Imsfrane Cathedral has nothing to do with a religious building but it is a striking natural rock formation that rises to 1872 meters above sea level. The term “Cathedral” in this context is used metaphorically to describe the towering and majestic appearance of this rock, which resembles the shape of a cathedral with its steep, vertical cliffs. The rock formation is a popular destination for hikers and nature enthusiasts due to its dramatic geological features.
How to get there?
By Car
From Marrakech, take R210 heading northeast toward Demnate and then continue to Ouaouizeght on R304. It’s going to be about 4 hours drive (216 km). From Ouaouizeght, it’s another 57 km, which takes about 1.5 hours due to the bad condition of the road (doable in a normal car like a Renault Clio).
From Zaouiat Ahansal, take R302 for 43 km. It’s a dirt road so you should count about 1,5 hours to cover that distance.
By Bus/Taxi
You can take a bus from Marrakech to Demnate. Bus companies like CTM operate this route, and the journey takes 2.5 to 3 hours. For further connections, you must ask locals or negotiate the ride with taxi drivers. Be prepared for a long and tiring day.
The best time to visit
Plan your trip in spring or autumn for the best weather conditions. Winter can bring snow and ice to the higher mountain roads, making them difficult to navigate. Summer can be hot, but temperatures are milder in the mountains.
You should always have some warmer layers, regardless of the season. In the end, it’s mountains there!
How long to stay there?
Half a day is enough to get to the top of Imsfrane Cathedral or even do a longer loop. If you want to explore a bit more or at a slower pace, plan one full day.
Where to stay?
If you decide to spend a night in the area, there are some basic options such as Auberge à la Cathedrale Imsfrane or Gîte D’étape La Cathédrale.
The hike to Imsfrane Cathedral
I left early from Zaouiat Ahansal and had a first good look at the rock from the viewpoint “Vue panoramique sur la cathédrale” just on the roadside. You may find it on Google Maps. It looked truly impressive and I was looking forward to standing on top!
I parked the car just next to Gite La Cathedrale, packed water and hit the trail. I recommend using Mapy.CZ as the trailhead isn’t clearly marked. The plan for that day was to do a loop, including the summit of Imsfrane Cathedral, and returning through Ahansal Gorge. The total distance of 15.2 kilometers.
The mornings in this region can be cold but as soon as I started the ascent, I had to remove some of my layers. It was already getting quite hot, therefore I took off my thermal underwear and continued going up. The trail was obvious and there were also some other people around, so I felt perfectly safe.
The views were nice and soon I passed a group of goats. It’s crazy how they climb these steep rocks. At some point, there was a short small section which was a bit steeper and I thought it was the beginning of a more difficult climb but it wasn’t. The path flattened again and it was steadily climbing on the side of the rock.
Finally, I reached the summit and there was only me and a local vendor. The views were breathtaking! I also felt that I wanted to appreciate the fact that the guy came up all the way to sell hot tea, drinks and snacks so I bought a juice and a pack of walnuts.
On the way down, I took a different path, on the other side of the mountain. I was descending quickly and this path seemed to be less popular as I met only two other people going in the opposite direction. Once I reached the crossroads, I decided to turn right and head towards the Ahansal Gorge. Unfortunately, it was not exactly what I expected as instead of going down to the canyon, the trail took me to a viewpoint. Well, the view wasn’t bad at all.
I returned the same way and took another trail heading down to the canyon. Unfortunately, there was another obstacle – a fast fast-flowing stream to cross! I didn’t want to get my shoes wet, nor did I want to cross it barefoot. I somehow managed to move forward on the edge of the rocks but when I thought the worst was behind me, then again I reached the point where crossing the stream was the only solution. I just did it without taking off my shoes. Better safe than sorry!
Soon I joined the main road that I was driving on in the morning. The last meters to the car were quite boring and felt really long. There was absolutely no traffic so I couldn’t catch a ride. I passed by a popular photo spot that I have seen many times on Instagram, with a ruined car.
Finally, I reached my car, bought some chips and tonic in the nearby shop and started driving towards Ouaouizeght. The hike to Imsfrane Cathedral was beautiful and it was a time well spent in nature!
