Experience the best of Tnine Ourika

Tnine Ourika lies in the Ourika Valley in the foothills of the High Atlas south of Marrakech, a village of mud-brick houses along the Ourika river. Its name comes from the Arabic word for Monday, the day of its weekly souk, when farmers and herders from the mountain hamlets bring vegetables, livestock, spices and handmade goods to sell.

The valley road climbs from here toward Setti Fatma, a village at its head, with a series of waterfalls reached on foot above the river, and on to Oukaïmeden, a ski resort on a high plateau. Terraces of riverside restaurants line the Ourika, and Berber villages cling to the slopes of the mountains. Clay-walled kasbahs and herb gardens lie along the route.

Tagine, mint tea and Berber flatbread are served on the terraces above the river, and honey, argan oil and herbs are sold in cooperatives. The valley is cooler than Marrakech in summer, and in spring the mountains are green, while snow reaches the high slopes in winter.