Imlil Valley

Imlil sits at about 1,740 metres at the head of the Mizane valley, where the road stops and the mule tracks start, and it is the base for almost everyone climbing Toubkal - which has made it a village of guesthouses, guide offices, mule stands and gear shops in a way it was not thirty years ago. The valley itself is worth more than a night's sleep: terraces of walnut, cherry and apple stepping down to the river, villages of packed earth on the slopes, and a set of short walks that need no mountaineering at all - up to Aroumd, the largest village above Imlil, across to the shrine of Sidi Chamharouch, or over the Tizi n'Mzik to the Azzaden valley. Kasbah du Toubkal, a restored fortified house above the village run as a lodge with a community levy, is the landmark building. Winter brings snow to the tracks.

What you actually see

• The road's end - where vehicles stop and mule tracks to Toubkal begin.
• Terraced walnut and fruit - orchards stepping down to the river below the villages.
• Short valley walks - Aroumd, Sidi Chamharouch and the pass to Azzaden.
• Kasbah du Toubkal - a restored fortified house above the village, run as a lodge.

When to go

Spring and autumn. Two days; longer if walking beyond the valley.

Honest expectations

The village is heavily geared to trekking and guide touting at the taxi stand is persistent - agree prices first. Accommodation ranges widely in quality. Winter snow closes the higher tracks. Toubkal guides are compulsory and arranged here.

Nearby

Toubkal is up the valley; the Azzaden valley is over the Tizi n'Mzik.