RESORTcarpets underfoot. Stroll through the oasis, but return for sunset aperitifs, a hammam and argan-oil massage.Dar Zitoune $$
( 0662 40 83 80; Douar Zii; www.dar-zitoune.com; s incl breakfast Dh480-530, d Dh660-810) Escape the urban hustle in
this stone-walled country house, with a pool in the garden, spacious guest rooms with hand-carved Berber furnishings, and
lazy breakfasts on the patio overlooking a patchwork of farmland. Your host Anouar organises on-site hammams and
massages, plus eco-excursions from canoeing to dromedary-riding. Pets are welcome, and pet-sitting services are available.
It’s off Rte d’Amizmiz.Toubkal & 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, but the Toubkal region contains all
the highest peaks – and since these mountains are 2½ hours from Marrakesh, it’s the most
frequently visited High Atlas region.
The first road was cut through this remote region in the early 20th century, over the Tizi n’Test
pass. Before that, the only way to travel was via mountain mule trails, leading from the Sahara
to northern plains. You can still walk these ancient tracks, following the footsteps of dauntless
pilgrims and desert traders under brilliant blue African skies.
For pure mountain air that cuts through the heat and leaves you giddy, don’t miss the highest
mountain in North Africa: snow-capped Jebel Toubkal. Mountain trails criss-crossing the High
Atlas ( Click here ) start from base camps at Imlil. On the way to Imlil, you could make a pit
stop 47km south of Marrakesh at Asni for roadside tajines and the Saturday souq , where you
may spot Berber rugs and silver jewellery amid fruit stalls and donkey auctions. You could walk
the rest of the way in about six hours; an old mule track outside Asni leads through the Mizane
Valley past tiny Berber villages to Imlil.
Getting There & Away
Frequent local buses (Dh15, 1½ hours) and grands taxis (Dh30, one hour) leave south of Bab
er-Rob in Marrakesh for Asni. Local minibuses and occasional taxis travel the final 17km
between Asni and Imlil (Dh15 to Dh20, one hour). Expect a car journey from Marrakesh to Imlil
to take at least 2½ hours.
IMLIL
A favourite hitching post for mountain trekkers and overheated Marrakesh escapees, Imlil
(elevation 1740m) is just a five-hour hike from the base of Jebel Toubkal. Day trippers from
Marrakesh can hike from Imlil to neighbouring Armoud, but in spring, you won’t want to miss
waking up in these flowering High Atlas foothills.
Sleeping & Eating
Prices at local gîtes increase by at least 15% in high season between April and October; some
places close in the cold off-season between November and February. Additional options are
nearby in Armoud.