The Best Mountain Biking Routes in Morocco: From Atlas Passes to Anti-Atlas Canyons

From jagged 3,000-metre alpine passes in the High Atlas to ancient volcanic rings in Jebel Siroua and canyon descents in the Anti-Atlas, Morocco provides some of the most diverse, technically engaging mountain bike terrain in the world.

Ancient mule trails (*tiizi*) link remote Berber villages through landscapes where paved roads still do not reach. For adventurous mountain bikers looking for authentic wilderness riding, here are Morocco's top five premier MTB routes.

1. The Azzaden Valley Singletrack (High Atlas)

Grade: Advanced / Technical Singletrack
Distance: 38 km | Elevation: +1,150 m / -1,800 m
Departing from the Tizi n'Mzik pass (2,489m), this route dives into the remote Azzaden Valley via ancient mule switchbacks cut into red clay and shale cliffs. Riders navigate tight hairpin turns, loose gravel traverses, and technical rocky steps through fragrant juniper forests. The descent concludes with exhilarating flow along the Azzaden riverbed into the village of Ouirgane.

2. Tizi n'Tichka to Telouet & Ounila Valley

Grade: Moderate / Gravel & Backcountry Track
Distance: 52 km | Elevation: +620 m / -1,450 m
Beginning high on the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m), this route follows the historic salt caravan road toward the crumbling Kasbah of Telouet. From Telouet, riders plunge through the breathtaking Ounila Valley, flanked by striking ochre cliffs, historic adobe villages, and green almond groves, culminating at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ksar Aït Benhaddou.

3. The Jebel Siroua Volcanic Circuit (Anti-Atlas)

Grade: Challenging Endurance / Remote Bikepacking
Distance: 120 km (over 3 days) | Elevation: +3,200 m
Connecting the High Atlas to the Anti-Atlas, Jebel Siroua is an ancient extinct volcanic massif famous for saffron cultivation. The riding is remote, fast, and lunar: gravel jeep tracks across high volcanic plateaus at 2,600m, dramatic basalt needles, and isolated stone settlements where shepherds welcome cyclists with warm mint tea.

4. The Dades Gorge & Canyon Plateaus

Grade: Intermediate to Advanced
Distance: 45 km | Elevation: +850 m / -1,200 m
World-famous for its dramatic paved serpentine switchbacks, the Dades Gorge also features extraordinary off-road trails on the surrounding canyon rims. Ride alongside towering vertical limestone cliffs before descending technical dry wadi singletrack into the valley floor.