Ecomusée Berbère

Top choice in Ourika Valley


Four kilometres past Tnine, a discreet sign points up a dirt path into the Amazigh (Berber) village of Tafza, where the three-storey mud-brick ksar (fortified village) that once housed the local qaid (chief) is now a museum. Enthusiastic guided visits (in English, French or Spanish) cover every detail of household life, from symbols carved in door frames to silver dowry jewellery, and a 1½-hour loop of short documentaries show life in the High Atlas in the 1940s and ’50s.

Call ahead to reserve meals on the terrace (Dh70), to arrange visits to Tafza pottery workshops, or for half-day excursions that take in community gardens, pottery workshops and village life.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ourika Valley attractions

1. Safranerie de l'Ourika

1.43 MILES

Almost anything thrives in Ourika’s rich soil, including saffron, organically grown here from bulbs that are cultivated near Talouine. Saffron is a high…

2. Jardin Bio-Aromatique d'Ourika

1.56 MILES

The organic botanical gardens of a Franco-Moroccan bath-product company combining Amazigh (Berber) herbal remedies with modern aromatherapy make for…

3. Anima Garden

4.05 MILES

Nestled in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, Anima Garden is a space designed by multimedia artist André Heller. Surprising sculptures…

4. Al Mutamid Mausoleum

4.56 MILES

Al Mutamid’s tomb is marked with an Almoravid-style domed mausoleum. It's signed right off the main road after the commune building, inside a garden…

5. Aghmat Archaeological Site

4.73 MILES

These excavations, about 200m to the left off the main road, began in 2010 and have revealed ancient urban foundations, including a hammam, grand mosque,…

6. Petroglyphs

11.17 MILES

A signed open-air petroglyph site sits just at the entrance to Oukaimeden, with carved illustrations of pastoral life and geometric patterns first…

7. Source Sidi El Wafi

15.03 MILES

Follow the flow of locals across the bridge below Tighdouine and up a short track across the valley to the southwest to this small spring said to cure an…

8. Imlil Waterfalls

17.87 MILES

Two small waterfalls just south of the Kasbah du Toubkal make a pleasant afternoon walk from Imlil.