Dar Tassa - a Moroccan eco-retreat.

Dar Tassa a wonderful Berber house located in a remarkable situation. Driving from Marrakech (just over an hour), you turn off the highway and begin to ascend a mountain road. Every bend and corner opens up a new vista and for a moment you wonder if it is even possible that there is a refuge in such a magnificently wild environment.

The village of Tassa Ouirgane (click on photos to enlarge)

Another corner and there in front of you is the village of Tassa Ouirgane (1300 m), nestled into the mountainside above a wild river that tumbles from the heights above you. Through the village the road climbs again and then you arrive to where, perched on the mountainside, Dar Tassa awaits you.

Dar Tassa

At the door, Fatima and Hafida greeted The View from Fez with the traditional dates and milk ( and what sweet milk it was!). Dar Tassa literally means "the home of motherly love" in the local Berber language and it is a richly deserved name. From the moment we entered the house we felt not like guests, but members of the family.

Hafida and Fatima

Everywhere you look is photogenic.

From the entrance hall (with Berber slippers provided) through to the lounges and the suites and bedrooms, everything is tastefully decorated and with all anyone could need in order to feel truly at home.

Even hot water bottles for cold nights!

Then, just when you think you have seen everything, we were invited to Dar Tassa's tiled rooftop with an amazing 360 degree panaroma: spanning the snow capped peaks of Toubkal Park, sweeping down to give a bird's eye view on daily life in the sleepy Berber village, and flowing along the verdant riverbank to the distant vistas of the Azzedine Valley. It is breathtaking.

Stunning mountain vistas

Dar Tassa's owners are Andrea and Brahim Barkhouche. Brahim is a native Moroccan who felt compelled to return to his family's ancestral homeland and create a haven where he could share the magic of this mountain eden with its next generation of caretakers. They had taken great care to build the Dar in a respectful, traditional manner, using local materials and employing local craftsmen. What becomes evident is that the environmental ethos of the owners is reflected in everything about the place they have constructed.

What really puts the refuge on the map is its location in the shadow of the Takkerkhort Reserve, a long established sanctuary for the regal Barbary Sheep, endemic to Morocco and protected under the jurisdiction of the Eaux et Forets (Water and Forests Department of the Ministry). On hand are resident experts to guide you into the refuge with binoculars to increase your chances of spotting some members of this magnificent endangered species.

Obviously, walking, cycling, trekking and climbing are among the highlights, but simply resting amdist the tranquility and eating... Did we mention food? Fatima cooks up a storm and her skills mean that you don't simply end up with yet another tagine! The local honey is an absolute must!

The lounge and internal fountain

If you are not feeling too energetic Hafida organises short excursions to interesting places. The View from Fez team took in a local Berber market, visited Anraz, a strangely touching abandoned Jewish village that is carefully preserved for when the former residents return on the 26th of May each year to pay their respects at their Rabbi's tomb.

The Rabbi's tomb in the village of Anraz

Boys at the Berber market

We also had a detailed cooking lesson in the art of traditional Berber bread making.

Lalla Kebira produces fine Berber bread

See the full story on how to make Berber bread ( including a recipe) here: Baking bread the Berber way

We would like to thank Fatima, Hafida and Brahim for their hospitality.

All photographs: Sandy McCutcheon

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news