- Marrakech, Morocco — starting of the Morocco segment of our 2026 adventure
- Essaouira, Morocco
- Ourika Valley and the Atlas Mountains, Morocco
- Errachidia and the Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp
- Fes, Morocco
- Volubilis and Meknes, Morocco
- Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Tangier, Morocco
- Casablanca, Morocco
- Rabat, Morocco
After spending a lot of time in cities, it was time to get out into the countryside. Just a short drive from Marrakech is the Ourika Valley, nestled in the Atlas Mountains. The first thing you notice when riding to the valley is the incredible growth and sprawl of Marrakech. There are new “luxury” housing development going up on the road to the valley — but only the same two lane road. All those houses will put additional pressure on the route to the valley and the flocks of tourists that already use it. Like so many other nature-oriented tourist destinations, the irony is that there is denser traffic there than in the the city itself. But we were not deterred (ish). The Ourika Valley is still made up of Berber villages, whose residents earn their income through handicrafts and tourism. There is a lot of metalwork, ceramics, and basket making in the area and there are large numbers of stands along the winding highway that wends its way into the valley along the roaring Ourika River. I should probably mention at this point that the Ourika Valley reminded me a lot of the area west of Colorado Springs, CO — deep red, granite rich, soils, lots of trails heading into canyons, neighborhoods and houses built into the hillside and, of course, roaring river flow from snowmelt. Throw in the tourism and you’ve got Route 24 from Manitou Springs to Woodland Park and the back way to Cripple Creek. While we browsed some of the roadside stands, our original intent had been to visit the souk at one of the Berber villages, but it was mobbed with at least 10 tour buses. We voted to press on to our main target, Setti Fatma and the Seven Waterfalls (a denser version of Manitou Springs). The village here is at around 5000 feet and then you start the hike up. That’s where things get a bit different. It seems like for every small stretch you hike, there is a cluster of craft/souvenir/food shops selling pretty much anything you can think of. All of this stuff has to be hauled by hand up the steep trail. And that’s probably the other difference — “trail” would be a kind description; scrabbling up steep rocks and hopping from rock-to-rock to cross the river tributary would be more accurate. Deb decided to stop at one of the oasis points for a little tea and our guide (who was fabulous) took me up to the second fall. Beyond that, a lot of the damage from the earthquake from 2.5 years ago made the trail almost impassable. And then there are the hordes of people climbing up, in all manner of dress (one woman was wearing a skirt and flip flops — yikes!). We clearly made the right decision foregoing the souk because the trail was fairly empty going up, but coming down we went against the grain of everyone coming up. The views of the canyon, river, and ultimately waterfalls made the hike worthwhile. And then there’s the ever-present snow-capped Jebel Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, rising to 13,671 feet (similar to Colorado Springs’ Pikes Peak, coming in at just over 14,000 feet. We finished our time there, eating at one of the riverside restaurants, sitting on colorful cushions and small tables right on the river’s edge. Despite all the traffic and crowds, this was an exhilarating day!
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
