From Marrakech: Day trip to the Ourika Valley

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From Marrakech, explore the Ourika Valley in the High Atlas for a day.
Discover authentic Berber houses, a women’s cooperative making argan oil and souks. Refresh yourself near beautiful waterfalls.

The valley begins about forty minutes from Marrakech and climbs along the Ourika river, with red mountains on either side and terraced gardens, walnut and fig trees along the water. It is the closest piece of real mountain country to the city and noticeably cooler in summer.

On the way we stop at a women’s cooperative where argan oil and plant products are made, and visit a traditional Berber house, where you see how families here store grain, bake bread and live through the winter.

At the end of the road lies Setti Fatma, the village at the foot of the seven waterfalls. From there a footpath climbs over rocks to the first fall, about thirty to forty minutes up, with cafes set on platforms beside the river where you can sit with your feet in the water.

If your visit falls on a Monday you can also see the valley souk, where people come down from the surrounding villages to trade. Return to Marrakech in the late afternoon.