There is a place high in the Middle Atlas Mountains where the wind still carries the scent of cedar and memory—a place where the air itself seems alive. The people call it Ben Smim, though the old ones whisper other names—The Breath of the Mountains, The Valley of Healing, The Land That Remembers.
Long before the roads were carved and the walls of the sanatorium rose, healers and wanderers came here seeking what could not be found elsewhere—relief, renewal, and the touch of something beyond human understanding. They believed that the mountains breathed and that each inhalation of their air brought new life into tired lungs and weary hearts.
The land itself holds power. Ben Smim rests between 1,500 and 1,650 meters above the sea, surrounded by forests of cedar, oak, and pine. The winds that flow through these woods are cool, pure, and rich with the scent of earth and resin. Even the sunlight feels different here—softer, golden, filtered through ancient branches that have stood watch for centuries. The elders say the air here “sings to the blood.” Science would later call it altitude therapy; the old ones called it mountain spirit.
In the middle of the last century, word of Ben Smim’s healing air reached far beyond the mountains. Doctors, architects, and dreamers came — men who sought to capture the power of the place in brick and stone. Around 1945, a Frenchman named Maurice Bonjean began building what would become one of the largest tuberculosis sanatoriums in North Africa.
When it finally opened in 1955, the Ben Smim Sanatorium stood like a monument to hope. Nearly 400 beds filled its halls, surrounded by 40 acres of forest. Patients were brought from across Morocco and beyond, for this was a time before antibiotics, when fresh air, sunlight, and rest were believed to be the most powerful cures.
Doctors praised Ben Smim’s “conditions climatiques exceptionnelles” — its exceptional climate for healing. The air was clean, dry, and invigorating; the altitude perfect for strengthening the lungs. Each morning, sunlight poured through wide balconies, filling the wards with warmth. At night, the mountain winds would whisper through open windows, and many patients swore they could feel their breath grow stronger, as if the mountains themselves were lending them life.
Though the sanatorium has long since fallen silent, its legacy endures. The building may crumble, but the belief remains: Ben Smim heals — and not just the body, but the soul.
Beyond the physical benefits of its pure air and altitude, Ben Smim offers a profound sense of Zen serenity, a stillness that permeates deeper than the quiet rustling of leaves. Here, the incessant chatter of the modern world fades, replaced by the rhythm of nature – the soft murmur of the wind, the distant call of a bird, the gentle splash of the spring. This natural symphony acts as a balm for the mind, inviting a state of effortless mindfulness. Visitors find themselves naturally drawn into a meditative awareness, where each step on the forest path becomes a mindful journey, each glance at the ancient cedars a moment of profound presence. It is in this unforced calm that the true healing begins, allowing the spirit to quiet, reset, and reconnect with its deepest, most authentic self.
Even today, if you travel a short distance from Meknes — less than two hours from Fez — you will find yourself breathing a different kind of air. Stay here for just a few days, and your body will begin to understand.
The first breath feels ordinary. The second brings calm. By the third, something begins to stir — the air sends quiet signals to your brain, as if whispering a message from the earth. You will not understand it in words, but your body will know. Your lungs expand, your heart slows, your mind clears. It is the mountain’s ancient gift, taken in with every breath.
The weather here is gentler than the plains — summers are cool and fresh, winters see snow fall like feathers between the cedars. The stillness of the forest carries a deep peace. It is said that even the animals recognize the spirit of this place.
Nowhere else in Morocco do the Barbary macaques, the wild mountain monkeys, live in such close harmony with humans. Generations of these families have made the Ben Smim forests their home. They know where the cleanest waters flow and where the safest shade lies. To them, this land is sacred — not through belief, but instinct. They sense the pulse of life here, the same healing power that once drew patients, pilgrims, and dreamers from across the world.
If you speak to the older folk of Ben Smim, they will tell you stories that are not found in books. Tales of travelers who came broken and left whole. Of a woman whose cough vanished with the morning mist. Of a spring that glowed faintly at dusk, where shepherds swore they heard songs rise from the earth. They can still point to certain stones, certain bends in the forest, and say: “Here, this is where the mountain breathes strongest.”
Some say those who listen carefully at dawn can hear the sanatorium sigh — not from sorrow, but remembrance. It has seen despair and healing, endings and renewal. And now, as the forest reclaims it, the mountain breathes again, stronger than ever.
Today, Ben Smim draws a new kind of pilgrim — not only those seeking rest, but those seeking strength. Athletes come here to train in silence and altitude, where each breath carries more power. The thin air sharpens endurance, the solitude restores focus. In this place where medicine once met myth, the healing power of the mountains continues to evolve — a bridge between the old world and the new.
And so, the mountain waits.
The cedars whisper, the wind hums its low eternal song.
Those who come here seeking cure may find more than healing —
they may find remembrance.
For the breath of Ben Smim does not simply fill the lungs —
it awakens the soul.
It is the same air that carried the prayers of the old healers,
the same wind that brushed the faces of those who once watched the sunrise from the sanatorium’s balconies.
The mountain remembers them all — every sigh, every heartbeat, every dream.
And when you leave, it will remember you, too.
For once you breathe Ben Smim’s air,
a part of the mountain will always breathe within you.
Ben Smim is a charming mountain village nestled in the heart of Morocco. Visit Ben Smim and experience peace.