allow an extra day, splitting the descent with a night’s camp en route, lying beneath crystal clear, star-studded skies. Guides, mules and porters should be employed for anything more than a day hike. Expect to meet several tourists along the way.

A popular longer trek is the Toubkal Circuit (66km) which takes 7-9 days, starts and finishes in Imlil and takes in Toubkal's summit, several high-altitude passes and remote Berber villages.

If you are not up to Toubkal, there are plenty of other less taxing trails in the area. You can still enjoy spectacular scenery on the easier 3-day hike to Setti Fatma which includes only one rocky pass (3172m). Setti Fatma is at the end of the road through the Ourika Valley. The locals have started to exploit the tourist potential, but still there is a laidback feeling there.

• Other popular hikes include the gentler Kik Plateau, home to a cluster of Berber villages which bustle with life and welcoming shepherd families, despite having neither electricity nor road access. These can be reached from Chez Momo near Ouirgane, which can also arrange mule treks through the foothills and gorges of the lower Atlas.
• M'Goun Massif in the central High Atlas is more remote but friendlier than Toubkal. The 6-7 day circuit which starts and finishes in Tabant in the lush Ait Bougmez Valley (approx. 200km east of Marrakech) includes the summit of M'goun (4,068m), spectacular views, plenty of Berber villages and dramatic isolated gorges. Easier treks can be done at lower altitude in the valley passing through numerous hamlets.

• Jebel Sarhro, further south between the High Atlas and the sub-Sahara, is the best place for winter trekking (December to April) when the Atlas are mostly snowed in. The Jebel Sarhro mountain range is a wild place. It separates a valley where the melting snows of the Atlas form rivers, and occasionally green patches, from the Sahara which stretches southward for hundreds of kilometres. A number of challenging treks start from N'Kob near the Dades Valley, about 120km east of Ouarzazate. Although lower in altitude the region is dramatic, wild, arid, isolated and little explored, but with beautiful rock formations and deep gorges.

Enquiries & Booking

To enquire about or to book a personalised private vehicle, driver and guide for your hiking trip, please enter your details on the form here and click the submit button. Alternatively you may call us on +44(0)7713 615829 or send an email to enquiries@erlebnis-tours-maroc.com to discuss your itinery and prices.
 

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