Day Hikes from Fez
A Troglodyte Village amidst Wooded Mountains
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
GRADE ONE - WALKING MOSTLY ON PATHS AT LOWER LEVELS, SOMETIMES ROCKY, SELDOM FLAT, FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS EACH DAY. GOOD TRAINERS WOULD DO, BUT TAKE BOOTS IF YOU ARE USED TO THEM. FOR ANYONE WHO LEADS A REASONABLY ACTIVE LIFE. HIKING ALWAYS INVOLVES SOME EFFORT.
ITCTFES02 - departures: daily (5 hours hike)
Departure from Fes at around 7.30 in the morning for an exciting 2hours' drive towards the south-east along the Saïss Plateau through pleasant rolling countryside, with the Middle Atlas (or 'Fazaz') in the distance, when we turn into the lower foothills towards one of the more attractive towns in Morocco - Sefrou ( souq on Friday). From the combined Arab words 'as' and 'frou' meaning 'shelter-, this is a calm and relatively unspoiled, ochre pisé walled and turreted town, with its nine 'Babs', or gateways lying in a beautiful wooded valley surrounded by cherry, apple and olive trees.
We make a short stop here to visit the small medina and the maze-like mellah, or old Jewish Quarter, for here there had once been, since pre-Islamic times, a large Berber population converted to Judaism by roving missionaries living alongside the unrepentant Berber peoples. The town, known for its olive and cherry production, holds a large Fêtes Des Cerises in June, and other smaller festivities throughout the year also hosts a flourishing artisan community. The souqs are lined with the booths of potters, tailors, embroiderers, carpenters and cobblers applying their ancient trades.
Here we leave our vehicle to take a short stroll around this 1st century town to then set out for a 8km. hike of about 1½ hours towards Bhalil, a hamlet built in a narrow mountain valley. Bhalil claims ancient Christian origins, predating Islam, from Christian soldiers of the Roman Second Legion fleeing persecution of their latest Emperor. The cobblestoned streets with a mixture of some 1500 pisé and stone homes of 2 or 3 simple rooms awash in pastel hues of pink, blue and yellow with more modern blue and white wash houses, many small, elegant stone bridges, and women washing clothes and carpets in the communal basin, or at the seasonal river, all provide for a picturesque scene of local Berber village life, far from the hustle and bustle of Fes and Meknes.
From here we shall walk up a narrow winding path behind the village to a small clearing and a row of cave entrances and unique troglodyte dwellings, with 40 families still inhabiting these cave homes to, doubtless, be welcomed in for a glass of mint tea. As we continue our walk through these lower wooded mountain slopes we shall have the opportunity to see the seasonal variety of flora and fauna typical to this region - buzzards, kestrels and eagles, rock doves, larks, buntings, wagtails and finches; butterflies and dragonflies; broom, anenomies, wild gladioli, violet calamint and campanula. We have now been walking for about 4 hours, so we stop for our picnic lunch near a river overlooking the village and a valley of evergreen holm oak, cork, pine and juniper to finally circle back down to Sefrou for a final stroll around the town, possibly for last-minute enjoyable - and less expensive - bartering before boarding our awaiting transportation for our 2hour drive back to Fes.
Costs per person:
(minimum 2 persons) |
£110 |
(4 persons) |
£75 pp |
Our price includes:
Experienced, licensed, bi-lingual mountain guide throughout. Round trip transportation Fez - Sefrou - Fez. Light picnic lunch.
Picnic lunch - fresh Moroccan salad, cheese, tinned tuna fish*, bread, fruit, mint tea.
* If vegetarian or vegan, please pre-advise.
Our prices do not include:
Personal medical or accident insurance. Any expenditure of a personal nature. Bottled or gaseous water, nor anything not specifically mentioned in the itinerary. Gratuity to guide.
It is recommended that you bring:
Good trainers or walking boots. Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, nibbles, filled water bottle, binoculars, hygienic 'wipes'.
NB: 48 hours' notice is required when booking for 3 or more persons, given the scarcity of minibuses in Fes.
Tel: (08707) 406 306
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