The flat valley of Ait Bouguemez in the Jbel M’Goun National Park has been catching lots of attention from trekkers looking for something off the beaten path in Morocco. Similar to the view of Mount Toubkal while hiking in the High Atlas Mountains, the Bouguemez Valley is richly diverse in its agriculture and people. Old strong-fort houses align the hillsides while farmers thresh corn with their work mules.

Small huts serve as homes to the Berber tribesmen who live in the area. No longer nomadic, the people of the region have turned to agriculture and tourism to sustain them. With ingenuity and cunning, they have irrigated the plains into fertile ground. The houses are made of earth, which keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer months. The mud and straw mixture have to be replenished each year after the rainy months of February through March.

Some areas worthwhile to hike in Morocco and visit through the area include Agouti, which once served as an ancient outpost. The Ait Bout Oulli Valley is nutrient rich and walnut trees grow along its banks. One of the most interesting villages in the area is Abachkou, where women in the village produce stunning pure-white capes found no where else in the country.

Brought to you by: Morocco Tours with Journey Beyond Travel