About Midelt
Located roughly halfway between Fez and Merzouga on the classic Sahara route, Midelt occupies a compelling position in the landscape of Morocco. To the north, the dark forests and cedar groves of the Middle Atlas rise toward Jebel Ayachi (3,737m), the dominant peak that watches over the town. To the south, the land falls away toward the vast Ziz Valley gorge and the pre-Saharan plateaux. From Midelt, you can feel the desert beginning to pull you forward.
The town itself is known across Morocco for its apples and carpets. The regional Berber carpet style, worked in geometric patterns in deep reds, oranges, and blacks, is quite distinct from those of Marrakech or the High Atlas. The weekly souk draws Amazigh traders from surrounding villages and is one of the most authentic markets in the Middle Atlas. The Kasbah Myriem, run by Franciscan sisters who train local artisans in weaving, is a remarkable and unexpected institution worth visiting.
Midelt is also a base for hiking in the Cirque de Jaffar, a dramatic mountain circuit through juniper forests and eroded gorges, and for mineral collectors who come for the region's extraordinary fossils and mineral specimens. The combination of mountain air, apple orchards, Berber culture, and an honest, working-town character makes Midelt one of Morocco's most genuine and underappreciated stops.
2 Days
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