Ourika Valley
Ourika is the name of a river and a valley that is located in the High Atlas mountains about 30 km from Marrakech. The river rises in the High Atlas and flows through the Ourika Valley. The valley that is accessible by vehicles is about 60 km by road from Marrakech. And is located in the foothills of the High Atlas mountains, it contains a number of Berber villages, a set of waterfalls, and also some female co-operatives manufacturing Argan oil.From Marrakech you have several choices:
* Rent a car if you don't have one and go there by yourself, the road is mostly well maintained.
* Organized day trip, many agencies and also hotels and riads organize one day excursion to the Ourika valley for groups of tourists. You can also go there in a private day trip if you wish.
*The last option is go there in "Grand Taxi" it's the cheapest way and would be cheaper if you share it with other people going there The Grand Taxis take 6 people max (35MAD for each person), but make sure to think about the way back ahead of time as it is sometimes not easy to find a Grand Taxi to take you back to Marrakech.
What to do there
First of all the view is magneficient, the natural landscape all along the road is something really pleasant to see. You could also visit a local traditional house in one of the berber villages there if you have the chance, the simplicity of life there is not to be missed, also try their local food if you want to get the whole experience.
You can also visit one of the Argan Oil Co-operatives there, run for and by women especially divorced or unemployed, it's their way to help themselves and their families, you will get the chance to see them working on producing cooking and cosmetic oil, soaps, creams and a dip for bread known as amlou.
Another thing you will notice is the rope bridges crossing the fast flowing river, they call them berber bridges there, they look kind of dangerous to cross, so it could be an opportunity t take some memorable pictures (Indiana Jones style).
Finally there are some local products and jeweleries that you can also purchase from local merchant. Remember to bargain.
In Hyper Morocco Tours we organize one day trip to Ourika Valley, if you are interested in booking please email us or reach us through our Contact Form
