Berber Market in Ida Ogourd & Visit of an Argan cooperative.
Overview
Available languages
3 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Rural markets usually take place once a week. On Wednesdays in the village of Ida Ogourd locals do their weekly shopping and meet ‘n’ greet friends. This market is a friendly, family affair which takes place on a small hill in a fertile area only 20km southeast of Essaouira.
Market-goers traditionally travel by donkey to get the goods they need for the forthcoming week: the “Donkey Parking Lot” surrounding the market is a sight to behold!
At the market you find vegetables, fruits, spices, housewares, tools, and construction materials as well as various services that are offered: a blacksmith putting new horseshoes onto donkeys’ hooves; a welder repairing pans, kettles, and teapots; a cobbler resoling shoes.
Of special note are barbers under tents - amusing barber shops, indeed!
As we stroll through the market we pick up interesting details about farmers’ lives in this region accompanied by background information on Berber culture in the Haha province. We finish our tour of the market with tea as we observe the busy scenery.
Afterwards we visit an Argan cooperative to learn about the production of precious Argan Oil - in all of the world this is a product unique to this area. We watch the Berber women at every step in extracting oil from the kernels of the Argan fruits using a delicate, traditional process done by hand. Of course, we taste this delicious oil that bears the name “Morocco’s Gold”.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Rural markets usually take place once a week. On Wednesdays in the village of Ida Ogourd locals do their weekly shopping and meet ‘n’ greet friends. This market is a friendly, family affair which takes place on a small hill in a fertile area only 20km southeast of Essaouira. Market-goers traditionally travel by donkey to get the goods they need for the forthcoming week: the “Donkey Parking Lot” surrounding the market is a sight to behold! At the market you find vegetables, fruits, spices, housewares, tools, and construction materials as well as various services that are offered: a blacksmith putting new horseshoes onto donkeys’ hooves; a welder repairing pans, kettles, and teapots; a cobbler resoling shoes. Of special note are barbers under tents - amusing barber shops, indeed! As we stroll through the market we pick up interesting details about farmers’ lives in this region accompanied by background information on Berber culture in the Haha province. We finish our tour of the market with tea as we observe the busy scenery. Afterwards we visit an Argan cooperative to learn about the production of precious Argan Oil - in all of the world this is a product unique to this area. We watch the Berber women at every step in extracting oil from the kernels of the Argan fruits using a delicate, traditional process done by hand. Of course, we taste this delicious oil that bears the name “Morocco’s Gold”.
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Tea at the market.
Options
Berber Market in Ida Ogourd & Visit of an Argan cooperative.
Reviews
6 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A tour? For this? Just go!
Mr-Reeee,,Aug 17, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It's a short drive from Essaouira. Some Moroccan friends who own a lamp store suggested we go. Lot's of stuff to see. Food, fruit, vegetables, spices, clothing, carpets. Lots of donkeys. A fun few hours to walk around. People are friendly and inviting. Definitely worth doing.
Very interesting visit
enna-7,,Feb 27, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very informative and interesting visit. Our guide was very personable and friendly. The market is large with distinct sections. The livestock and butchery areas are not for the faint hearted or animal rights activists! But we enjoyed seeing Berber life in all its reality. The visit to the argan oil cooperative was also very interesting.
Fascinatingly different
tihomirs2020,,Jan 26, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Alongside visiting the Berber market and the argan cooperative, we did the dune hike with waterfall at Sidi Mbarek with the chosen Moroccan Claudia and found both tours very exciting. Claudia has been living there for several years now and knows the country, people (also really personally) and even their language(s!). With it you are in perfect hands and can discover the treasures that you hardly get shown by others. Sovereign she took us everywhere and passed on much worth knowing. She herself is also very friendly and open, you can chat cheerfully with her. In addition to their soft skills, we were also very impressed by the Berber market. A real, almost ancient-looking market, far from the hustle and bustle. Watching the people, you can get a sense of the people, how everyone treats each other friendly and warmly. We were among a very small number of tourists in the hustle and bustle, but at no time did we feel like outsiders. Also thanks Claudia, who joked around with some familiar faces. Next time we come back, we want to at least join the Berber cooking class.
Great experience
Die-Louisen,,Nov 21, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Claudia picked us up on time at the agreed place and immediately she was very sympathetic to us. By taxi we went to the market where she showed us a lot and explained. And always in a very pleasant way I never felt like traveling with the school class. After a tea at the market we went to the Argan cooperative again we felt comfortable and did not feel like we were on a coffee ride. A great morning that was worth it and felt good. Thank you for...
Amidst locals
Stephanie J,,Oct 19, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour with Claudia was very informative and brought us closer to the country and the Berbers. She knows a lot of people in the country market and the women of the Argan cooperative personally and we got a lot of insights into people's lives. Unfortunately we had no time for other activities, we would have liked to have experienced more with Claudia, who shows us tourists her Morocco with knowledge and understanding of the different cultures and incredible empathy. Shukran for good talks, international understanding and a very fun day Steffi and Jürgen
Great!
Anna-Lina M,,Oct 9, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had a great day! Everything worked out wonderfully and we were picked up punctually at the meeting point. Claudia convinced after the first encounter with her knowledge of the country and the people. She speaks several languages and this gave us a very good insight into the life of Moroccan people. She has insider knowledge and you can understand many bizarre things more easily. She is so sympathetic and competent! We can only recommend a trip with her and wish all participants a great time! ♥️
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Operated by Ecotourism and Hiking