Atlas Ascension

Day 1 in Morocco was an immersion in culture, food, sight and sound! We arrived late in Marrakech after our flight from Paris. It was straight to the nearby hotel for us as we had plans to be up early and start our five-day full-country tour.

Though, we typically choose to explore independently, we all agreed that the convenience (and unbeatable price) of a private tour was the best was to experience this incredible place.

Morocco has been on my travel wish-list for many, many years and it’s off to a great start.

Our tour guide, Mr. Rida (as M calls him), has chauffeured us from the historic city of Marrakech to one of the highest points in the Atlas Mountains via beautiful, winding roads and cozy towns dotting the rocky landscape.

The Atlas Mountains span Northern Africa from Morocco to Algeria to Tunisia. They serve as a natural boarder between the Mediterranean Sea/Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert. Once as tall as the Himalayas, the Atlas Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains (along with the Scottish Highlands) were once connected as part of the  Central Pangea Mountains before the continents separated.

Perhaps this is why Morocco already feels so familiar and comfortable despite the vast cultural differences. Everything here is different from the land to the language (Arabic, French and Berber are most common), to the clothing. However, the people have been so kind and hospitable we’ve really felt quite at home.

On the way to our mountain hotel, we made several stops at various mountain overlooks and markets. The big attractions for today, however, were the visits to Aït Benhaddou and a women-owned rose distillery/cosmetic factory.

Aït Benhaddou is a historic ksar (fortified city) located along a traditional caravan route. It is a shining example of clay architecture and was originally established in the 11th century.

Once a thriving and strategic connection between Marrakech and the Sahara Desert, the city is now used primarily as a tourist attraction and a movie set.

Yep, Aït Benhaddou is an extremely famous filming location. Dozens of films and  TV shows have been shot on location from Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to The Mummy (1999), both Gladiator films (2000, 2024), Prince of Persia (2010) and episodes of Outer Banks and Game of Thrones (just to name a few we recognized).

Mr. Rida arranged for a local guide to show us around the step-stairs and striking ledges of the interior city. This guide shared that he had been an extra in multiple shows/movies including being an unsullied solider in Game of Thrones.

Though the Hollywood connection was interesting, my favorite part of the visit was seeing a local artist demonstrate his craft. He invited us into his small studio to see the magic!

He showed us how traditional artists use three natural colors - yellow (made from saffron), blue (made from minerals mined in the Sahara) and black (made from black tea mixed with sugar). The black goes on the paper invisible but when heat is applied the paper via open flame it appears. M was mesmerized by the magic paintings and the rest of us weren’t too much better.

After our morning at Aït Benhaddou we ventured deeper into the mountains. M - ever the girly-girl - claimed her favorite stop of the tour was our tour at the rose distillery. Though the roses were not in season so the fields were empty, we got to tour the women-owned distillery and see how the flowers are processed for cosmetics.

M’s favorite part was the sample table where we got to try out the rose products. Lotions, face serums, creams, lipgloss, perfumes. You name it, they made it - all from Demask roses (pink ones only!).

Our booking provided very little information about the accommodations we would have during the tour. Our arrival at a family owned establishment, modest but clean and quiet. The hospitality was incredible. We were invited to tea on the terrace and served dinner in the small, homey restaurant.

Dinner was a welcomed treat! Olive and bread appetizers. M is in olive heaven again. If you recall our trip to Spain two springs ago, you’ll remember she lived off of olives. For dinner we had a delicious tomato and onion salad, chicken tagine served in a traditional tagline pot. We also had fries and fresh fruit for dessert.

Bedtime came early! Tomorrow we head out of the mountains and into the Sahara for a night camping in the desert!