Le Jardin aux Etoiles
Riad between Agadir and Taroudant, in southern Morocco
Holiday rental with a resident of Swiss nationality
L'âme de la cité y revit, et de quelle merveilleuse manière !
Le plus grand du Maroc
Du surf sur le sable, des quads, des balades.
L'âme de la cité y revit, et de quelle merveilleuse manière !
Discoveries: above 20 (very) good addresses
The exceptional Valley of Paradise is hidden in the depths of one of the last foothills of the Atlas before it descends into the Atlantic, at Agadir. It is reached by a sometimes bumpy road that winds through the mountain. You have to earn it and then take a marked footpath.
The Valley of Paradise was made famous by chance. A German couple stricken with the disease went through it and left cured six months later.
Having become a gathering place for hippies in the 60s and 70s, the aptly named Paradise Valley is still shrouded in this atmosphere today. Jimi Hendriix has left his mark in the region. Myth or reality ?
Two possible routes
The most used road to reach the Valley of Paradise passes through the locality of Aourir, located by the sea. About fifteen kilometers after this locality, whose crossing has been enormously improved, a road sign indicates the direction of a pedestrian path which leads tonatural pools with turquoise waters.
Reed huts
Arrived at destination, you leave your car in the parking lot, which will require you to return a few dirhams to the caretaker. We take a path that climbs first, before descending. Then begins the parade of reed huts which welcome the visitor, here for a tajine, there for a drink or a mint tea, known as "Moroccan whiskey" (see the animated gallery below on the left).
The landscape is superb, punctuated by the maze of date palms and abundant flora. At the edge of the wadi, whose banks become more and more rocky, we come across tables and chairs sunk in the water. It is a refreshing invitation when the temperature rises.
In less than an hour, by a path rising on the hillside, which becomes panoramic in its upper part, you reach the confines of the Valley of Paradise, where the natural pools are as many places for games, even sports, as shown in one of the videos below.
SOS cleanliness
Let's not hide a big black spot: rubbish of all kinds, in particular plastic bottles, too often litter the ground, destroying the sublime beauty of the place. Signs encouraging cleanliness have been placed along the path anda page has been created on Facebook in order to fight this scourge. Finally, nature's surest allies are still the heavy rains of late autumn, when they come and wash away everything in their path...
However, initiatives have been taken within the framework of theMarrakesh COP22. The 1st Environment Day at the end of August 2016 saw a regular operation ofgarbage hunt, on the theme "Keep it clean, keep it zouin". Now 20 waste bins and awareness panels dot the course.
Leave early in the morning
One can devote half a day, even a day to the discovery of the "Valley of Paradise". It is also possible to continue until Imouzzer, then until the natural swimming pool of Win-Timdouine, before returning to our rental villa. Be careful though: this program is ambitious and supposes leaving the Jardin aux Etoiles early!
Finally, let's point out to horse lovers the three-day hike to the Valley of Paradise proposed by Amodou Horse.
 Agadir, do and seeFrom the Kasbah to the El Had souk, the largest in Morocco, from the Marina to the Grand Stade Adrar. |  Medina by Coco PolizziA spectacular development, respecting the age-old stone art developed in the Anti-Atlas and Atlas regions. A must-see ! |  Tifnit beachSand for long walks, fishermen, a few typical restaurants. |  Croco ParcThe "must": more than 300 saurians in their habitat, under high protection, and an exceptional botanical garden. |  Dinosaur footprintsTo the north of Agadir, in the Anza district, footprints left on the rocky ground facing the ocean. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Souss Massa Wildlife ParkA unique mini-safari to discover gazelles, antelopes and ostriches. An exciting restocking park ! |  Museum of meteoritesA university museum in Agadir dedicated to these mysterious stones that have fallen from the skies over Morocco. |  Fortified granariesThe igoudars, typically Berber, in the nearby Anti-Atlas: Imchguiguiln, Ikounka and especially Inoumar. |  Argan and argan oilArgan trees attract goats, but not only that. They are the source of an incomparable oil. |  Unspoilt Atlas villagesAuthenticity at the Eddir market and from Taroudant to Tafraouten, via Tamaloukt. |
 Imouzzer waterfallsThese Cascades and the natural area surrounding them are appreciated for their freshness and the spectacle they create, particularly in spring. |  Paradise ValleyThis natural treasure with its hippy ambience is located in one of the last foothills of the Atlas Mountains before it descends into the Atlantic. |  The world's largest apiaryThe Inzerki collective apiary is a treasure trove of Berber heritage. The honey here is of a much sought-after quality. |  Basin in the Atlas mountainsSituated at an altitude of 1,600 m, Win Timdouine is fed by water that flows out of a maze of underground lakes some twenty kilometres long. |  Taliouine: kasbah, saffron and agadirThe ruined Kasbah of Glaoui is of great architectural and historical interest. Taliouine is also Morocco's saffron capital. |
 Taroudant and its wallsThe most spectacular, visible and complete walls, and among the most beautiful in North Africa. |  Tiout palm groveA welcome refuge from the heat. Fun donkey and mule rides ! |  Little-known and fascinating IgilizThese ruins, the trace of which has been lost, are perched on a spur designed to resist attackers and from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view. |  Abandoned village in the Anti-AtlasThe village comprises an inhabited hamlet and, above it, a small village that has been abandoned for decades, but is 100% authentic. |  Taboga Timlaline dunes near TamriNorth of Agadir, facing the Atlantic, a unique, unexpected and spectacular place. For views, picnics, meditation or sandboarding. |