The Atlas Mountains Place guide

You can be in Marrakech and be at a loss for what to do with theAtlas Mountains at your doorstep. The range is home to some serious peaks, one of them Jebel Toubkal – North Africa’s highest mountain at 4,167m (13,667ft). Luckily, you don’t need to be a climber to enjoy the spectacular landscape, as several valley roads allow access into some of the most interesting sites. 

Summer is a wonderful time to schedule your visit to these highlands, a cool escape from the rest of the country’s sweltering heat. 

History: Land of the Berbers

Over the course of history, the rugged and remote Atlas has been home to various Berber tribes. Every now and then, one of them has come racing down to conquer the rest of the country, establishing a new dynasty. These tribes, however, were never successfully conquered by anyone, thus making their traditions distinct from those of “lowland” Moroccans. 

The women of the Atlas, instead of wearing veils, wear headscarves; their skirts are designed in bright, clashing patterns. You might also see them doing all the work, carrying huge bales of brushwood on their backs as the men sit around chatting and smoking. 

The Berber tribes live in villages up on the edges of the valley, along clear streams. Their topographies are made up of rugged skyscapes and lush valley floors interspersed by wriggling roads. 

There are two main passes over the High Atlas: the Tizi-n-Test to the southwest, and Tizi-n-Tichka to the southeast. In between these two, another road follows the Ourika Valley into the High Atlas as far as the village of Setti Fatma and its waterfalls – a popular itinerary among Marrakech tours. 

Tizi-n-Tichka: Road to Ouarzazate 

Southeast of Marrakech, the P31 runs across the plain, cutting into the High Atlas to snake spectacularly over the range’s highest pass: the Tizi-n-Tichka. It takes you 196km (122mi) to Ouarzazate, gateway to the Sahara Desert and center of Morocco’s film industry. 

Tizi-n-Tichka lies 50km (31mi) southeast of Marrakech, reached by a spine-tingling journey. On the way up, each bend reveals a new panorama, whether it be a Berber village clinging to the rock, fertile slopes shrouded in forest or terraced fields cultivated by locals.

The mountains are filled with semi-precious stones, peddled by roadside sellers showing melon-sized geodes. These are often broken in half to reveal the glittering colored crystals within, although many may be artificially enhanced!

Along the way, one can stop at the kasbahs of Telouet and Ait Benhaddou. 

Tizi-n-Test: Mountain pass to Taroudant

At 2,092masl, Tizi-n-Test is the other mountain pass on the High Atlas, famous for its amazing views south across the Souss Valley. You can enjoy a snack or drink at a couple of small cafes here, whilst taking in the panorama ahead, and back towards Mount Toubkal. The latter is a summit popular for mule-trekking or summitting via a two-day climb. 

From Tizi-n-Test southwards, the road drops dangerously, descending 1,600m in around 30km (18mi). Go at it carefully, enjoying the views before hitting prosperous farmland that prelude the town of Taroudant.

Taroudant, enclosed by reddish ramparts against the backdrop of the High Atlas, is often dubbed ‘little Marrakech’. It commands trade routes across a plain kitted out with souks – formerly the Saadian capital in the early 16th century.