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.

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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. 

 

Google Maps chooses another, faster formula: after having crossed the West Bar of Agadir, it is advisable to leave it at Iligh and take the direction of the mountain.

 

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 untilImouzzer, then untilthe 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 byAmodou Horse.