I have been to Morocco four times before – it is one of my favorite countries. I always feel at peace there. The history of Morocco is very long so will let you do your own research if interested.

One of the cities I had not been to before was Agadir but had always wanted to go to. There is a wetlands/nature area south of the city that is known as a great place to bird watch. But, the ship did not offer an excursion to it so picked a tour that went to the countryside. Figured at least I would see a little nature that way. So, you can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the ship had arranged a birding trip to the wetlands for the Apex tour company on board. I guess I will just have to come back some day.

So, I took the “Discovering the Paradise Valley” tour. Our first stop was at one of the many argan oil women’s cooperatives that are common around Agadir and Essaouira. I have been to many of these in the past, but they also offered us “breakfast” – typical bread with a variety of honeys, nut butters and argan oil. But the best part was the mint tea and fresh squeezed orange juice – two things I fell in love with in Morocco.

Besides the demonstration of the processing of the argan nuts,

the grounds had some pretty trees including pomegranates

And carob trees

Here’s some information on argan oil from Wikipedia: Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree (Argania spinosa L.), which is indigenous to Morocco and southwestern Algeria. In Morocco, argan oil is used to dip bread at breakfast or to drizzle on couscous or pasta. It is also used for cosmetic purposes.

Uses:

Culinary

In Morocco, the oil is used for culinary purposes, e.g. dipping bread, as salad dressing or on couscous. Amlu, a thick brown paste with a consistency similar to peanut butter, is used locally as a bread dip. It is produced by grinding roasted almonds and argan oil together using stones and then mixing the paste with honey.

Cosmetics

Since the early 2000s argan oil has been increasingly used in cosmetics and hair care preparations. As of 2020, the main cosmetics products containing argan oil are face creams, lip glosses, shampoos, moisturizers, and soaps.

Extraction:

The production of argan oil by traditional methods

The argan nut contains one to three oil-rich argan kernels. Extraction yields from 30% to 50% of the oil in the kernels, depending on the method. It takes about 88 pounds of dried argan fruit to produce only one liter of oil.

Extraction is key to the production process. To extract the kernels, workers first dry argan fruit in the open air and then remove the fleshy pulp. Some producers remove the flesh mechanically without drying the fruit. Moroccans usually use the flesh as animal feed. A tradition in some areas of Morocco allows goats to climb argan trees to feed freely on the fruits. The kernels are then later retrieved from the goat droppings, considerably reducing the labor involved in extraction at the expense of some potential gustatory aversion. In modern practice, the peels are removed by hand.

Workers gently roast kernels they will use to make culinary argan oil. After the argan kernels cool, workers grind and press them. The brown-colored mash expels pure, unfiltered argan oil. Finally, they decant unfiltered argan oil into vessels. The remaining press cake is protein-rich and frequently used as cattle feed.

Mechanically extracted oil production has started, with the industrial scale driving down prices, impacting the small co-operatives, where work is mostly done by Berber women in the traditional, labor-intensive way. Mechanically produced oil can cost as little as US$22 a liter, less than half the cost of oil made by the cooperatives. This can have a great social impact. However, the huge cosmetics company L'Oréal has pledged to source all of its argan oil from the small co-operatives that sign up to the principles of fair trade.

The argan tree provides food, shelter and protection from desertification. The trees' deep roots help prevent desert encroachment. The canopy of argan trees also provides shade for other agricultural products, and the leaves and fruit provide feed for animals.

The argan tree also helps landscape stability, helping to prevent soil erosion, providing shade for pasture grasses, and helping to replenish aquifers.

Producing argan oil has helped to protect argan trees from being cut down. In addition, regeneration of the Arganeraie has also been carried out: in 2009 an operation to plant 4,300 argan plants was launched in Meskala in the province of Essaouira.

The production of argan oil has always had a socioeconomic function. At present, its production supports about 2.2 million people in the main argan oil–producing region, the Arganeraie.

Much of the argan oil produced today is made by a number of women's co-operatives. Co-sponsored by the Social Development Agency with the support of the European Union, the UCFA (Union des Cooperatives des Femmes de l’Arganeraie) is the largest union of argan oil co-operatives in Morocco. It comprises 22 co-operatives that are found in other parts of the region.

As of 2020, there were around 300 small firms, mostly co-operatives, in the area about 16 miles inland from Essaouira, on the Atlantic coast. The women who harvest the seeds are mostly of the Berber ethnic group, with traditional skills dating from generations ago.

After the “processing” demonstration, we were led into the shop for all their products.

We then had a scenic drive into the countryside. We got out at an overlook

Fossils are very common in western Morocco so are often offered for sale.

Then walked down the hill to the valley bottom.

At the Paradise Valley, a hike was scheduled. I could never get a straight answer on how far it would be or how strenuous. But looking at the trail, I could see stairs. I decided to just wait on the bus and read. When the group got back around an hour later, one of the ladies told me I had not missed much. The trail was very crowded (it was a Saturday and lots of families were out enjoying the beautiful weather with picnics). But I enjoyed the ride, and we got back to the ship in time for a late lunch and of course Trivia!

Tomorrow we are off to Safi and Essaouira.