Hiking: Exploring the Yagour Plateau

Route overview

The Yaguour Plateau reveals an exceptional view of the Haouz plain and the city of Marrakech. It is home to tangible and intangible heritage as well as ancestral know-how to explore, including terraced crops, irrigation and water management techniques, Berber songs, rock engravings and modes of transhumance.

This circuit, lasting four days, starts from the center of Tighdiouine. The first stage leads to the villages of Aït Inzal, with a picnic near a water reservoir along the way. After lunch, a trip through the villages and their cultivated terraces is planned, offering a discovery of irrigation systems and traditional techniques for developing water in terraces. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet villagers, discussing local cultures and transhumance practices. Dinner and overnight stay are planned at a homestay in the village of Aït Ali, at an altitude of 1700 meters. This stage requires approximately 6 hours of walking.

The second day begins with departure from Aït Ali for an ascent of the Yagour plateau. After just 40 minutes of walking, an opportunity presents itself to explore the first rock carvings. Lunch is planned near Lake Iferd, at an altitude of 2460 m, with the setting up of a bivouac on site. The afternoon will be dedicated to the discovery of other rock engraving sites, with the possibility of interacting with shepherds in the mountain pastures. This stage, lasting 6 hours of walking, offers the possibility of spending the night under the stars in a peaceful place, protected from noise and light pollution (Dark Sky).

After breakfast on the plateau, in a bivouac, the exploration continues with the discovery of other sites of rock engravings on the Yagour plateau. There is also an opportunity to enjoy the mountain pastures during a picnic on the plateau, followed by a night spent in bivouac at an altitude of 2200 meters at Talat-n'Isk. This stage requires approximately 5 hours of walking.

After breakfast at the Talat-n'Isk camp, a picturesque descent begins towards the village of Azgour, along the valley of the Wadi Zat. A relaxing break is planned during lunch on the banks of the Zat river. This stage concludes with a return to Marrakech at the end of the afternoon.

Recommendations

• Take your time and pleasure to make great photos.
• Savor the landscapes and moments of the hike.
• Enjoy the warm welcome of the locals.
• Protect yourself from the sun.
• Take your time to visit as many cooperatives as possible.

Planning

Note: This itinerary is designed to simplify planning your trip. However, times and dates remain flexible. Do not hesitate to extend or shorten your stay at one of the points of interest depending on your feelings.

Info & Booking

The tourist itineraries offered in the province of Al Haouz are mainly marketed by foreign tour operators, travel agencies specializing in rural tourism, in particular those located in Marrakech, as well as by tourist guides of natural areas, whether live or via their websites.