overview
The High Atlas are the perfect antidote to the bustle of Marrakech, and this former warlord’s fortress, set at the confluence of two valleys, is an ideal base camp for trekking.
High above sea level, the Kasbah perches like an eagle’s nest on a rocky outcrop below snow-topped Jbel Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak at 4,200 metres. The Kasbah is only 40 miles from Marrakech, yet the peace and quiet and seclusion are so complete the city seems a million miles away. It has eight simple but stylish rooms and three more luxurious apartments, a traditional hammam steam room and a huge roof terrace with views of the snow-dusted peaks and the village of Imlil below - a wonderful place to sit in your loaned leather ‘babouches’ (slippers) and hooded woollen ‘djelaba’ (cloak), taking in the views, in awe at the majesty of it all.
Equipped for day visits or longer stays, with a range of accomodation from dormitories to ensuite and villa style rooms, the kasbah is staffed by Berbers who offer a genuinely warm welcome and a fascinating insight into their culture.
There is some magnificent trekking here to remote areas of outstanding natural beauty. Snow covered peaks and craggy ridges tower over deep gorges. Isolated valleys are dotted with oases of iridescent green where land has been cultivated by the local Berber people. Passing through walnut groves and Berber goatherds, taking in the incredible views down the valleys with their tiny villages, our treks take you into the heart of this unspoilt mountain paradise whose very remoteness has preserved a traditional way of life unchanged for centuries.
Day trips are available, but more adventurous souls can ascend Mount Toubkal itself accompanied by a donkey laden with all the necessary food and bedding for an overnight stay in Toubkal’s mountain lodge, right in the heart of the spectacular Atlas Mountains.