Ait Ben Haddou Things to Do Tips by barryg23

The Kasbah at Ait Ben Haddou is one of the most recognised in Morocco. It’s been used in countless number of films and is the most popular and most visited Kasbah in an area heavily populated with Ksours, Ksars and Kasbahs. Ait Ben Haddou’s Kasbah is often referred to as a singular structure but, in fact, it’s more like a collection of small Kasbah.

Despite its renown, parts of the Kasbah are in an alarming state of ruin. Kasbah's are notorious for falling quickly into ruin if not maintained properly. If this what happens to Ait Ben Haddou, which receives UNESCO funding and large numbers of visitors, there’s not much hope for other Kasbahs in the region.

Many families still live in the kasbahs here, and you can visit some of their homes (usually for a fee). Paths lead upwards from the close network of Kasbahs to an old Agadir (fort) at the top.

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On a clear day you'll have excellent views of Jebel Toubkal and other High Atlas mountains in the distance. Ait Ben Haddou is one of the hottest places in Morocco and even seeing snow, albeit faraway, is a surprise. We were planning to hike up to Toubkal in the following days so it was nice to get an early first glimpse of it from afar.

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There’s a small hill to the south of the Kasbah from which you have a great view of the surrounding region, the town and of course the Kasbah. There are a number of shops and cafes on the near side of the hill and you can scramble up to the top on this side. Alternatively, there is an easier ascent on the far side along a path.

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The Agadir, which was used as a fortified granary, is at the summit of the Kasbah and is the goal of most people who visit the Kasbah. The agadir structure is in a some ruinous state, just like much of the rest of the Kasbah. It would have been a difficult place to attack as the main path up is via long switchbacks and the direct climb up is very steep. At the top you are rewarded with excellent views.

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The village on the opposite side of the river has developed almost entirely in demand to the tourist numbers who visit Ait Ben Haddou. Here you’ll find a good number of hotels, a mosque, some cafes and tourist shops. You can even download photos from your memory cards to a CD in a music shop. There is little of historic interest in the village.

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The gate at the bottom of the hill looks, on first glance, authentic enough, but it was built as part of a film set for the movie "Romancing the Stone", set in South America and starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, and has remained in place since.

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