Morocco – Imill Atlas Mountains, Marrakech

The Kingdom of Morocco, is a sovereign state located in Northwest Africa. Morocco is characterised by a rugged mountainous interior, large tracts of desert and a lengthy coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Population: 35.74 million (2017) Language Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often used for business, government, and diplomacy, Currency used is Moroccan dirham

Moroccan Flag

We knew Morocco was going to be very hot this time of year, so we decided to spend some of our time in the quaint village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains. It is 1,800 metres above sea level. The settlement offers stunning views over the valley and of Toubkal, the highest peak in Morocco. The drive to Imlil was interesting to say the least but as always Martin took it in his stride. The forests that surround the village are walnut groves, walnut, apple, and cherry harvesting has been the primary economy through the years, but in recent years the tourism trade has become the main source of income for Imlil. Not only do foreign visitors come to the mountains, but so do other residents of Morocco who want to escape the heat. It was at least 10 to 15 degrees cooler here than in Marrakech. We stayed in a wonderful raid on the side of a mountain, we needed donkeys to bring our luggage up the last 700 meters as it was too steep for cars to drive. We enjoyed simply sitting back and relaxing on one of the roof terraces while sipping some Moroccan mint tea and enjoying the landscape! We also did a small hike out to the Imlil waterfalls and the surrounding area. We had a few wild storms when we were here, it looked amazing across the mountains. We met two ultra-marathon runners they stayed in the same accommodation, both were training for Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (also referred to as UTMB) is a single-stage mountain ultramarathon. approximately 166 kilometres. They were a very interesting couple and wow 166 kilometres I cannot imagine doing this, it kills me to run 5 Kilometres.

View from our accommodation in Imlil the Atlas Mountains

Imlil waterfalls

Accommodation and Donkey transport

After 3 nights we headed to Marrakech we stayed in the old city of Marrakesh, or “medina” is separated from the rest of the city (the Gueliz) by a brick wall that spans about 20 kilometres and has 14 entrances. this was a common setup for Arab cities at the time and provided protection much like the castles did for villages in Europe. It’s still where the action is in Marrakesh and the pace inside the walls is intense. We stayed close to the hectic main square of the Jemaa el Fna with its winding souks (market) of spices, carpets, leather, and pottery and were your senses are bedazzled in every way with snake charmers, vendors selling street food and everything else plus some interesting artists. But Marrakech is also a buzzing modern city, with an increasingly happening culture. Hot summers can be bearable as there are lots of green spaces, the well maintained Gardens flourish and offer blissfully cool and tranquil escapes from the dust and chaos of the city.

Kotubia Mosque and the Markets (souks)