Berber Villages of the High Atlas Mountains

DAY TRIP TO BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS

This excursion takes you to the northern edge of the Souss Valley into the foothills of the lofty High Atlas mountains just 35 minutes drive north of Taroudant and is centred around visits to an area not normally visited by foreigners.

The trip takes in 3 villages each of which depends for its livelihood on 3 different products: honey, pottery and olive oil. It includes opportunities to visit local people’s homes to see bread making, their livestock, their lifestyle and to eat a delicious vegetarian tagine, scooped up by freshly baked bread.

The visit begins by crossing stepping stones across a river bed which is often dry. When needed we hire mules or donkeys to get you across. You then walk through the villages and the adjacent olive groves and kitchen gardens.

At the villages you’ll be welcomed into houses and workplaces and will gain an insight into the simple yet rewarding lifestyles, as well as having a chance to see production of some of the local products.  You may wish to support their cottage industries by purchasing products such as soap, rustic pottery, honey and cold pressed olive oil (very tasty indeed due to the dry climate). The vagaries of climate have made local people’s income very precarious and thus the income from such sales is much appreciated.

Fundraising to support various projects in the village including soap making and education earned Naturally Morocco a Responsible Tourism Trophy for Social & Economic Development in 2009.  After enjoying meals in Taroudant, you may be interested in having a copy of our electronic cook book in exchange for which our visitors make donations towards the projects.

Your guide will normally be the charming Dounia, whose family live in the village and whose main interest is in social issues, though she is very knowledgeable about a vast range of issues.

This trip is normally automatically included in your “Real Morocco” programme since it includes points of interest for everyone. Walking is easy but there are some rough surfaces and moderate gradients over short distances; walking shoes are therefore advised.

Normal timing 9am - 3pm. 

What’s included

Guide, driver and transport. Optional packed lunch. Most clients choose to include the cultural experience of lunch in a Berber home.