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Atlas PedalsRide Morocco Differently
A villager sheltering under an umbrella watches a rider descend a wet trail

The journal

Riding in Morocco, explained by the people who guide it

No listicles and no borrowed research. These are the answers we give on the phone, written down, thirty years of riding these valleys, including the parts that are inconvenient to admit.

A villager sheltering under an umbrella watches a rider descend a wet trail

Practical · 7 min read

What else to do in Morocco around a bike tour

Almost nobody flies to Morocco to ride and go home. Here is the honest version of what to do with the other days — where the desert is worth the drive, when Toubkal makes sense next to a riding week, and which day trips are worth it.

Bike parked on a ridge above hazy Atlas foothills

Trails · 9 min

Cycling the Ourika Valley

Forty minutes from Marrakech, a river road climbs into the High Atlas past villages nobody photographs. It is the gentlest introduction to Atlas riding — with one hazard the brochures never mention.

Rider on a rocky ridge with the snow-covered Toubkal massif behind

Practical · 8 min

What a Morocco bike tour actually costs

Most Morocco tour operators publish no prices at all. Here is the whole picture. The tour price, the four extras that are never in it, and what a week actually costs you door to door.

Two riders on e-bikes stopped on a mountain track with snow on the peaks

Guides · 8 min

e-Bike or mountain bike for the Atlas?

The Atlas is a range of long climbs and short descents. That single fact decides this question for most people — and not always in the direction they expect.

Two riders climbing a dirt track above the Marrakech plain

Practical · 9 min

Is Morocco safe for cycling?

Morocco is one of the safer countries you can ride in, and the risks are not the ones people worry about. Here is what actually goes wrong, and what we do about it.

Rider above an Atlas valley in late afternoon light

Culture · 8 min

Staying in a Berber gîte: what to expect

The accommodation is the thing riders are most uncertain about and least willing to ask. So here is the unvarnished version — including the parts that are genuinely basic.

Close-up of a mountain bike drivetrain caked in Atlas dust

Practical · 8 min

Flying with your bike to Morocco

Bringing your own bike is usually worth it if you own something you are attached to. Here is what it costs, how to pack it, and the one thing that catches people out at Marrakech airport.

Rider on a narrow trail with snow-covered Atlas peaks behind

Culture · 7 min

Cycling in Morocco during Ramadan

Ramadan falls right at the start of the spring riding season. Almost nothing about the riding changes — but a few things about the days around it do, and it helps to know which.

Three gravel riders climbing a forest piste in the High Atlas

Trails · 8 min

Gravel cycling in Morocco

Morocco has thousands of kilometres of unpaved piste that was built for vehicles and is now used by almost nobody. That is the definition of a gravel destination.

Three riders climbing a forest piste in the High Atlas

Practical · 8 min

How fit do you need to be?

The honest answer is less than you fear, but in a different way than you expect. It is not one hard day that catches people out. It is the fourth one.

Rider on a track cut through a steep rock gorge in the High Atlas

Culture · 9 min

The villages you ride through

You will ride through a dozen villages a day and it is easy to see them as scenery. They are not. Here is what you are actually looking at.

Two mountain bikers on singletrack below the snow-covered High Atlas

Practical · 7 min

The best time for mountain biking in Morocco

March to May and September to November are the honest answer. But the range is big enough that there is good riding in every month if you know where to go — and two months you should genuinely avoid.

Enduro rider in a full-face helmet on a steep rocky Atlas descent

Trails · 9 min

The best MTB trails in the Atlas Mountains

Seven trails we would fly for, named properly, with what makes each one worth the climb. No trail centre, no signage, no crowds. These are working mule paths that happen to descend brilliantly.

Mountain biker on a narrow Atlas trail with snow-covered peaks behind

Practical · 6 min

What to pack for a Morocco bike tour

The support vehicle carries your bag, so you can pack properly rather than travel light. Here is what actually matters — and the four things people forget every single trip.

Come and ride the High Atlas

Tell us when you are coming and how you like to ride. We will build something around it and tell you honestly whether it suits you.

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