30/01/2011
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| Ourika Valley |
I have to confess that, despite my best intentions, I have not made as many trips into the Atlas Mountains as I should have. The chilled out, laid back atmosphere at the Domaine, where we have our villa, encourages extreme lethargy such that every planned excursion to the Mountains or the Atlantic coast is put off for another day. My father accompanied us on our last visit and he was anxious to make the trip. So, spurred on by parental nagging, we finally got our act together.
A few kilometres after Tnine we had a choice to make.... a right turn to Oukaïmeden or Setti-Fatma to the left. Oukaïmeden is, believe it or not, a ski resort. It has the highest ski station in the whole of Africa. Definitely worth a visit...but this wasn't the ski season, so we went left. Almost immediately the road narrowed as the road wound higher and higher. There were spectacular views to both sides of the road with a very picturesque river running down our left has side.
We stopped at a cafe just a few kilometres from Setti Fatma where the road ends and parked next to the river near a rope footbridge... just like the one out of the Indiana Jone movie!
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| My daughter negotiating the "Indiana Jones' footbridge |
After an hour or so trekking along the river bank and playing at Indiana Jones we headed back the way we came and stopped for a late lunch and a swim at the Auberge le Maquis, a small hotel near the road junction to Oukaïmeden. Le Maquis would be an excellent place to stay if you wanted to make an overnight stop in the mountains..... http://www.le-maquis.com/
We arrived back at Villa Zetouna in time for tea. We all agreed that out trip to the Atlas mountains was long over due and we would return for a longer excursion on our next visit.
