Excursions in South Marrakech

the Imlil about the same height as the Alps and Rockies, are excellent for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter

Just south of Marrakech, the foothills of the Atlas are a patchwork of emerald green terraced fields, rising to rugged barren peaks sliced through by dramatic valleys and escarpments, and eventually opening out onto the awesome landscapes of the pre-Sahara.



In the High Atlas less than ninety minutes away from Marrakech, there are lush garden terraces and little rivers contrasting with the harsh rocky wilderness, and it is here that one finds the Toubkal National Park with the highest mountain in North Africa, Jebel Toubkal (4167m). The local Berbers are reserved but friendly, and hiking from Imlil will reveal a variety of wildlife including several species of butterfly, squirrels, vultures, larks, and golden eagles as well as large herds of Barbary sheep and goats.