Only a few kilometers from Sefrou passing by olive groves, we will find “Berber town-Bhalil” famous by cave dwellings. These caves are specific because they are inhabited. With a large single living space used for cooking, sleeping as well as for daily living they provide a unique glimpse of a very different Morocco as well as about extraordinary Berber villages.
The cave houses are quickly vanishing as Bhalil’s inhabitants prefer to live in more modern housing, however, the friendly villagers who continue to live in the cave homes regularly welcome visitors inside to have a look and ask questions. As part of the tour, I will arrange a visit with one of Bhalil’s last remaining cave dwellers, Um Aicha, who has lived in her cave home for nearly 90 years.
The village is also well known for producing djellaba buttons, and seeing groups of women together chatting while they weave eclectically colored string is a common sight.
In addition, the village has several large caves that look dug into the ground. Surrounded by olive tree orchards, the caves also provide a view of Sefrou from the opposite side of the cascades.
An easy stop on our tour, Bhalil is a part of Morocco that many locals feel is vanishing from the country’s cultural and social landscape. Visiting Bhallil is more important because this type of villages is slowly vanishing from country`s social and cultural landscape.
