Self organised tour to the Paradise Valley, Morocco

Paradise Valley is a beautiful place in Morocco near the coastal towns Agadir and Taghazout. The lush greenery of the valley makes it stunning. Additionally the creek that leads up to swimming pools in rocks make it even more special. 

But over the years this Paradise Valley has been flooded by tourists and locals alike. And with this flood also the littering came. 

In this blog post I give you insights on what to expect from the Paradise Valley and if it is worth visiting. 

The drive to the Paradise Valley

The drive from the coast to the Paradise Valley is scenic, hilly and curvy. On the way you might see some sheep herds. Enjoy the varied scenery, taking you into the valley, up the hills, through curvy roads. 

There are several ways to reach Paradise Valley. For instance you can book a guided tour starting at 15 Euros. There are different tour operators, some will pick you up at your place of accommodation, some have a meeting point. When you choose a guided tour, you don’t need to worry about anything. You can leave it to the tour guides to lead the way, including on the hike to the natural water pools. 

Another option is to hop on a shared taxi, which are small buses that start their journey when they are full. There is no booking in advance. You can take a shared taxi from Agadir. At the Abattoir city district you can find them. Or if you aren’t staying in Agadir you can take the bus to Awrir, either from Taghazout or Anza.

In Awrir the shared taxis leave at the side of the main street in the direction to Paradise Valley. The shared taxi is 25 dirham per person and the journey takes around 40-50 minutes. 

At the Paradise Valley

Once arrived at the Paradise Valley you can see the masses of people walking towards the river or coming from the river. A path leads uphill and then down toward the river and lush greenery. The first part of the path is not shaded by trees. However, once you reach the river, you can enjoy walking in the shade. 

At some parts you have to cross the river, but there are stones, so you don’t get your feet wet. But if you are into walking barefoot that’s a great location to do so. Because most of the ground is soft, at least at the beginning. 

Along the way, there are often stalls selling handmade items or small bars where you can stop for a drink or a bite to eat. 

The path is easy to follow and apart from the first and last part rather flat. You won’t need trekking shoes. Some people walked with flipflops, I wouldn’t suggest that but you can do that. Closed shoes are ideal. But as I mentioned part of the path can also be done barefoot, that’s how you know that footwear isn’t all that important.

But if you walk further than the first pool I really recommend closed shoes, since it is uphill and stony. 

Self organised tour to the Paradise Valley

Doing a self organised tour to the Paradise Valley is totally doable. You can take a shared taxi or drive there with your rented vehicle. The walking path to the pools of Paradise Valley is easy to follow and you hardly can get lost. There are refreshments along the way. 

It is around a 30 minutes walk through the lush greenery to the first natural pool of the river. A 20-minute walk will take you to the last pool, which is located up and down the hill. There is less shade there. If you walk around noon, be sure to wear sunscreen, headgear and stay hydrated. 

The last pool is not as easily accessible as the first one. You either need to climb down the rocks or jump into the water. The water is refreshing, it is not warm and might be too cold for some people. 

Is the Paradise Valley really as dirty?

While waiting for the bus, my travel companion noticed a sign on a streetlight pole announcing a cleanup of Paradise Valley. It took place two days ago, on the day we arrived. While walking through the valley, we saw huge plastic bags filled with trash. I guess that was the result of the cleanup. If it was that dirty, I’m not sure if I would have gone swimming after all. But we were lucky to visit the Paradise Valley two days after this huge organised clean up. I can’t imagine how it looked before. But I’m sure it would have summed up our experience in the valley if we had left with a negative impression. I don’t think pointing fingers is a good way to address the trash problem, but initiatives to collect trash as a group that cares are the way to go. 

Is the Paradise Valley overrun?

Yes, I would say it is pretty busy. We went there during the week in February around late morning and already huge groups of people left the valley. We walked all the way to the last pool. There it was a little bit less crowded and then we walked back to one of the pools in the beginning and had our lunch there. We watched people come and go. But after all, there was still space to sit down and enjoy nature. If you want Paradise Valley for yourself it is pretty difficult to find a suitable time to go there. Since there are already people going in the morning. You probably need to go there very very early at dawn, going by rental car. 

Supporting the local community on the way back

If you are going by yourself or taking a taxi make sure you check out the women’s cooperative in Inraren (Ankreme). There they sell handmade cosmetics. It’s a great way to support the local community/women’s community of Marokko. That’s also the place to go when you look for unique gifts for loved ones back home. 

This is my conclusion regarding Paradise Valley in Morocco. Two years ago, I visited a similar landscape in Oman. Unfortunately, I automatically compared it to that. It was hard to keep up with that experience, but the landscape is amazing. Even if you just go there to have a drink and eat something, it’s worth it. The atmosphere around the greenery is amazing; however, you also have crowds passing by.