Toubkal National Park is located around the highest mountain in Morocco and all of North Africa: the Jbel Toubkal, also often written as Tubqal. It rises to 4,167 meters above sea level and its summit remains snow-capped for much of the year. Its natural and scenic interest is enormous, so in this post we have set out to tell you what can be done in the area, located about 60 km south of Marrakech.
Charming Villages and Valley
Several valleys of great interest descend from Jbel Toubkal. The closest, which is considered the main ‘gateway’ to the mountain, is the Imlil Valley: it is a green valley, watered by a humble stream that provides the necessary humidity to fill its banks with life. Uphill, vegetation covers a large part of the space, nuanced with different colors with the spring bloom.
The two main towns in the valley are Imlil and Asni, each interesting for different reasons. In Imlil, for example, there is a beautiful waterfall, impetuous in the thaw season. It lacks great monuments, but its atmosphere is characteristic, with Berber houses that, in many cases, open their doors to travelers to show their traditional way of life. In addition, it is considered the town from which to start the ascent to Jbel Toubkal.
For its part, Asni is located down the valley, even closer to Marrakech (about an hour by road approximately), which is why many citizens ‘escape’ here from time to time in search of nature and tranquility. Its main attraction is the traditional market, which is held once a week, usually on Saturdays.
Hiking and Sports
But without a doubt, the great attraction of Toubkal National Park is, precisely, its hiking routes. The most ambitious and interesting is the ascent to Jbel Toubkal which, contrary to what one might think, is not as demanding as other coronations. In fact, you don’t have to be an accomplished mountaineer to achieve it: having a good physical condition, being properly equipped and knowing how to acclimatize to the altitude are enough to encourage you with this company.
As we said, Imlil is considered the base of operations for the route, as the refuge from which the ascent truly begins is about 5 hours on foot. Therefore, to climb to the top it is advisable to dedicate at least two days. On the other hand, more days can be used to make a wider circuit, of approximately one week, to be able to reach other remote and charming Berber villages, such as Amsouzart, and stay overnight in the typical gite or rural hostels, in full harmony with the environment..
In all cases, it is advisable to have an expert guide or mountain monitor, who will know how to orientate and assess the circumstances of each moment so that the experience is safe in all cases. Some of them are helped by pack mules, if the path allows it.
Toubkal National Park, in our Circuits?
If you review our catalog of circuits, you will notice that none of the pre-designed ones pass through Toubkal National Park. However, we have the ability to organize a custom circuit to integrate this natural space into your route, booking charming accommodation in the valley, such as a gite or a Berber-type kasbah.In addition, one of the excursions in our catalog will allow you to get closer to Jbel Toubkal from another sector, the Ourika Valley, which also has corners full of beauty, such as Setti Fatma and its famous waterfalls or the Oukaimeden ski resort.
