Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shopping
The weekly Sunday souq OFFLINE MAP 10 minutes south of town is an opportunity to taste-
test local olives, olive oils and almonds, and browse Demnate's local woodwork and
yellow-glazed pottery painted in henna. On other days, you can hunt down the potteries
2km outside town in the village of Boughlou; turn right at the mosque and head 4km off-
road.
Honey that's considered rare elsewhere abounds in the hills around Demnate. You'll no-
tice a sign with a bee on it at the hanout (grocer) on your right on the main road east out of
town towards Imi n'Ifri: approach the counter and ask the grocer to let you sample local
honey (Dh100 per 500g). The mountain herb and wildflower honey is a standout with a
peppery, thyme flavour while the zriga (a local blue wildflower) honey tastes fruity, al-
most like guava.
Getting There & Away
Grands taxis to Marrakesh (Dh50) and Azilal (Dh35) leave from the main gate in Dem-
nate.
Buses leave for Marrakesh (Dh35, two hours) from 6am to 9pm and to Azilal (Dh25,
one hour) from 7am to noon from the bus station (take the road to the right before the
town gate and turn left at the roundabout). To reach nearby Imi n'Ifri, you'll need to take a
taxi (Dh35 for the whole taxi).
Imi n'Ifri
Just 6km east of Demnate along the R307 is Imi n'Ifri ('Grotto's Mouth' in Berber), a nat-
ural travertine bridge that formed over a gorge 1.8 million years ago. You can walk down
into the gorge and through this toothy maw by yourself - the paths are clearly marked by
the bridge and post office and comprise 300 steps down - but you might want to pay a
small tip (Dh20) to a local guide to help you over some tricky boulders and explain local
lore.
The two sides of the bridge are said to represent two local lovers whose families kept
them apart, so this Romeo and Juliet held hands and turned to stone. On the south side of
the gorge is a spring with water rich in natural mineral salts, where brides come for pre-
wedding rites; in summer you may hear women singing and playing drums and tambour-
ines at Berber bachelorette parties. On the other side of the gorge is a freshwater spring
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