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VERDICT: WE GAVE 4 OUT OF 5 TICKETS AND HERE’S WHY!

This guide forms part of our complete Morocco Travel Guide, featuring scenic road trips, iconic destinations, practical travel advice and honest first-hand travel experiences from across Morocco.

This article is part of our 14 Days in Marrakech: Ultimate Guide. We visited the famous Jemaa el Fnaa market, ancient Ait Ben Haddou, travelled the Atlas Mountains and saw the incredible Ouzoud Waterfalls. Our trip also included a stay at the Riad Catalina and a one in a lifetime Hot Air Balloon flight over the desert.

Top Attractions

Many of the attractions are Highly Recommended with a 5 Ticket rating!

Watching Amazigh women transform argan nuts into Morocco’s famous “liquid gold” gave us a fascinating look at a tradition passed through generations

On our day trip to Essaouira we stopped at Marjana, an Essaouira Argan Cooperative where local Berber women manually crack argan nuts with stones, grind the kernels using traditional stone mills, and knead the paste to extract pure cosmetic & culinary oil.

These cooperatives function as social enterprises, creating fair-wage employment, financial independence, and literacy or community support programs for women.

We were able to watch how everything was done, it’s a lot of work! We did purchase some argan oil products & they were lovely. There is clearly something to argan oil as most people have pretty amazing skin in Marrakech, despite the heat.

More Than Just Morocco’s Famous Argan Oil

What makes a stop at an argan cooperative interesting isn’t simply seeing the finished bottles lined up for sale. It is understanding just how much work traditionally went into producing them.

The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is endemic to southwestern Morocco’s Arganeraie region. UNESCO describes the traditional process as involving harvesting, drying, pulping, cracking, sorting, milling and mixing before the oil is finally produced.

The knowledge surrounding the argan tree is culturally important enough that UNESCO added “Argan, practices and know-how concerning the argan tree” to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014.

Marjana Has an Interesting Story of Its Own

Marjana isn’t simply a demonstration created for tourists. The cooperative was established in the Essaouira area in 2005, initially bringing together 25 women.

Interestingly, its origins were connected to education. Local families were struggling to afford school-related costs, and establishing an argan cooperative offered mothers an opportunity to earn income while helping their children remain in school. The cooperative has since grown to more than 50 women.

That makes watching the women work quite different when you understand the story behind it.

The Argan Oil Process

One thing we quickly discovered during our visit was that producing argan oil traditionally involves considerably more work than you might imagine.

Harvesting: Argan fruit is collected and dried.

Removing the pulp: The dried outer portion is removed to expose the extremely hard nut.

Cracking the nut: This is the part we watched closely. Using stones, the women crack each nut individually to reach the kernels inside.

Grinding: The kernels are traditionally ground using a hand-operated stone mill.

Mixing and extraction: The resulting paste is carefully worked and mixed as part of the traditional extraction process.

UNESCO notes that even the hand mills used in this process are traditionally produced by local craftspeople. The knowledge has historically been passed between generations, particularly from Amazigh women to their daughters.

Culinary Argan Oil vs Cosmetic Argan Oil

Visitors may notice different types of argan oil being sold.

Culinary argan oil is used in Moroccan cooking and has a distinctive nutty flavour. Argan oil also plays a role in traditional and festive dishes.

Cosmetic argan oil has become internationally popular for use on skin and hair.

Argan oil has long had culinary, medicinal and cosmetic uses within Moroccan communities — its international beauty-industry fame came much later. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Another product worth looking for is amlou, a traditional Moroccan spread commonly made with almonds, argan oil and honey. Think of it as Morocco’s considerably more interesting answer to breakfast spread.

Why Argan Trees Matter

The trees themselves are every bit as interesting as the oil.

Morocco’s Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve was designated by UNESCO in 1998 and today encompasses about 2.5 million hectares. The ecosystem stretches across southwestern Morocco between the High Atlas, Anti-Atlas and Atlantic coast. UNESCO

Argan forests also perform an important environmental role. They help resist desertification and erosion while supporting wildlife, agriculture and local communities.

This means buying genuine locally produced argan products isn’t simply about taking home a Moroccan souvenir. Well-managed cooperatives can provide income for rural communities while creating an economic incentive to preserve the argan ecosystem.

Women at the Heart of the Industry

One of the most important parts of the story is the role of women.

Women’s cooperatives have helped transform traditional argan knowledge into employment and economic opportunities. UNESCO specifically identifies argan cooperatives as contributing to women’s employment, income and socioeconomic empowerment.

Traditional knowledge is equally important. The skills involved in collecting, processing and using argan have been handed down through generations and remain an important part of Amazigh cultural heritage.

For us, seeing that process firsthand made the bottles of argan oil we purchased considerably more meaningful.

Interesting Facts About Moroccan Argan Oil

The argan tree is endemic to southwestern Morocco’s Arganeraie region.
Traditional argan knowledge received UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition in 2014.
The Arganeraie has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1998. UNESCO
Argan oil has traditionally been used for food, cosmetics and medicinal purposes.
It is also traditionally given as a wedding gift and used in celebratory dishes.
Traditional production involves several stages before a usable oil is produced.
Women have historically played a central role in preserving and passing down argan-production knowledge.
Women’s cooperatives have created employment and income opportunities in rural Moroccan communities.
Argan forests provide environmental protection against erosion and desertification.
Marjana itself began with 25 women in 2005 and has grown to more than 50. ICA

5 Places to Visit Nearby

Because Marjana is in the Essaouira area rather than near Marrakech itself, I would frame these as places to combine with your cooperative stop on the Marrakech–Essaouira route.

1. Essaouira Medina: Wander the UNESCO-listed historic centre, with narrow streets, shops, galleries, cafés and a much more relaxed atmosphere than Marrakech.

2. Essaouira Fishing Port: One of the city’s most photogenic areas, filled with distinctive blue fishing boats, fishermen, seafood stalls and views of the Atlantic.

3. Skala de la Ville: Walk Essaouira’s historic oceanfront fortifications for cannons, stone ramparts and superb views across the Atlantic.

4. Essaouira Beach: The city’s enormous sandy beach is perfect for a walk after exploring the Medina and provides a completely different experience from inland Morocco.

5. The Argan Forests: Keep watching the roadside as you travel through argan country. This is also where visitors sometimes encounter Morocco’s famous goats climbing argan trees: certainly one of the more bizarre photographs you can bring home from Morocco.

Explore these places in Morocco

Continue exploring Marrakech

Nearby Marrakech attractions

Must-See Jemma el Fnaa famous market

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Morocco Argan Oil Cooperative ⎮ Visiting Marjana on Our Marrakech to Essaouira Tour