On our way to the Paradise Valley and other Agadir, Morocco Off The Beaten Path Tips

From Agadir we drove with our car in the direction of the water falls in Immouzzer des Ida Outanane to visit the Paradise Valley. Coming from Tamraght at the coast we drove first through the mountains and along a wide valley (picture 2), Here we made some stops for the views before we entered the narrow scenic gorge (picture 3) into the direction of the Paradise Valley.

The windy and narrow road, twisting along the steep slopes and palm trees (pictures 1, 4 & 5) made it a spectacular trip. Only this route made it allready worth to visit the Paradise Valley.

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The Paradise Valley or Taghrat Ankrim in Amazighe, the local language of the Berbers, is a 7km long green and narrow Valley along the Ankrim river.

In the sixties this valley was a popular gathering place of the hippies from abroad. They live here ´in paradise´ and cultivated the ground. Aziz, our guiding Moroccan friend told us he visited the place also very often in those old days, having long hairs himself too.

Nowadays you can find except the natural vegetation and date palms lots cultivated grounds with fruit trees like olive, figs, bananas and oranges. After the hippies abandoned the area some locals took over. At the well we met a local man with a donkey and another man we met en route offered us pomegranats fresh from the tree.

The Paradise Valley is signposted from the road (picture 2). Look for the sign with ´Taghrat, Vallée du Paradis, sentier pédestre´ (footpath). Youngsters are waiting there, I suppose to offer you to guide you around. At the parking lot you will find a board with information about a 2,7 long trail (picture 1). It is telling that the trail is a USAID´s Morocco Rural Tourism project in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism.

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The Paradise Valley is situated north of Agadir in the foothills of the High Atlas. It's a 1-2 hours drive by car from Agadir on the way to the waterfalls of Immouzer des Ida Outanane. Because these waterfalls dont have much water in summer, we decided to visit the lovely Paradise Valley.

After a drive through the beautiful palm-lined gorge we left our car at the startingpoint of the signposted Paradise Valley trail. Aziz, our guiding friend who knows the area allready from the time the hippies still lived in the valley, guided us to the other side of the valley into the shade of the date palms. From here we made a lovely short 1-2 hours walk first in the shade of the palmtrees, along the narrow river towards the well. We saw lovely places for a swim.

For the walk back to the car we had to climb half way the mountain slope. We had to walk back in the sun along narrow mountain paths. So for this walk you need good shoes and eventually something to cover your head. The views at the valley are really great.

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South of Agadir along the coast stretches for seventy KMs the Sous Massa National Park.
We took the south entrance at 58 KM from Agadir near the Oued Massa. We booked a tour with a landrover to cross the area back to the north to Agadir.
The park is an area of tidal creeks and lagoons, but you can also see sanddunes and cliffs. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

There is a large variety of birdlife in the Park like the bald ibis and species of the crane, duck, flamingo, heron and many more. We saw a lot of birds, but we didn't see mammals. In the area are the red fox, genet, wild cat, jackal and wild boar.

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From Agadir we made in 1992 a one day tour with a landrover to the mountains in the area south east of Agadir and north east of Tiznit. First we visited the barrage and lake in this area and then we headed on unpaved roads into the mountains.

With a donkey we took a track to a small mountain village. On our way up we had a good look at the wadi with palm trees and the small fields of the villagers. The village looked very scenic and the villagers were very friendly, came to see us to say hello.

See my travelogue.

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During our tour with the landrover we went with a donkey from the wadi to a small village in the mountains north east of Tiznit.

The village was very picturesque with its houses built between the rocks. Under one of the rocks we saw an oven. Some villagers were very curious and came welcoming us, others were a little bit more shy.

See my travelogue for more.

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From Agadir it's very easy to visit Tafraoute and the area around in one day. Tafraoute is 130 KM south east of Agadir.
The landscape around Tafraoute is wonderful. Mountains of pink granite, or purple in the shadow, valleys with thousands of palmtrees and Berber villages.
This remote area is prosperous, due to its fertility, but even more by the succes of the men, travelling for business to the cities for their fortune.
The villages around Tafraoute are more interesting to explore than Tafraoute itself.
3 KM south of Tafraoute you can see a rock formation called Napoleon's hat and the blue painted rocks by the Belgian artist Jean Veran.

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Taroudannt is 85 KM east of Agadir. You can easily go there on a daytrip.

Taroudannt is a nice traditional Berber market town surrounded by red-mud walls. Especially the walls are striking. At the background of Taroudannt you have a nice view at the Atlas mountains.

We visited Taroudannt twice in 2000 and 2001. We enjoyed visiting the souqs, to walk around in the town, to have a drink and of course having a look at the spectacular walls. It felt if the atmosphere in and around the town didn't really change for the last 100 years.

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Tioute lies 48 KM south of Taraoudannt. The first time we visited Tioute in 2000, was on a one day tour from Agadir in combination with Taroudannt.

Tioute has ruins of a impressive kasbah. In the village itself is not much to see, but the atmosphere is nice. We did a donkey ride in the palmeraie. The villager who accompanied us explained a lot about the crops growing in the palmeraie. In the village in a local house I had the best Morrocan tajine and couscous ever.

In 2001 we came back and spent a night in the kasbah. It was nice to sit there in the evening to the great view and the lights of the village down. Most special was the splendid view at the palmeraies with changing light during the twilight.

We learned that in 1952 the kasbah was used for the film Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves, a great ambiance indeed.

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