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Midelt: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Midelt grew in the 20th century as a mining town: lead was dug in the gorge of the Moulouya to the north, and the villages around the mines filled with workers. The mines are closed, but the ground is still full of crystals, and selling them has become a local trade. This half-day drive goes to the mining villages and up the river to the reservoir and a high lake. About 120 km in total; the track into the Aouli gorge is rough, and the old galleries are dangerous — do not go in.

Midelt

A short history of Midelt

Midelt is a relatively young town that grew during the French protectorate thanks to the nearby lead mines of Ahouli and Mibladen, and today it is known mainly for its apple orchards. Above it rises Jbel Ayachi, about 3,700 metres high. After the murder of the seven monks of the Tibhirine monastery in Algeria in 1996, the surviving community moved to Midelt and founded the monastery of Notre-Dame de l'Atlas here, which is still active.

The ten best sights in Midelt

  1. 1
    Kasbah Myriem

    Monastery of Notre-Dame de l'Atlas on the edge of town; visitors welcome at the shop and chapel

  2. 2
    Mausoleum of Abu Salim al-Ayachi

    Shrine of a 17th-century scholar in a High Atlas village, 40 minutes south

  3. 3
    Al Ayachia Library

    Old manuscript library next to the shrine; ask for the keeper

  4. Aouli Mines
    4
    Aouli Mines

    Abandoned lead mines in the Moulouya gorge; stay out of the galleries

  5. Rond-Point La Pomme
    5
    Rond-Point La Pomme

    The apple roundabout in the centre — the town's symbol

  6. Jardin la Cascade
    6
    Jardin la Cascade

    Small town garden off the main street

  7. 7
    Kasbah viewpoint

    Look south to the wall of Jbel Ayachi, snow-capped until spring

  8. Mibladen
    8
    Mibladen

    Old mining village; mineral sellers at the roadside

  9. 9
    Cirque de Jaffar

    Cliff amphitheatre under Ayachi; the track needs a 4x4 after rain

  10. Jbel Ayachi
    10
    Jbel Ayachi

    3,757 m; a serious day climb with a local guide

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Midelt →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Midelt:

Mines of the Moulouya

Free walking tours in Midelt

Mines of the Moulouya

Midelt grew in the 20th century as a mining town: lead was dug in the gorge of the Moulouya to the north, and the villages around the mines filled with workers. The mines are closed, but the ground is still full of crystals, and selling them has become a local trade. This half-day drive goes to the mining villages and up the river to the reservoir and a high lake. About 120 km in total; the track into the Aouli gorge is rough, and the old galleries are dangerous — do not go in.

  1. Mibladen · Mibladen is famous among collectors for vanadinite, bright red-orange hexagonal crystals of a lead mineral. Specimens from here are in museum collections around the world.
  2. Mibladen mineral sellers · Many sellers are former miners or their sons, who still dig in the old workings by hand. Not everything on the tables is local or natural — some stones are dyed — so buy the vanadinite, which is the real local find.
  3. Aouli Mines · The Aouli mines were dug into the cliffs of the Moulouya gorge, with a mining village and processing works built in the canyon itself. Abandoned buildings still cling to the slopes.
  4. Hassan II Dam · The Moulouya, which the dam holds back, is one of Morocco's great rivers: it flows about 500 km north-east from the Atlas to the Mediterranean near the Algerian border.
  5. Zaïda · Zaïda is the junction on the open steppe where the main road from Midelt climbs north over the Middle Atlas toward Azrou and Fès. Trucks carrying Midelt's apples pass through it all autumn.
  6. Lac Aguelmame Sidi Ali · The lake lies at about 2,100 metres among old volcanic cones, and is one of the largest natural lakes of the Middle Atlas. Ruddy shelducks, orange ducks of the steppe, are often seen on its shore.

The saint and the mountain

South of Midelt rises Jbel Ayachi, the highest summit of the eastern High Atlas, and behind it, in a valley of mud-brick villages, lies the shrine of the scholar who shares its name. This half-day drive goes up to the foot of the mountain and over to the zaouia. About 90 km in total; the road to the zaouia is paved but winding, while the Cirque de Jaffar is on a piste best done in a 4x4. In winter snow can close the high section.

  1. Kasbah viewpoint · From the edge of town the whole Ayachi massif stands in a single wall to the south. Midelt itself sits at about 1,500 metres on the plateau between the Middle and High Atlas.
  2. Gorges de Jaafar · The gorge cuts into the north flank of Ayachi; its river waters the orchards of the villages below. The piste through it was once a mule route over the mountain.
  3. Cirque de Jaffar · A cirque is a bowl carved by erosion, and here the cliffs of Ayachi close around it on three sides. It is a classic 4x4 excursion from Midelt.
  4. Jbel Ayachi · Ayachi reaches 3,757 metres and holds snow well into spring. Its streams drain north to the Moulouya, flowing to the Mediterranean, while the Ziz rises in the same mountains and flows south into the Sahara.
  5. Mausoleum of Abu Salim al-Ayachi · Abu Salim al-Ayachi, who died in 1679, was a scholar from this valley. His account of his pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Rihla al-Ayachiya, is one of the great travel books of Moroccan literature.
  6. Al Ayachia Library · The zaouia kept a library of manuscripts gathered by the family of scholars over generations, a rare thing to find in a mountain village far from the big cities.

Apples and monks

Midelt is a road town, where trucks and buses stop between Fès and the Sahara, but it has a quiet centre and an unexpected guest on its edge: a Trappist monastery linked to one of the saddest stories of Christian North Africa. This walk goes from the bus station through the market to the monastery. About two hours, flat and easy; the monastery shop sells the weaving and embroidery of local women.

  1. Gare Routière de Midelt · Midelt lies on the N13, the main road from Fès over the Atlas to Errachidia and the desert. For travellers heading south it is the last big town before the Ziz valley.
  2. Rond-Point La Pomme · The plain around Midelt is one of Morocco's main apple-growing areas, and the town calls itself the apple capital, with a festival at harvest time in autumn.
  3. Swika Midelt · Swika means 'little souk'. Here the produce of the mountains meets dates and henna coming up the road from the oases of the Tafilalet.
  4. Jardin la Cascade · The garden takes its name from a small artificial cascade. In a town of dry plateau winds, it is the shaded corner where families sit in the evening.
  5. Mibladen Minéraux · The shops in town sell crystals and fossils from across Morocco, but the local speciality is vanadinite from the Mibladen mines a few kilometres north.
  6. Kasbah Myriem · The Trappist community of Notre-Dame de l'Atlas settled here after seven monks of its mother house at Tibhirine, in Algeria, were kidnapped and murdered in 1996. Brother Jean-Pierre Schumacher, one of the two survivors, lived here until his death in 2021.
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Getting to Midelt and getting around

  • Gare Routière de Midelt · Buses on the Fès–Errachidia road stop here; the east end of town
  • Gare Routière d'Er-Rich · The next bus town south, at the head of the Ziz valley

Cheap eats in Midelt

Midelt is a cold plateau town, and the food is made for it: harira and bissara in the morning, mutton grilled or in tagine, and in autumn its own apples everywhere. The restaurants near the bus station cook for travellers on the Fès–Sahara road. Prices are low and portions big.

  • Restaurant ba-Azizi · Grilled meat by the bus station, about 40-60 dirhams
  • Diafa · Tagine or grills, about 40-60 dirhams
  • Restaurant Merzouga · Simple Moroccan plates near the market, about 30-50 dirhams
  • Café Marché · Tea and msemen by the market, about 10-15 dirhams
  • Le Pin · Coffee at the apple roundabout, about 8-12 dirhams
  • Marjana bakery · Bread and sweets for the road, a few dirhams

Museums in Midelt

  • Kasbah Myriem · Monastery chapel and craft shop
  • Al Ayachia Library · Manuscripts of a mountain zaouia
  • Aouli Mines · Industrial ruins in the gorge
  • Mibladen Minéraux · A shop that is half a museum of crystals
  • Mausoleum of Abu Salim al-Ayachi · Shrine in the High Atlas; respectful dress

Nature and day trips near Midelt

  • Cirque de Jaffar · Cliffs and juniper under Ayachi
  • Jbel Ayachi · The high wall of the eastern High Atlas
  • Lac Aguelmame Sidi Ali · High lake for birds and silence
  • Hassan II Dam · Reservoir and picnic on the Moulouya
  • Gorges de Jaafar · Narrow valley with orchards

Things to do in Midelt with kids

  • Mibladen mineral sellers · Choose a crystal from a miner's table
  • Rond-Point La Pomme · Photo with the giant apple
  • Jardin la Cascade · A place to play in town
  • Lac Aguelmame Sidi Ali · Ducks, sheep and wide open space

Where to eat in Midelt

  • Diafa · Lamb tagine by the bus station
  • Restaurant ba-Azizi · Grilled chops and kefta
  • Cafe Edohha · Café-restaurant in the north of town
  • Restaurant Merzouga · Couscous on Fridays, tagines every day
  • Café au Printemps · Evening tea in the centre
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Frequently asked questions about Midelt

What is there to see in Midelt?

The top sights in Midelt are Kasbah Myriem, Mausoleum of Abu Salim al-Ayachi and Al Ayachia Library. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Midelt?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Midelt without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Midelt?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Midelt, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Mines of the Moulouya.

How do you get to Midelt and get around?

The main ways are Gare Routière de Midelt and Gare Routière d'Er-Rich. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Midelt, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Midelt that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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