Things to do · Ouarzazate
In the mountains around Telouet, off the old Tizi n'Tichka road north of Aït Ben Haddou, rock salt has been cut from the hillsides for generations. Control of salt and the trans-Atlas trade routes was part of what made the Glaoua (el Glaoui) clan — the 'Lords of the Atlas' — so wealthy and powerful in the early 20th century. Today a few small workings near Telouet can still be seen, where salt is hewn by hand from galleries in the rock. Far quieter than any kasbah, they make an unusual side-trip for travellers who want to dig a little deeper into the valley's story. Here is what to know.
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Small rock-salt workings set into the hills near Telouet, where seams of salt-bearing rock are cut from the mountainside rather than evaporated from the sea. They are working sites on a modest, traditional scale, not a polished tourist attraction, so expect a rough, authentic experience.
Salt was a valuable commodity on the old caravan routes over the Atlas, and the Glaoua clan based at Telouet grew rich partly through controlling such trade. The mines are a tangible reminder of the resources that helped fund the family's rise before their fall around Moroccan independence in the 1950s.
Where the workings are active, miners hew blocks of salt-streaked rock by hand from tunnels and galleries driven into the hillside. The methods are simple and physically hard, and watching the salt come out of the mountain is a striking, low-key contrast to the region's grander sights.
The galleries and cuttings expose bands of pale, glassy salt threading through the darker rock. The interplay of white salt, ochre stone and the dim light inside the workings is the visual draw, quite unlike anything else around Ouarzazate.
The mines sit in the bare High Atlas country around the village of Telouet, amid mountain slopes and a scattering of hamlets and old kasbahs. The approach through this stark, high landscape is part of the appeal, and the area is very quiet.
The workings lie off the old Tizi n'Tichka road in the Telouet area, north of Aït Ben Haddou. The final approach is usually on rough side tracks, so a 4x4 with a local driver is the most comfortable way to reach them; ask locally for current access as conditions change.
The most natural pairing is with the Glaoui palace-kasbah at Telouet itself, whose ornate rooms and crumbling towers tell the other half of the family's story. Together the kasbah and the mines make a fuller picture of where the clan's wealth came from and where it went.
Telouet sits at the head of the scenic Ounila Valley back road that runs down to Aït Ben Haddou. A visit to the salt workings slots neatly into a slow kasbah-trail day along that route rather than the fast main highway between Marrakech and Ouarzazate.
A guide or driver from Telouet, Aït Ben Haddou or Ouarzazate can find the workings, arrange permission to look round, and explain what you are seeing. Visiting a working site means respecting the people at work, and a modest tip or small purchase is a fair way to thank them.
These are real workings, not engineered for visitors, so the ground can be uneven and the galleries dim. Wear sturdy shoes, bring a torch and water, take care underground, and follow whatever local guidance you are given rather than wandering off alone.
The picture here is the salt itself — pale veins in dark rock, and the hard work of cutting it. Light underground is low, so a steady hand or small light helps, and it is polite to ask before photographing anyone at work.
They are small, traditional rock-salt workings in the hills near Telouet, off the old Tizi n'Tichka road north of Aït Ben Haddou. Salt is cut by hand from galleries in the mountainside, and the sites are working ones rather than a developed tourist attraction.
They lie off the old Tizi n'Tichka road in the Telouet area, usually reached on rough side tracks, so a 4x4 with a local driver is recommended. Most visitors come as a detour while visiting Telouet Kasbah or driving the Ounila Valley. Ask locally for current access, as conditions vary.
Salt was a valuable trade commodity on the old caravan routes over the Atlas, and the Glaoua clan based at Telouet built their wealth partly by controlling such trade. The mines are a reminder of the resources behind the family's rise before their fall around Moroccan independence in the 1950s.
Sometimes, with local permission and usually a guide, you can look into the galleries where salt is cut. They are real, fragile working sites with uneven ground and dim light, so wear sturdy shoes, bring a torch and water, take care underground and follow any local guidance.
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