Visit Berber towns and villages from Marrakech

If you plan to stay in Morocco and want to discover the most beautiful Berber villages since Marrakech, here is the list you need to know.

♪ Berber , or Amazighs in the original language ( Imazighen to the plural), represent an ethnic group from North Africa, which is now very widespread throughout the world. With a particularly long and rich history, it has not yet been possible to determine precisely their origins.

Berbers now live mostly in North Africa, Morocco and Morocco Algeria in particular. People of nomads, however, they settled by place, forming villages with a very special aspect, enrolling in the arid landscape of the Morocco . Berber villages are now part of the Moroccan architectural and historical heritage. It is also possible to visit them.

So, explore the most beautiful Berber villages since Marrakech, a true gateway to Morocco. The authenticity of the places and the generosity of their inhabitants will forever mark your mind...

1. Ouarzazate and the Atlas Studios

Ouarzazate is one of the most famous Moroccan Berber cities despite its very young age (XXth century). It is one of the must-see sites during a stay in southern Morocco.

Moreover, its geographical location is worth the nickname of “desert door” because of its proximity to the infinite sandy areas that constitute the Sahara . Ouarzazate is full of colours and stories: in fact, many filmmakers have fallen under his charm and have chosen their home for their film. Don’t miss the Atlas Studios or the beautiful Kasbah in the heart of the city.

2. Aït-ben-Haddou and the “sailed shore”

Located between Marrakech and Ouarzazate, Ait-ben-Haddou is actually what is called a “ighrem” ( Berber language) or “ksar” (Arab language), a fortified village. Its beauty makes it part of UNESCO’s World Heritage, by its reinforced walls, its former collective attic and the peculiarity of its typical Moroccan architecture.

Aït-ben-Haddou is located not far from oued Maleh , “rivière salée”, which has the singularity of being extremely salty, and therefore unfit for consumption! Just like his neighbour Ouarzazate, the village was the set of filming many films, including Lawrence d’Arabie (1962) or Gladiator (2000).

3. Taliouine and the saffron

Taliouine is a must if you want to visit Berber towns and villages since Marrakech. The village stands out with its colourful facades and its wonderful kasbah where you will find the ancient Palace of the Pacha. The souk is also to be discovered, especially as you can feel the safraid odors tickle your nostrils.

Indeed, Taliouine is located in a region that produces such a rare spice, incarnating local gold, the red gold of the Berbers. Saffron cooperatives are open to visits, do not miss the opportunity to lift all the secrets behind this delicate production.

4. Tinghir and Toudgha Gorges

Tinghir is a very populous Berber city compared to others, with nearly 37,000 inhabitants. It is a huge oasis that has been able to enjoy the riches of its land, so that it can be created around the oued Toudgha (a shore that crosses it), a real, lively and prosperous city.

Moreover, by stopping in Tinghir, you cannot ignore the Toudgha Gorges, slightly north of the city. True natural monuments, these gorges have allowed the cultivation of many productions such as apple trees, grenadiers or apricot trees. You can climb, if you like climbing, and visit them by yourself or accompanied by a guide.

That said, do not miss the city in itself, which is worth the detour with its colors from the desert to the green, like the authentic architecture of the whole country.

5. Yesrgane and High Atlas relief

Who said visiting Berber towns and villages since Marrakech should take some time? With Ouirgane, you only have 2 hours of road, about 90 kilometers to go. Its proximity, at the country level and its arid topology, makes Ouirgane a Berber city very appreciated by tourists, who come to find authenticity.

Mountainous and rural atmosphere, Ouirgane is located in the massif of Haut-Atlas, where nights can be fresh but where days are always beautiful. Discover the region and its reliefs as well as its lush gardens.

6. Oukaimeden

When you start visiting Berber villages from Marrakech, you don’t imagine discovering a ski resort. Yet this is the case of the village of Okaimeden, which in winter is dressed in white and allows many amateurs to descend snowy tracks. This is the country’s main ski resort with 20 ski slopes, all less than 2 hours from Marrakech.

We advise you to go there in winter. Indeed, even if the village is also accessible and charming during the other seasons of the year, it is in winter that it shines the most.

7. Azemmour

All Berber villages that have become cities have not necessarily kept authentic architecture. A former city of the Berber kingdom, Azemmour (translated into “olive”) still enjoys its past prominence.

Indeed, by discovering it, you can see a splendid mosque, a medersa and a beautiful medina . It is absolutely necessary to visit Azemmour, because even if it is more than three hours from Marrakech, it remains an exceptional Berber city, bordered by the Oum Errabiaa and the beach of El-Haouzia, very popular with tourists and locals.

8. Asni

At the edge of the Haut-Atlas massif is Asni, an authentic Berber village with its colours and vegetation. An immediate view of the massif, Asni is slowly discovered, giving himself time to appreciate the great landscapes and the surrounding nature. On the side of the valley, Asni is illustrious by the beauty of its places.

This Berber village is the perfect place to rejuvenate, mark a break in a messy stay, and take the time to think. The time itself seems to slow down, as to allow us time to understand the environment. Many walks are possible around and we invite you to undertake them.

9. Aït Hamza

In the heart of the Upper Atlas, on the heights of these imposing massifs, Aït Hamza is one of these isolated Berber villages. Yet it is the ideal place to discover an entire culture, with the inhabitants, at the turn of a narrow alley tinted with ochre or made of stones.

You will not spend whole weeks there, but you will enjoy stopping there a few hours or even a day or two. Morocco has this power to incense the pleasure of enjoying, accepting the generosity of the inhabitants and the many colors of local life.