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  The High Atlas

  Welcome to North Africa’s highest mountain range, known by local Berbers as ‘Idraren Draren’ (Mountains of Mountains), and a trekker’s paradise from spring through to autumn. The High Atlas runs diagonally across Morocco for almost 1000km, encircling Marrakesh to the south and east from the Atlantic Coast just north of Agadir to Khenifra in the northeast. Its saw-toothed Jurassic peaks act as a weather barrier between the mild, Mediterranean climate to the north and the encroaching Sahara to the south.

  In its highest reaches, snow falls regularly from September to May, allowing for winter sports in Oukaïmeden, while year-round rivers flow northwards towards Marrakesh creating a network of fertile valleys – the Zat, Ourika, Mizane and Ouirgane. Happiest of all are the secluded valleys of the central High Atlas, which include Zaouiat Ahansal, Aït Bougomez, Aït Bououli and Aït Blel.

  In the High Atlas the main language is the Berber dialect of Tashelhit, with some pockets of Tamazight.

  Central High Atlas

  The road less travelled lies to the east of Marrakesh in the central High Atlas, accessible through the regional hub of Demnate. Here a chalky mass of muscular mountains, weatherworn canyons and sculpted gorges (which provide the best climbing in the country) hide fertile valleys, many inaccessible to vehicles until a few years ago. Several peaks in the area exceed 4000m including Irhil M’Goun, which at 4071m is the highest point.

  Demnate دمنات

  Pop 24,000

  The once-grand Glaoui kasbah and mudbrick ramparts have been left to crumble, yet Demnate’s fascinating interfaith heritage has survived. At the heart of town is a mellah (Jewish quarter), with an entry about 150m on the right after the town’s main gate. It's a lively town to explore, though most visitors are only passing through en route to the picturesque gorge of Imi n'Ifri to the east.

  The 100-year-old olive groves dotting hillsides around Demnate produce Morocco’s best olive oil, with trace mineral salts, a golden colour and subtle woodsy flavours that compare favourably to Tuscan oils. Almonds are another renowned local product, and the flowering of the local orchards makes March a lovely time to visit.

  zFestivals & Events

  Hamdouchi MoussemRELIGIOUS

  (hSep)

  Demnate has two zawiyas (Islamic religious shrines), making the annual Hamdouchi Moussem in September twice as raucous. Pilgrims visiting each zawiya dance to a different rhythm in an all-day music festival in the town centre before going their separate ways in three-hour parades to the zawiyas. Sometimes the moussem (festival) peaks in blood purification, with dancers cutting themselves on the scalp in dramatic acts of ritual cleansing.

  Jewish MoussemRELIGIOUS

  (hJul)

  Hundreds of Jewish families from Morocco, France, Israel, Canada and the US arrive each July for the Jewish moussem, a weeklong mystical event said to offer miracle cures.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  oKasbah TimdafGUESTHOUSE€€€

  (%0523 50 71 78; www.kasbah-timdaf.com; N 31°46.50, W 007°01.13; s/d Dh715/880; pW)S

  A cosy eco-castle 15 minutes from Demnate on the road to Azilal, with artful rooms warmed by vintage wood-burning stoves and snazzy tadelakt (smooth, lustrous lime plaster) bathrooms. It may seem palatial, but this stone and mudbrick kasbah is a working farm surrounded by almond and olive groves, providing inspired Mediterranean-Berber meals (Dh110 to Dh190) on a vine-draped terrace with expansive views.

  Owners Jacqueline and Yannick can organise cycling, trekking and fishing trips around Demnate. Transfers to Marrakesh and Ouzoud are available.

  Restaurant-Café ItranesMOROCCAN€

  (quarter/whole chicken with chips or bread Dh25/75; hnoon-11pm)

  Some 300m after the city gate on the left, this sidewalk restaurant serves a mean rotisserie chicken.

  Café-Restaurant Al JazeeraBERBER€€

  (%0524 45 82 39; 3-course menu from Dh130; h8am-8pm)

  You have to call ahead to eat here, but it's worth the effort. The meal begins with savoury seasonal salads that are a prelude to Demnate’s signature fine-grain couscous, decadently dressed with local olive oil and toasted local almonds. Afterwards, enjoy a refreshing dip in the courtyard pool (open in summer) and an excellent espresso in the garden. It's just near the gare routière (central bus station).

  You can also come just for a swim (Dh20).

  7Shopping

  If you don't happen to be in town on Sunday, when the souq is on, you can shop for local ceramics at the potteries northeast of town in the village of Bouglou; turn right at the mosque and head 4km off-road.

  Sunday SouqMARKET

  The weekly Sunday souq, 10 minutes south of town by foot, is an opportunity to taste-test local olives, olive oils and almonds and browse Demnate’s local woodwork and yellow-glazed pottery painted in henna.

  Miel d'AtlasFOOD

  Honey that’s considered rare elsewhere abounds in the hills around Demnate. You’ll notice a Miel d'Atlas sign with a bee on it at the hanout (grocer) on your right on the main road east out of town towards Imi n'Ifri: approach the counter and ask the grocer to let you sample local honey.

  The mountain herb and wildflower honey is a standout with its peppery, thyme flavour, while the zriga (a local blue wildflower) honey tastes fruity, almost like guava.

  8Getting There & Away

  Grands taxis to Marrakesh (Dh60) and Azilal (Dh37.50) leave from the main gate in Demnate.

  Buses leave for Marrakesh (Dh40, two hours) from 6am to 9pm and to Azilal (Dh30, one hour) from 7am to noon from the bus station (take the road to the right before the town gate and turn left at the roundabout). To reach nearby Imi n'Ifri, you'll need to take a taxi (Dh40 for the whole taxi).

  OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

  ROAD-TRIPPING DEMNATE TO AïT BOUGOMEZ

  Follow the road that forks to the left at Imi n'Ifri into the breathtaking Aït Blel Valley, which connects to Aït Bougomez Valley via Aït Bououli Valley. In spring, Aït Blel is like an animated Impressionist painting, with the breeze rippling golden wheat fields dotted with red poppies.

  The road here is fairly new, so the entire valley seems untouched. Mountains are striped gold, orange and purple, with green crops sprouting from stone-walled terraces. Follow the road 6km from Imi n'Ifri to the village of Iouaridene and you’re in prehistoric territory. In a fenced area, just off the left side of the road, you'll find what geologists claim are dinosaur footprints dating from the mid-Jurassic period, about 170 million years ago (if the gate is locked, ask at the nearby house for a key). Quadruped and carnivorous dinosaurs once roamed this area, and local kids do a mean impersonation of a T-rex.

  From Aït Blel the only way is up, east over the Tizi-n-Oubadou pass (2173m) towards Aït Bououli, Aït Bougomez and beyond. It's a spectacular drive through mountain oak forests set against striking, vertically striped sedimentary rock formations formed during the Triassic period some 230 million years ago. You'll need a 4WD and dry weather (thunderstorms and flash floods often wipe out bridges) between April and November.

  The road sometimes narrows to one lane, but it’s paved or graded the entire way. The cliff-edge villages and centuries-old way of life you'll encounter make it worth the additional two hours it takes to reach Aït Bougomez, instead of going the faster route via Aït Mohammed. Gas up before you go: the biggest town is Khemis Aït Blel, with a Tuesday souq and stalls selling sundries and occasionally petrol.

  Near the Tizi-n-Oubadou pass, Gîte Tizi-n-Oubadou (%0661 44 36 02; www.gitetizinoubadou.com; s/d Dh170/270) offers wraparound views over meticulously trimmed terraces with carob and almond groves. Its five rooms are quite simple but well maintained. If you call as you leave Demnate in the morning, it may be able to provide lunch (Dh60 to Dh90).

  Imi-n'Ifri

  Just 6km east of Demnate along the R307 is Imi n'Ifri (‘Grotto’s Mouth’ in Berber), a natural travertine bridge that formed over a gorge 1.8 million years ago. The two sides of the bridge are said to rep
resent two local lovers whose families kept them apart, so this Romeo and Juliet held hands and turned to stone. You can walk down into the gorge and through this toothy maw by yourself – the paths are clearly marked by the bridge and post office and comprise 300 steps down – but you might want to pay a small tip (Dh20) to a local guide to help you over some tricky boulders and explain local lore.

  On the southern side of the gorge is a spring with water rich in natural mineral salts, where brides come for pre-wedding rites; in summer you may hear women singing and playing drums and tambourines at Berber bachelorette parties. On the other side of the gorge is a freshwater spring said to cure acne, which explains the number of teens hanging out here. Pass under the bridge, and suddenly you’re in a Lord of the Rings setting, with flocks of crows swooping down from dramatic stalactites overhead.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  A few enterprising locals offer tea and snacks at plastic tables right inside the gorge. Otherwise, most visitors take their meals at their guesthouses or in Demnate.

  Gite Kasbah Imi n'IfriGUESTHOUSE€

  (%0662 10 51 68; [email protected]; r per person Dh150, with demi-pension Dh220)

  A good budget option just a few minutes' stroll from the top of the gorge, this family-run spot has basic rooms with shared bathrooms. The best catch a bit of breeze and have mountain views. Full-day guided hikes (Dh300) are available.

  oTizouitGUESTHOUSE€€

  (%0658 34 61 48; www.tizouit.ma; Aït Oumghar; r Dh600-660, tr Dh850; pWs)S

  Stepped into the hillside overlooking Demnate and shaded by flourishing gardens filled with banana, pomegranate and olive trees, Tizouit is a labour of love and it shows. Henri and Nadja have created an idyllic escape in this superb ecolodge with its eight individual cottage rooms (each with its own private terrace), natural biological pond, and luxurious native planting scheme.

  A relaxed, Euro-ethnic vibe – combining raffia rugs, Moroccan antiques and textiles and squashy European sofas – characterises the living areas and rooms where patio doors open onto sun-kissed views of Demnate's ancient olive groves. Activities are naturally laid-back: long, leisurely walks along ancient irrigation channels to Imi n'Ifri's grotto (Tizouit's four-legged assistant, Charlie, may come with you), or treks in dinosaur footprints at Aït Blel.

  8Getting There & Away

  If you're staying at a guesthouse near Imi n'Ifri, you'll be able to walk to the gorge. Buses and grands taxis stop at Demnate, where you'll need to take an onward taxi to Imi n'Ifri (around Dh40).

  Cascades D’ouzoud

  Northeast of Demnate, just 167km from Marrakesh and a world away from the city heat, are the Cascades d’Ouzoud , one of the most popular day trips from Marrakesh for tourists and Moroccans alike. The Oued Ouzoud drops 110m into the canyon of Oued el-Abid in three-tiered waterfalls, and the view only gets better as you descend into the cool of the canyon, past the late-afternoon rainbow mists to the pools at its base. The falls are most dramatic from March to June when there’s more water, but young Moroccans often camp here in summer on terraces facing the falls.

  To reach the falls, walk past the signs for Riad Cascades d'Ouzoud towards the precipice, where converging paths wind down towards the falls.

  1Sights & Activities

  Locals might lead you into the gorge for a few dirham, but you can follow well-trodden paths to viewing points and down into the gorge. Along the way, Barbary apes clamour for attention – though a signpost advises not to feed them.

  At the bottom, you can hike further along the riverbed to more peaceful pools where you can swim, or cross the river to another path for extended hikes. To see the picturesque Berber village of Tanaghmelt, follow the path by the lower pools past a farmhouse and up the slopes for about 1.5km. For longer treks, follow the course of the river to the Gramaa Nakrouine caves (two hours) and the Gorges of Oued el-Abid (another two hours).

  4Sleeping & Eating

  You'll find a growing number of inexpensive guesthouses on the path leading down to the falls. There are also many Moroccans that camp here, but with the amount of garbage left behind, these sites aren't recommended.

  Most cafes flanking the falls offer meals comprising of salad, tagine, chicken and chips for Dh60 to Dh80.

  oCamping ZebraCAMPGROUND, GUESTHOUSE€

  (%0666 32 85 76; www.campingzebra.com; N 32°00.351, W 006°42.177; 2-person pitch with/without electricity Dh105/85; r with/without bathroom Dh400/250; pW#)

  After four years overlanding in their B&W-striped 4WD, Renata and Paul landed in Ouzoud and decided to create their own dream campground. The result is this welcoming mixed site with tent pitches, four garden rooms and a mini kasbah with four en suites.

  The decor is as cheerful as your hosts, with brightly painted rooms and a communal khaima (tent) decked out in multicoloured Moroccan textiles where you can order meals. If you want to arrange activities, Renata and Paul can put you in touch with guides from Ouzoud. Get in touch before setting out. Note that Camping Zebra was listed for sale when we last passed through.

  Hotel Chellal OuzoudGUESTHOUSE€

  (%0523 42 91 80; www.hotelchellalouzoud.com; s/d Dh250/350; W)

  A simple guesthouse with colourful, reasonably priced rooms on the path heading down to the falls (about 400m walk from the top). It's a friendly spot, with some English spoken and a small patio for guests.

  Riad Cascades d’OuzoudGUESTHOUSE€€

  (%0662 14 38 04; www.ouzoud.com; r Dh450-810; aW)

  This stylish mudbrick guesthouse located just 30m from the top of the cascades offers the best accommodation in Ouzoud, along with a range of activities in the surrounding area. Solar-heated showers, ceilings painted with Berber talismans, and family-style welcomes from local staff make you feel part of the scenery. Six rooms also have fireplaces (a welcome feature in winter).

  8Getting There & Away

  From Marrakesh, it’s easiest to get transport direct to Azilal, from where grands taxis run when full to Ouzoud ( Dh30/150 per person/taxi). Head back to Azilal before 4pm, when taxis become scarce and drive hard bargains. To avoid backtracking, you can also jump off at the Ouzoud turn-off, 22km west of Azilal and grab a taxi from here (around Dh12).

  Azilal أزيلال

  Pop 29,000

  This regional centre is mainly of interest to travellers as a handy transport hub between Demnate, the Cascades d’Ouzoud and the Zaouiat Ahansal and Aït Bougomez Valleys. This is also the last place you'll be able to stock up on cash in the area; it's a good idea to get petrol here too. There’s a Thursday souq.

  1Sights

  Complexe ArtisanalMARKET

  (h9am-4pm Mon-Sat)

  Right across from the town hall, this market is a fine place to explore the Atlas craft traditions.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Hotel OuzoudGUESTHOUSE€

  (%0523 45 91 53, 0678 90 68 56; Ave Hassan II; s/d without bathroom Dh70/120)

  A good-value option in the centre of town, with simple but pleasantly set rooms and a small lounge. The best chambers have elaborate ceilings and appealing views. In the works is a new upstairs room with air-con, bathroom and TV (singles/doubles Dh120/200). There's a casual eatery downstairs.

  AjabliGUESTHOUSE€

  (%0523 45 84 04; Hay Oued Edahab Rue 22; s/tw Dh60/120; W)

  Rooms are spotless and freshly painted at this newish spot one block up from the main street. Couples are out of luck as it's mostly twin beds here, and shared bathrooms for all.

  Ibnou Ziad RestaurantMOROCCAN€

  (Ave Hassan II; meals Dh40-60; h11am-8pm)

  A good pit stop for a lunch of rotisserie chicken and chips, though football fans might be delayed by matches shown on TV here. It's on the main street, across from a small square.

  8Information

  You'll find a number of banks along Ave Hassan II, including Attijariwafa next to the police station.

  Assotech (2nd fl, Ave Hassan II; per hr Dh5; h9am-12.30pm & 2.30-10pm Mon-Thu &
Sat, 2.30-10pm Fri) One of the last internet outposts before heading into Aït Bougomez is above the Ben Alal Pharmacy on the main drag.

  8Getting There & Away

  Three daily buses run from Azilal to Marrakesh (Dh60, 3½ hours) and Demnate (Dh20, 1½ hours). There's also a 6pm bus to Agadir (Dh150) via Marrakesh. Buses and taxis currently depart from a station behind the main mosque, but plans are afoot to open a new bus station on Ave Hassan II, about 2km west of the centre (and closer to Ouzoud).

  Plenty of grands taxis run from Marrakesh to Azilal (Dh90) and, less frequently, from Azilal to Demnate (Dh35). In the afternoon, when full, local minibuses depart from Azilal to Zaouiat Ahansal (Dh50, around three hours) and Tabant (Dh40, three hours), the main town in Aït Bougomez.

  WORTH A TRIP

  KAYAKING AT BIN EL-OUIDANE

  From Azilal it's possible to take a detour to the huge dam of Bin el-Ouidane. The dam provides the majority of the electricity in the region, but more importantly it's the location for the increasingly popular 10-day kayak school of Morocco Adventure & Rafting. Held once a year between April and May, the school spends two days on the lake running through the basics (no previous experience required) before launching off into the Ahansal river gorge. What follows are seven spectacular days of running rapids through 8ft-wide gorges, river camping and turtle-spotting before returning in a loop to the lake.