This classic day walk follows ancient mule trails through the scenic and somewhat remote Azzaden Valley in the High Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech. Walking for 4-5 hours from the top of the valley to the bottom we pass nine Berber villages and enjoy marvellous views far from the heavily trekked routes around Imlil. On our last recce of this walk we encountered just a single donkey and several locals!

First, we travel to the trailhead at Tizi Oussem by 4x4 and enjoy views of North Africa’s highest peak, Jebel Toubkal. After tea in a Berber home we start a 16 km walk along the valley. Our trail winds up and down both sides of the valley, following the Azzaden river on its journey towards the Atlantic. Nourished by High Atlas springs throughout the year, the valley has many orchards: we’ll see walnut and almond trees, olive groves and plentiful fruit trees including cherry, apple, peach, plum, apricots, quince, lemon and fig.

During our walk we enjoy a picnic lunch close to the river in a narrow gorge with waterfalls. We’ll also learn about day to day village life from our Berber guide. The final village we pass is Tassa Ouirgane. From here we walk through orchards and pass close to a local mosque before arriving back at Kasbah Africa. The pool awaits for a refreshing swim after a beautiful walk.