Fresh air and waterfalls, your guide to Imlil: Gateway to the Atlas Mountains

Not so far away from the heaving medina and marketplaces of Marrakech there lies the gateway to the Atlas Mountains. A small town nestled just far enough in the peaks to benefit from dry verdant summers and crisp snowy winters. Imlil, the not-so-secret mountain village is what day trips are made of. This lush forested retreat makes for a perfect daytrip from busy Marrakech.

Imlil: What and Where is it?

Situated at the entrance of the Atlas mountains this little town is home to less than 10,000 people. It is most often used as the  starting ground for hikes up to Mount Toubkal (Northern Africa’s highest peak). If you aren’t keen for a multiday hike and instead want some nice view points and a rest from shopping in the medina, Imlil is it. 

The town has many rooftop restaurants and tea shops which is a nice way to start or end your visit. There is also the easily accessible waterfall which on the weekends and holidays packs up with local tourists wanting a break from the city. There are small villages which you walk through to get to the waterfall which will have a host of Berber salespeople and the odd cold drink vendor. At the waterfall there are places to stretch out and enjoy the cool mist and the relative peace. If you continue up, as shown on the map you will eventually hit a small village called Aroumd. You can walk around and enjoy the neighboring mountain views or continue along a road that takes you back to Imlil. The road back is quiet and has nice lookouts and viewpoints of the Atlas landscape. 

How to get to Imlil?

To get Imlil you don’t need to start super early. Have some breakfast, pick up some water and head to the collective taxi stand linked here.  You can try and find a shared taxi which will be quicker but may cost more (40-50 MAD) or you can head to the larger collectif buses. Ask around for the bus heading to Imlil and someone will help you out. These should cost between 25 – 50 MAD depending on how much the driver thinks he can squeeze out of you. Essentially a mini bus, with standing room and a whole bunch of locals who will look at you as if you’ve accidentally made a wrong turn. No worries though, they are friendly and welcoming, just make sure to drop a few Salaam Alaikum and you’ll be set.  

Now if you take the collectif as I did, be sure to admire the views of the valley that leads up to Imlil. There are gorgeous vistas that will distract you from the breakneck speed and the slightly suspicious rusting sound as the vehicle makes its way uphill.

The buses and taxis all drop you off in the same spot at the bottom of Imlil. Make your way up the hill, purchase any snacks you like and then continue up the road. You can easily make it to the waterfall by yourself as it is a pretty quick walk, maybe an hour roundtrip. However if you want to do a longer trail up to Aroumd and then back to Imlil you can do it yourself(which is not always recommended) or you can hire a guide. I went by myself and it was trial and error, and in the summertime when weather is a bit more predictable. However I am not a local and so I cannot speak to the safety of doing it yourself in more unpredictable weather conditions. Go with your gut and if you want to hire a guide there are plenty before you hit the waterfall. 

To get to the waterfall from the main road, approaching from the bus drop off:

Take  your first right off the main road walk up and as it continues it will make a hairpin turn. Follow the more gravelly path to the left of the paved road and then continue on until you hit the waterfall.  The path is pretty clear and any doubts will be corrected by backtracking or asking a local if you’re on the right path. 

The loop up to Aroumd and back to Imlil without a guide here is how you can do it:

When you begin to approach the waterfall there is a fork in the road (or I guess more accurately, path). One way leads across a short wooden footbridge to the waterfall the other leads up to what looks like a restaurant at the top of the hill. Follow the very steep incline up, up, up.  And once you approach the second restaurant follow the deer trail behind it. This is the point where you may have to ask someone how to get to Aroumd. I ended up asking a vendor at the base of the hill and giving him 10 MAD for his advice.  Keep on climbing up for maybe 10 more minutes and you should end up at the foot of a few cement houses and a parking lot. Now we are back on google maps and you can follow the trail marked here.  Otherwise if your anti maps, the road that leads back to Imlil is to your left once you are off the forest trail and on paved ground. Follow that road for 3.5km. And you will end up back in Imlil on the other side of town. 

A few tips for this longer route:

• Local conditions and stipulations may require you to take a guide, check in with the official sign on the way up from the taxi depot.
• Once crossing the stream at the initial fork in the road at the base of the waterfall, you shouldn’t cross over the stream again until you are back in Imlil. 
• If you ask people to get to Imlil from that road many of them will say the road is closed, or that you have to turn back. Ask multiple people or carry on with faith that you can always walk back with your head hung in shame but at least you know for sure. 
• If you attempt to do this without a guide please check weather conditions, make sure to share your location with someone and practice common walking/hiking common sense. 

Now once back in Imlil, take your time and enjoy a bite or a cold drink. There is plenty to eat and drink and my recommendation is any number of the kefta sandwich spots.

Getting back to Marrakech:

When you are ready to head back to Marrakech, head back downhill to the bus and taxi stand. Now begins the waiting and haggling. Share taxis will normally fill themselves up with 6 people unless they can convince you to go with them as a private taxi for an extortionate price. Across the road are the buses, which won’t leave until they are full, much like the taxi’s.

My suggestion: prepare to play the waiting game, ask how much other passengers are paying and whoever begins to fill up first join them. Be polite to both the taxi and the bus and know that you don’t owe them any loyalty in the end if one fills up quicker than the other. I ended up taking a shared taxi back which dropped me here for 50 MAD. Other passengers paid 40 MAD but after waiting for almost 40 minutes for the taxi to fill up, I bit the bullet and paid the extra tourist tax of 10 MAD. 

Once back in Marrakech, salute yourself for a day well spent and relaxation found in the Atlas Mountains!