Agadir, the Souss and Anti-Atlas
Few travellers to Morocco head south of Marrakesh, bar the sun-seekers flying directly to – and then, precisely two weeks later, directly out of – Agadir, a winter beach resort for Europeans that counts as the area’s major tourist destination. It’s an agreeable place which makes a good starting point for trips around the area, including a series of beaches lining the coast to north and south, and the sometimes delightful towns and villages dotted around the Anti-Atlas Mountains to the east and the desert beyond. While there are few bona fide tourist sights in this area, the scenery is often spectacular, and perfect road-trip fodder – head down the right roads and you’ll find Spanish Art Deco architecture, remote oases, fascinating rock formations, ancient rock carvings and vista after superlative vista, the landscapes often dotted by the argan trees that the area is famed for.
Agadir’s beaches can often be packed, but those to its north are less developed, including the one at Taghazout, Morocco’s number-one surfing resort. A short way inland from here is Paradise Valley, a beautiful and exotic palm gorge, from which a mountain road trails up to the seasonal waterfalls of Immouzer. East of here is Taroudant, capital of the wide and fertile Souss valley, and boasting massive walls, animated souks and good hotels as its calling-cards. Further south, into the Anti-Atlas mountains, Tafraoute and its valley are even more compelling – the stone-built villages and villas set amid a stunning landscape of pink granite and vast rock formations. To the south of Agadir, the beaches are scarcely developed, ranging from solitary campsites at Sidi Rbat – one of Morocco’s best locations for birdwatching – and Aglou Plage, down to the old port of Sidi Ifni – only relinquished by Spain in 1969 and full of splendid Art Deco colonial architecture.
Many independent travellers turn their noses up at the very mention of AGADIR, a beachside city whose economy is heavily dependent upon pre-packaged Euro-tourism. While its raison d’être will be immediately apparent to even a casual visitor, if you look past the souvenir stands and lobster-skinned beach-goers, you’ll see a calm, pleasant place arranged along a wide, scenic bay. Swathes of park and garden break up the hotel and residential zones, and the magnificent beach is untrammelled by Spanish Costa-style high-rise building. It may sometimes feel that the city is a little soulless, but this relative lack of bustle has novelty value if you’re arriving from any other Moroccan town.
Agadir is, in fact, the core of the country’s fifth-biggest urban conglomeration; its population is now almost 800,000 and rising each year, as the city slowly crawls uphill. This number swells further on weekends, when the nouveau riche from Casablanca and Rabat head down the coast en masse. The slew of cosmopolitan restaurants catering to both local and international tourists may also come as blessed relief from couscous, tajines and brochettes to those who’ve been on the road in Morocco for a while, as will the chance to cut loose at one of the city’s many bars and clubs.
Downtown Agadir is centred on the junction of Boulevard Hassan II and Avenue Prince Moulay Abdallah, with Avenue du Prince Sidi Mohammed. Rebuilt in 1960s “modernist” style, it has all the trappings of a town centre, with office blocks, a post office, town hall (Hôtel de Ville), municipal market and banks. Just to the northeast is an area known as Talborjt, with a concentration of budget hotels and small café-restaurants. To the west is the beach, and following the sand to the north you’ll eventually hit the pleasing, relatively modern marina area, now a favourite coffee spot with young locals.
Alamy
SANDY SHORES IN AGADIR
Highlights
Agadir beach Golden sand, top-class hotels and sun pretty much year-round make this the country’s number one seaside resort.
Surfing at Taghazout Morocco’s top surfing spot, a village beach resort with a whole series of excellent right hand point breaks attracting both local and foreign surfers.
Taroudant Once the nation’s capital, this delightful walled town with two markets and bags of character is nowadays being dubbed “mini Marrakesh” by the tourist industry.
The Tata circuit Head on a spectacular loop through and beyond the Anti-Atlas mountains, passing through the frontier-style town of Tata – and, if you can track them down, a whole series of ancient rock carvings.
Tafraoute Tucked away in the Anti-Atlas mountains amid a landscape of strange rock formations, this friendly little town makes a great base for exploring them.
Sidi Ifni A former Spanish enclave built from scratch in the 1930s with an Art Deco town hall, an Art Deco mosque and even an Art Deco lighthouse.
Highlights are marked on the map
Agadir’s history closely parallels that of Morocco’s other Atlantic ports. It was colonized first by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, then, recaptured by the Saadians in the sixteenth, carried on its trading with intermittent prosperity, overshadowed, more often than not, by the activities of Mogador (Essaouira) and Mazagan (El Jadida). Abroad, Agadir’s name was once known mainly for the Agadir Crisis of 1911, when, during the run-up to World War I, Germany sent a warship to Agadir bay to support Moroccan independence against French designs. Germany’s real motive – to undermine a Franco-British alliance by using Britain and France’s conflicting interests in Morocco – failed when Britain cut a deal with France, allowing the French to split Morocco with Spain while the British got a free hand in Egypt and Cyprus.
The really big event in Agadir’s history was the devastating earthquake of February 29, 1960: a tremor that killed 15,000 and left most of the remaining 50,000 population homeless. Just four years into independence, the earthquake was an especially traumatic event, and in its aftermath, the whole city had to be rebuilt from scratch. Little over half a century on, the result is quite impressive; the mammoth reconstruction effort shows modern Morocco at its best.
Lifeguards on duty north end of the beach mid-June to mid-Sept daily
Agadir’s beach is pretty good: a wide expanse of fine sand, which extends an impressive distance to the south of the town, is swept each morning and patrolled by mounted police. Along its course are a number of cafés, some of which rent out sunbeds and umbrellas. The ocean – it should be stressed – has a very strong Atlantic undertow and is definitely not suitable for children unless closely supervised. Even adults are advised not to go out swimming alone. The northern end of the beach has lifeguards on duty in summer, and a system of flags to tell you how dangerous it is to swim; the big beach hotels also have guarded sections for their residents, and you can rent a sunbed with a parasol at neighbouring restaurants. Lastly, the beach is also a good place for watersports.
The beach empties when the sun goes down, and the pleasant promenade that abuts much of the beach’s central section takes over as the city’s focal point. Lined with restaurants and licked by a sea breeze, it’s a thoroughly pleasant place, a fact made evident by its popularity with local families padding along on their evening constitutional, occasionally purchasing Chinese-made novelty toys from the many hawkers.
Between Bd Hassan II & Bd du 20 Août • Charge
As a break from the beach, and especially if you have children to amuse, you might wander into the Valley of the Birds, a narrow strip of parkland, with a little aviary of exotic birds, a small herd of Barbary sheep and some other mammals, a waterfall and a children’s playground. It’s all very pleasant, and the lush vegetation draws a rich variety of birds throughout the year, but inevitably, some of the animal enclosures are distressingly small. Children might enjoy a ride on the “tourist train”, which goes on a journey around town, starting from Boulevard du 20 Août, at the bottom of the valley.
Towards the southern end of the city centre is an outdoor theatre – built along Roman odeon lines – and a pedestrian precinct of tourist shops and restaurants, where the small Amazigh Heritage Museum has a collection of Berber cultural artefacts, including a few old manuscripts (in Arabic, not Berber), some wooden doors and bowls, and quite a lot of silver jewellery. Unless you have a particular fascination for Berber jewellery, there’s nothing of much excitement here, and you can see the lot in fifteen minutes; the rotating exhibitions are less local in focus, but often more diverting.
Av du President Kennedy; entrance on west side of compound • Free
The Jardim de Olhão is a very pleasant outdoor space. A landscaped garden with a café-restaurant and children’s playground, it was created to celebrate Agadir’s twinning with the town of Olhão in southern Portugal. The walls and buildings in the garden are constructed in a traditional Berber style which some claim was inspired by Portuguese architecture, though the influence is hard to see, and could just as easily have been the other way round anyway.
Av du President Kennedy • Charge
Just next to the Jardim de Olhão (see above), the two little wings of the Exposition Mémoire d’Agadir have some interesting photographs of Agadir as it was before and immediately after the 1960 earthquake – it’s only really worth popping by if you’re already in the Talborjt area.
Entrance from road running uphill from Rue Mokhtar Soussi, opposite Camping International Agadir • Free
The raised plateau of Ancienne Talborjt, which entombs the town demolished in the 1960 earthquake, stands to the west of the city centre. Many of the dead were left in situ here, sprayed with lime in order to prevent the spread of disease, then covered up with a large mound of earth. It’s marked by a small mosque and unfinished memorial garden, though there’s very little to see; however, relatives of the fifteen thousand dead occasionally come to this park area to walk, remember and pray: a moving scene, even after so many years.
On the hill north of the port • Free
The city’s old kasbah is an eight-kilometre round trip from the centre, but worth making if you have transport, or by petit taxi, for a marvellous view of Agadir and the coast. You can see the kasbah from central Agadir, with a vast Arabic “Allah–King–Nation” slogan on the slope below, in white stones, illuminated at night.
Although it survived the quake, the kasbah is little more than rubble encircled by a bare outline of walls and an entrance arch – the latter with an inscription in Dutch and Arabic recording that the Netherlands began trading here in 1746, capitalizing on the rich sugar plantations of the Souss plain. It’s not much, but it is one of the few reminders that the city has any past at all, so complete was the destruction of the 1960 earthquake. The touts scrounging for tourist money up here will do their best to haul your thoughts back to present-day Morocco, and they can be annoyingly persistent with their offers of jewellery for sale, photographic opportunities with snakes and camels, or insisting you pay a nonexistent entry fee. There are also a few unguarded steep drops from the kasbah walls – pay heed if travelling with children.
Activities in and around agadir
As you’d expect from a tourist-oriented city, there’s plenty to do in the Agadir area – even once you’ve exhausted the culinary and alcoholic possibilities.
Bowling and billiards Knock down skittles or work on your cue skills at the Agadir Bowling Lounge, facing the northern end of the beach on Rue de la Plage (
bowlingloungeagadir.com). They also have air hockey, billiards and basketball shooting.
Casino There are a few casinos around town; a good one can be found in the Atlantic Palace resort (map; casinoagadir.com), on the Route de l’Oued Souss.
Golf Agadir has several golf clubs to the southeast of town. Royal Golf, an 18-hole course 12km out on the Route d’Aït Melloul royalgolfagadir.com, is generally considered the finest. The others are off the Inezgane road at Km7: Golf des Dunes (golflesdunesagadir.com), with three nine-hole courses; Golf du Soleil (golfdusoleil.com), with two recently revamped 18-hole courses; and Golf de l’Ocean (
0528 824146), with an ocean view, and 27 holes amid dunes and trees.
Hammam and spa therapy To sweat out the grime in Talborjt, the Bain Maure Essalama, just off Rue Mahdi Ibn Toumert, is open daily. Of more modern extraction is the Basma wellness and beauty centre (centrebasma.ma), open to females only, and providing facials, massage and the like; there’s a salon and hammam on site too.
Surfing There are good waves up the coast from Agadir, especially in the surfer haven of Taghazout.
Watersports Jetskiing is available at the northern end of the beach at Club Royale de Jet-Ski ; the same outfit also offers flyboarding, which essentially turns you into a water-jet version of Iron Man.
Al Massira Airport (agadir-airport.com) is 25km east of Agadir. There are several ATMs here, and taxis will usually accept euros. Holiday companies’ buses meet flights and shuttle passengers to their hotels, and if you’ve bought a flight-only deal you could try tagging along with fellow passengers. Otherwise, grands taxis are always waiting outside. There is no direct bus to downtown Agadir, but you can reach it on local buses via Inezgane, which is also the way to go if you’re planning to head from the airport to destinations other than Agadir. Heading back to Al Massira, it’s usually easier to get a grand taxi from Inezgane to Ikhourbane, a little village just to the north of the airport; drivers will drop you on the main road, just outside the gate.
Airlines Royal Air Maroc have an office in Agadir on Av Général Kettani, opposite the junction with Bd Hassan II.
Car rental Avis (avis.ma); Budget (budget.ma); Europcar (europcar.ma); First Car (firstcar.ma); Hertz (hertz.ma).
Destinations Casablanca (4–6 daily; 1hr 15min); Dakhla (2 weekly; 1hr 40min); Laayoune (2 weekly; 1hr).
All buses serving Agadir operate from the bleak concrete gare routière at the eastern edge of town, 3km from Talborjt on Rue Chair el Hamra (aka Bd Abderrahim Bouabid); it’s around 10–12dh by petit taxi, or 3.5dh on bus #4 from Bd Mohammed V. The best and most convenient bus services from Agadir (though not the cheapest) are operated by Supratours (10 Rue des Oranges) and CTM (Rue Yacoub el Mansour), and can be booked at their offices in town. More buses will take you to Inezgane than to Agadir itself, but since Agadir’s gare routière is fairly far out of the centre anyway, it doesn’t actually make much difference. From Inezgane or the gare routière, the bus stop on Bd Mohammed V, just before Av Prince Sidi Mohammed, is the most convenient for Talborjt.
Destinations Beni Mellal (5 daily; 7hr 30min); Casablanca (1–2 hourly; 5hr 30min–8hr); Dakhla (10 daily; 18–20hr); Essaouira (hourly; 3hr 30min); Fez (9 daily; 10–12hr); Guelmim (2–3 hourly; 4–5hr); Laayoune (16 daily; 11–12hr); Marrakesh (3–4 hourly; 3–4hr); Meknes (7 daily; 11hr); Ouarzazate (3 daily; 7hr); Rabat (hourly; 8–11hr); Safi (hourly; 5–6hr); Tafraoute (7 daily; 4–6hr); Tangier (3–4 daily; 14hr); Tan Tan (2–3 hourly; 6–7hr); Taroudant (3 daily; 1hr 45min); Tata (6 daily; 7hr); Tiznit (2–3 hourly; 2–3hr).
Shared grands taxis use a rank a block south of the local bus station at Pl Salam (aka Pl de l’Abattoir), a longish walk or short taxi ride from Talborjt. For farther-flung destinations you’ll have to head to Inezgane and get a connection there.
Destinations from Agadir: Aourir (20min); Inezgane (20min); Taghazout (25min); Taroudant (1hr 15min); Tiznit (1hr 45min).
Destinations from Inezgane: Essaouira (2hr 30min); Guelmim (4hr 30min); Laayoune (9hr); Marrakesh (3hr); Massa (45min); Ouled Berhil (2hr); Ouled Teima (40min); Sidi Ifni (3hr 30min); Tan Tan (6hr 15min); Taroudant (1hr) and Tiznit (1hr 30min).
Agadir is for the most part a walkable city, though you may want to use petits taxis for transport between the bus or taxi stations and Talborjt or the beach hotels. Alternatively, you can rent scooters or motorbikes, which would also allow you to explore the beaches north and south of town.
By bus The main city bus terminal is at Pl Salam (Pl de l’Abbatoir), a couple of blocks north of the grand taxi station, but the most useful routes run along Bd Mohammed V.
By bike and motorbike Various operators rent out motorbikes, scooters, and bicycles along Bd du 20 Août, south of Route de l’Oued Souss, but many are cowboys. A reliable firm will rent for 24hr rather than just until nightfall, and will show full paperwork proving that the insurance, minimal though it might be, covers you (and passenger if necessary) and detailing help in the event of a breakdown.
Car rental Bungalow Marhaba on Bd Mohammed V houses numerous rental agencies, including Budget, Hertz, Lotus Cars (661 531386), and local operator Youness Cars (younesscars.com). There are also agencies at the airport.
Tourist information The Délégation de Tourisme (0528 846377) is in Immeuble Iguenwane, on Bd Mohammed V, northwest of town towards the port. Staff are helpful and generally happy to answer questions. There is also a Conseil Régional du Tourisme (0528 842629) in the Chamber of Commerce building on Bd Hassan II near the Amazigh Heritage Museum – not strictly speaking a tourist information office, but staff are usually happy to give out information.
Tours Some of the best sights in this chapter are visitable on day-trips from Agadir – your hotel will probably have pamphlets.
Festivals July’s Timitar Festival (festivaltimitar.ma), dedicated to nomadic music, is not on a par with Essaouira’s, but draws musicians from all over southern Morocco, as well as North and West Africa, France, Spain and even Latin America. Agadir also has a small film festival in Feb (fidadoc.org), at the Rialto cinema behind the municipal market.
Accommodation map
Most of the budget hotels are in Talborjt, which has the advantage of local-oriented shops, cafés and street life. More upmarket places are worth booking ahead in high season, but may offer large discounts off-season; most of the package-style establishments are south of central Agadir, though there are some good options closer to the city proper. Note that there are also plenty of appealing places to stay in the area surrounding Agadir, including Taghazout, Paradise Valley and Immouzer.
Some 13km south of Agadir lies the city of Inezgane – almost a suburb of Agadir, but completely different to its more illustrious brother in almost every way. There’s nothing to see here bar “regular” Moroccan life spooling along (there are plenty of places to stay, if you so desire), but for travellers it’s useful in two main ways. One is for those unwilling to shell out on a grand taxi from the airport to Agadir – from the airport you can get to Inezgane on local bus #37 from outside the airport building, and from there take bus #97 or #98 or shared grand taxi to Agadir. It’s also handy when leaving Agadir, or for those looking to head somewhere else immediately after arrival at the airport. It has just as many bus departures as Agadir, and far more choice for grands taxis. From the airport, bus #37 drops you off right next to the grand taxi station in Inezgane; for the bus station, just walk across to the other side of the grand taxi stands; buses to Agadir stop around the corner on the Agadir road. From Agadir, Inezgane can be reached by grand taxi from Place Salam, or on bus #97 or #98 from Avenue Mohammed V.
#04 Anza – Avenue Mohammed V – Avenue Mouqaouama – Gare Routière
#31 Place Salam – Avenue Mohammed V – Aourir
#32 Place Salam – Avenue Mohammed V – Aourir – Taghazout
#33 Place Salam – Avenue Mohammed V – Aourir – Taghazout – Tamri
#37 Inezgane (ALSA bus station) – Agadir airport
#42 Inezgane (Agadir road) – Massa
#97 & #98 Port – Avenue Mohammed V – Inezgane
Argana Bd Mohammed V hotel-argana.com. Large, well-equipped hotel priced a wee bit lower than the heavier hitters nearer the beach. The rooms are large and easy on the eye, but the USP here is the gigantic swimming pool – a pity that the buffet breakfasts don’t quite cut the mustard. On the pool’s fringe, you’ll find 1001 Nuits, the best shisha bar in town. BB €€
Royal Atlas Bd du 20 Août 0528 294040. A five-star hotel which actually tries quite hard to meet that standard. It’s very grand, with well-appointed rooms, friendly but laidback staff, three restaurants, three bars and a spa, plus it backs right onto the beach. It claims to be wheelchair accessible, although it doesn’t have any specially adapted rooms. Promotional rates are often available. BB €€€€
Sofitel Thalassa Baie des Palmiers sofitel.accorhotels.com. The prettier and better located (and, yes, the pricier) of two nearby Sofitel properties, this is a real gem, decorated in neo-Arabic style, largely black-and-white though with splashes of colour where appropriate. You can splash about yourself in two swimming pools (including a heated indoor one), and the rooms provide what you’d expect at this price level. BB €€€€
Thimoulay Baie des Palmiers timoulayhotel.com. Gentler and less package-oriented than most hotels at this price level, its design apparently taking cues from Art Deco (a little hard to spot) and Berber motifs. The rooms themselves vary widely in style and value for money, so try to look at a few before booking; on site you’ll find a spa, swimming pool and small fitness centre. BB €€€
Aferni Av du Général Kettani 0528 840730. It’s worth asking for a room with a bathtub and balcony in this pleasingly old-fashioned three-star hotel, which boasts a pool – heated in winter – and terrace, plus TVs and safes in each room. The hotel also lacks a bar, which you may consider a plus or minus. BB €€
Atlantic Bd Hassan II atlantichotelagadir.com. A super little addition to the area, this small hotel manages to feel like an oasis of calm despite its central location. Guests tend to walk around with a deservedly smug look on their faces, no doubt partly due to the on-site hammam and wonderfully photogenic pool, while the bar has happy-hour discounts. Rooms are modern affairs with Arabic design motifs – a bit of a winner, really. €€
Résidence Sacha Pl de la Jeunesse agadir-maroc.com. Just off the town centre in a quiet square. Calm and artistically decorated, this French-managed establishment is one of Agadir’s most pleasing places to stay. Some of its range of good-sized self-catering studios and apartments come with private gardens, and there’s a small swimming pool surrounded by funky yellow sunbeds. Rates drop heavily if you’re here for blocks of a week; otherwise, online booking engines have the best deals. €€
Résidence Yasmina Rue de la Jeunesse residence-yasmina.com. Self-catering apartments with small bedrooms but large sitting rooms and decent-sized kitchens, plus a lobby and salon done out in traditional zellij tilework, and a swimming pool and children’s pool. There’s often a discounted rate of one sort or another available. €€
Sindibad Pl Lahcen Tamri 0528 823477. Set on Talborjt square, this is a deservedly popular two-star hotel with a restaurant and bar, spotless a/c rooms, a plunge pool on the roof – and Sindbab prints in the lobby. They normally offer rack-rate discounts if you’re staying three nights or more, even in high season. €
El Bahia Rue el Mahdi Ibn Toumert 0528 822724. A fine little two-star hotel, beautifully modernized with three categories of room (with shared facilities, with shower, and with shower and toilet), all with satellite TV, but not all with outside windows. The terrace is beautifully sunny, with an interestingly kitsch fountain. All in all, Agadir’s best place at this price level. €
Diaf Rue Allal Ben Abdallah 0528 825852. The rooms here are small, but everything’s neat and clean; some have en-suite bathrooms, and beds are a decent size (even in the twins). Rooms on the first floor are a lot nicer than those on the roof, however, which are a bit poky. There’s a handy café downstairs, and the road outside was being prettied up at the time of writing. €
Massa Pl Lahcen Tamri 0528 826362. Facing Talborjt’s pretty main square, here you’ll find rooms that are simple but clean and well looked after, set around an upstairs courtyard decorated with murals. There are some drearier rooms downstairs, with shared bathroom facilities but 24hr hot water. A very cheap option for lone travellers. €
Petite Suède Bd Hassan II petitesuede.com. One of the first hotels built after the earthquake, this amiable place is not too far from the beach, and remains consistently popular with foreign travellers. All rooms have en-suite showers, though most have shared toilets. Some also have a balcony, and there’s also a sun terrace. BB €
Tiznine 3 Rue Drarga hoteltiznine.com. Tucked away up a charmingly run-down side street, this little hotel is bright and gleaming, with pleasant rooms decorated with curtains and bedding in various shades of green. It’s slightly pricier than the other Talborjt cheapies, but well worth the difference. €
La Tour du Sud Av Kennedy 0528 822694. A small but immaculate hotel whose en-suite rooms have smoked-glass windows and little balconies, built around two courtyards with large trees growing out of them. It’s worth avoiding the ground-floor rooms, however, especially on the side facing the street. €
Eatingmap
Agadir has cafés and restaurants to suit all budgets, and its array of international food is by far the largest in the Moroccan south. Inexpensive café-restaurants are concentrated in Talborjt, some with bargain set menus, and good for brekky if it’s not provided at your accommodation; most of the restaurants lining the beach and the boulevards are tourist traps, with waiters outside trying to hustle in any passing foreigner who shows an interest, or merely happens to glance in their direction, and some throw hidden service fees onto the bill.
L’Ardoise Gourmande Bd Hassan II. This modern French bistro is the best such operation in town, with all manner of selections available from the obligatory blackboard menu. Entrees include yummy eggs Florentine, snails and oysters, while for mains you can plump for things like canard confit or porc filet mignon. The desserts can be excellent (try the chocolate souffle), and there’s a lengthy wine selection. €€
Les Blancs Marina. One of the most upmarket restaurants in town, with chairs overlooking (and basically on) the beach, a loungey vibe, and excellent Spanish food doled out to relaxed-looking diners. Try Iberian-ham croquettes for starters, a chorizo omelette, or plump for a paella (two-person min). As befits a Spanish restaurant, they’ve a decent selection of wine. €€
Bollywood Bd Tawada, off Rue de la Plage. Reliable curry house in a winning location off the boardwalk, with a good mix of tasty, affordable dishes – usually served to the accompaniment of Lata Mangeshkar Bollywood classics. The paneer masala is particularly good or there’s chicken lamb and beef curries, or the local option – camel curry. It’s licensed, too, but note that a service charge will be added to your bill. €€
Chiche Kabab Bd Hassan II. This snack shack is full to bursting most nights – a bit like most customers’ arteries. Try the shawarma, the “Biggy Biggy Burger”, or all manner of paninis and pizzas; they rather unfairly plonk a set of five dips on your table, making it rather tempting to order chips too. €
Cote Court Bd Hassan II. Forming part of a members-only tennis club, though open to anyone, this is one of the snazziest-looking places in Agadir, with the regular ping of wine glasses an inadvertent soundtrack each evening. However, it’s not that pricey. €
Daffy Rue des Oranges. A long-time favourite offering pavement dining or seats around the tables inside, with reasonable set menus and plenty of tajines, including veggie and lots of fish options, plus dishes like pastilla, mechoui or tanjia for two if ordered in advance. €
Fishing port stalls Outside Port d’Agadir. Not on a par with their equivalents in Essaouira, but the stalls here will do you freshly caught fish grilled over charcoal for not very much money. It’s a fair way out, but an authentically local experience; go to the inner area to escape the traffic, and get your own drinks at the shops, or you’ll pay a lot more to have them brought to your table. €
Jour et Nuit Bd Tawada (on the beach off Rue de la Plage). This restaurant serves international-style dishes such as lamb chops, steaks and roast chicken; Moroccan staples including a good mixed grill (feeds two); and snacks including assorted sandwiches and a range of salads. There’s also a bar. A slightly posher branch – without a bar, but with a large balcony overlooking the sea – is set in a 1930s-style building just 50m to the north (same hours). €€
La Scala Bd de l’Oued Souss. This well-regarded upmarket restaurant specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, including modern dishes such as duck with ginger and orange, or salmon paupiette (rolled up and stuffed with dill), all served on a large terrace surrounded by trees. €€€
Daily’s Bd Hassan II. Modern cafe which, rarely for Morocco, usually has more female than male customers – this can be a nice change of pace, whatever your gender. Breakfast sets are great value and the price includes good coffee, and light meals are available, as well as colouful macaroons. €
Patisserie Tafarnout Cnr Bd Hassan II & Rue de la Foire. Agadir’s poshest patisserie, a place in which to indulge yourself with utterly sinful pastries such as delectable lemon tarts. It’s a decent breakfast option, too, with their morning deal (actually available until 2pm) giving you three small pastries and a hot drink or juice – a pity that the coffees here aren’t terribly good. €
Senso Marina 0528 848060. The best of the litter of cafés fronting the marina, all of which are predictably popular with local youngsters. As well as coffees and teas it lso has decent ice creams – some of the flavours here are a little unusual, including date (tasty), Snickers (exactly what you’d expect) and the electric-blue “Strump” (meaning Smurf, and therefore made from goodness-knows what). €
Talborjt Mini Av du 29 Fevrier. For something extremely local, hunt down this bustling, unsigned corner spot, which sells little bar mint tea, harira soup, and freshly made doughnuts. €
DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFEmap
For an international resort, Agadir has surprisingly few bars, clubs or discos outside of the large hotels, though many restaurants are licensed. Locals tend to leave the beach venues to the tourists, and many chaps drink at the several simple, smoky bars in the crusty complex around the Souk Tarik el Kheir. Nightclubs get going around 11pm or midnight and stay open till 3 or 4am, or later, depending on how many people are still there. Prostitution is rife but illegal – girls and punters usually travel in separate taxis to avoid police attention, and clampdowns are not unknown.
1001 Nuits Bd Mohammed V. Located by the Hotel Argana pool, this is the most attractive shisha spot in town, with cushions for lounging in various Berber-like tents. Service, however, can be painfully slow.
Casa de España Off Av Prince Moulay Abdallah. The smoky, male-only bars around the Souk Tarik el Kheir are usually avoided by tourists, but this tapas bar is the sole legit recommendation in the area. Exuding a loungey vibe, and often pulsing with reggaeton, beers aren’t cheap, but if you want cheaper, there’s plenty of choice nearby.
English Pub Bd du 20 Août. Full English breakfast served all day, live English footie on the telly, and karaoke every night make this a home from home for English tourists determined not to go native; on weekends, however, DJ sets see it packed out with trendy local sorts. Downsides are that the beer selection has nothing English whatsoever – it’s mainly Moroccan brands you can get for half the price elsewhere, so cocktails are bettervalue.
Actor’s Royal Atlas Hotel, Bd du 20 Août. One of Agadir’s top nightclubs, with guest DJs, a variety of sounds and a mixed crowd. Entry, which includes one drink can be pricey.
Flamingo Agadir Beach Club, Bd du 20 Août. Lively if rather seedy nightclub attached to one of the bigger beach package hotels, and very popular with Moroccans as well as foreigners. Music is usually ear-splittingly loud house.
Shoppingmap
Argan Naturel 129 Rue Marrakech. Sells various kinds of honey (from 65dh/jar), as well as olive- and argan-oil shampoo.
Boras Bd du 20 Août. This shop has a wide selection of alcohol, and is well located near the beach.
Ensemble Artisanal 30 Av du 29 Février. Just up the road from Talborjt, this is an attractive souvenir complex, and incredibly quiet unless group tours are visiting. Prices at most shops are fixed.
Fromital 6 Rue Fal Ould Omair. Talborjt shop purveying its own excellent, locally produced cheeses, which are also available at big supermarkets elsewhere in the country.
Souk Tarik el Kheir Off Av Prince Moulay Abdallah. A good first stop for crafts and souvenirs, with many of the small stores in this complex offering fixed, marked prices.
Uniprix Cnr Bd Hassan II & Av Prince Sidi Mohammed. Sells crafts and souvenirs at fixed prices, as well as a wide range of alcohol – and bottles of tabasco, if you’d like to zing up your couscous a tad.
Agadir has plenty of touristy shops, but its markets offer more of a Moroccan feel. The Municipal Market (daily 9am–8pm) is a two-storey concrete block in the centre of town between Avenue des FAR and Avenue Prince Sidi Mohammed, with a display of wet fish downstairs cheek by jowl with fossils and handicrafts. Upstairs, it’s mostly souvenir shops with rather high prices. Talborjt has a plain and simple little food market (daily 8am–6pm) on Rue Mahdi Ibn Toumert just northwest of Place Lahcen Tamri, selling mostly fruit and veg.
Agadir’s most impressive market, however, is the Souk el Had, in a massive walled enclosure on Rue Chair al Hamra (Tues–Sun 8am–6pm), selling fruit, vegetables, household goods and clothes, with a few tourist stalls thrown in. Sunday is the big day, when it spreads out over the neighbouring streets, as people come from all over the region to buy and sell their wares.
Banks There are many banks with ATMs on Av Général Kettani between Bd Hassan II and Bd Mohammed V, plus BMCE and Banque Populaire on Av Kennedy near the junction of Av du 29 Février in Talborjt.
Cinema Cinema Rialto is very cheap and specializes in Bollywood epics and martial-arts action films.
Consulates Ireland, Hôtel Kenzi Europa, Bd du 20 Août; UK, English Pub, Bd du 20 Août.
Doctors and clinics Most of the big hotels can provide addresses for English-speaking doctors. Clinique al Massira, on Av Prince Moulay Abdallah at the junction of Av du 29 Février (0528 380840) has 24hr emergency service.
Pharmacies There’s a night pharmacy at the town hall behind the main post office, and a list of pharmacies de garde (all-night chemists) posted in the windows of most town pharmacies.
Post offices The main post office is right at the top of Av de Prince Sidi Mohammed. There’s also a DHL office on Av Mohammed V.
There are a few enchanting places within easy day-trip reach of Agadir, and some are worth an overnight stay at least. To the south is the Massa lagoon, which forms part of a national park and functions as an important breeding ground for birds. Heading north instead, the coastal road passes first through the industrial suburb of Anza, though beyond that is a great swathe of beach, interrupted here and there by headlands and for the most part deserted. Charming Taghazout is the best spot around here, though some choose to stay in the uglier communes of Aourir and Tamraght just to its south. North of Taghazout, 25km Plage (its distance from Agadir) is an attractive beach by a rocky headland, with good surfing. From here on to Cap Rhir, a stretch also known as Paradis Plage, are many little beaches, with caves on the rocky outcrops, including a really superb strand at Amesnaz, 33km from Agadir. Even further on is Cap Rhir (41km north of Agadir), a good surf-spot.
To the northeast is the tiny hamlet of Immouzer, famed for a waterfall with a highly scenic plunge pool. The 7002 road here leaves the N1 coast road at Aourir, 12km north of Agadir; on the way up you’ll pass Paradise Valley, a beautiful palm-lined gorge with a number of auberges and camping opportunities. Lastly, a surfaced road – mountainous, but incredibly scenic – connects Immouzer with the N8 Agadir–Marrakesh road, allowing easy access from Ameskroud, Taroudant or Marrakesh.
The Massa lagoon, on the coast around 40km south of Agadir, is part of the Souss–Massa National Park, and is one of Morocco’s most important bird habitats, attracting unusual desert visitors and often packed with flamingos, avocets and ducks. The best times to visit are March to April and October to November. Most transport takes you to Massa village, from which you can walk along the oued, an area rich in birdlife, and to the beach at Sidi Rbat. It was here in 682 AD, according to legend, that the Arab general Okba Ibn Nafi, after sweeping westward with his armies to take North Africa for Islam, famously rode his horse into the ocean, declaring before God that only the sea prevented him from going further. The beach itself is often misty and overcast – even when Agadir is basking in the sun – but on a clear day, it’s as good as anywhere else and the walks are enjoyable.
Arrival and departure Souss-Massa National Park
By car Transport of your own is a considerable advantage for getting to, and exploring, the lagoon area; the closest rental agencies are in Agadir.
By taxi You could charter a taxi in Agadir for the day, though you’ll save money by heading first to Inezgane, then taking a grand taxi from there.
The Oued Massa has a rich mix of habitats and draws a fabulous array of birds. The sandbars are visited in the early morning by flocks of sandgrouse (black-bellied and spotted) and often shelter large numbers of cranes; the ponds and reedbed margins conceal various waders, such as black-tailed godwit, turnstone, dunlin and snipe, as well as the black-headed bush shrike (tschagra) and little crake; the deeper open waters provide feeding grounds for greater flamingo, spoonbill, white stork and black-winged stilt; and overhead the skies are patrolled by marsh harrier and osprey. The surrounding scrubby areas also hold black-headed bush shrike and a variety of nocturnal mammals such as Egyptian mongoose, cape hare and jackal, while Sidi Rbat has a local population of Mauritanian toads. Twenty kilometres inland, the Barrage Youssef Ben Tachfine is an enormous freshwater reservoir where possible sightings include black wheatear and rock dove.
If the Oued Souss is flowing (it often dries out), the Souss estuary is also of interest to birdwatchers. The northern banks of the river have good views of a variety of waders and wildfowl including greater flamingo (most evident in Aug and Sept), spoonbill, ruddy shelduck, avocet, greenshank and curlew, while the surrounding scrubby banks also have large numbers of migrant warblers and Barbary partridge. The Royal Palace, built in the 1980s in an imaginative blend of traditional and modern forms, can be glimpsed from the riverbank, but is not open to visitors. To reach the estuary by road, take the Inezgane road out of Agadir (bus #21 or #23 from Avenue Mohammed V), to the junction 7km out of town, where a sign announces the beginning of Inezgane’s city limits; turn right here, opposite a military base, but be warned if wandering around the woods here that there have been reports of robberies, sometimes at knifepoint, so leave your valuables behind, and don’t go alone.
Lastly, the area around Cap Rhir (41km north of Agadir), together with Tamri village and lagoon (3km further north), is good for birdwatching – including the rare bald ibis, Madeiran and Bulwer’s petrels, Cory’s and Manx shearwaters, gannets, common scoter and Audouin’s gulls. There have been reports of birdwatchers being menaced here by youths, so – again – it’s best not to come alone.
By bus The #42 runs from Inezgane, just south of Agadir every 30min till 7pm.
On a tour It’s possible to hop on a group tour in Agadir; Tours ofteninclude a visit to Tiznit.
La Dune ladune.de. Painted in shocking pink, this hotel features seven elegant guest rooms, all with terraces boasting superlative beach views, as well as seven Berber-style tents that are arguably even more pleasant to stay in. Excellent value, all in all, and the food’s good. Tent €, double BB €
Ksar Massa ksarmassahotel.com. A gorgeous and isolated kasbah-style resort with a swimming pool, hammam, restaurant and beach, not to mention sumptuous rooms done out with different colours and materials in each, mostly inspired by different parts of Morocco. BB €€€€
Twelve kilometres north of Agadir, the coastal road hits the small, bustling, pleasantly ugly town of AOURIR. Together with its sister village of Tamraght, a kilometre beyond and slowly being shut off from the beach by large-scale development, they’re often jointly known as “Banana Village” after the banana groves that divide them; the roadside stalls sell local bananas in season. It’s only really worth staying if you plan to surf, or see somewhere both coastal and genuinely “local” in feel; otherwise, Taghazout to the north is far more attractive, and almost as close to the breaks in any case.
Aourir and Tamraght share Banana Beach, a sandy strip broken by the Oued Tamraght, the dividing line between the two villages. Banana Beach is especially good for less experienced surfers, with slower, fatter breaks than those at points to the north. Around 2km north of Tamraght, a prominent rocky headland, Les Roches du Diable, is flanked by further good beaches, including Cro Cro Beach to its north, where surfboards can be rented.
Arrival, activities and informationAourir
By bus Buses #31, #32 and #33 from Agadir stop here roughly every 20min between them (20min), with the latter two continuing on to Taghazout.
By grand taxi You can take a grand taxi here from the main rank in Agadir, though given the frequency of the buses it’s only worth doing if you want to charter a cab for yourself (handy if you have a surfboard, for example). There are also shared taxis from Aourir to Paradise Valley and Immouzer; as usual, it’s best to try early in the day, though there are still quite a few in the afternoon.
Treks and rental vehicles Just north of Tamraght, Amodou Cheval (amodoucheval.com) offers horse and camel treks into the mountains behind the coast, as well as buggies and quad bikes for hire.
Money There’s an ATM next door to the Hotel Littoral, and though it’s fairly reliable, you’re advised to bring along enough money to last a day or two, at least.
There are a few cheap eateries in the market-like area heading inland from the crossroads. Aourir is dry, too, so bring your own alcohol from Agadir, if you want any.
Camping Atlantica Km14 atlanticaparc.com. A huge, relatively new campsite a little north of Aourir, full of retired Europeans in large camper vans, on little plots divided by hedges, giving it the air of a prim small-town suburb on the Continent – there are even prefab bungalows. It has a large pool and direct access to Cro Cro Beach, and a little shade provided by the trees between the plots. Camping €, chalet €€
Littoral Km12, by the roundabout in the centre of Aourir 0528 314726. This two-star is Aourir’s best hotel, just north of the Immouzer turn-off, on the inland side of the road, with spotless, peach-coloured rooms, tiled blue floors, self-catering suites and a pool. A bargain compared to Agadir’s hostelries. The restaurant offers a variety of fish and pasta dishes, including pesto or Napolitana for vegetarians, or richer dishes such as lamb with dried plums. €
Tajine Aourir Km12, opposite the Afriquia petrol station. With splendid views across the river to Tamraght from its cheery upper-floor terrace, this is the best of a short line of restaurants in the area just north of the roundabout, all of which are hugely popular with weekenders from Agadir. There are also various brochettes; get here by mid-afternoon, before they start to run out of ingredients. €€
At one time, the fishing village of TAGHAZOUT – six kilometres north of Aourir, and eighteen from Agadir – was Morocco’s hippy resort par excellence; with its pleasing curl of sand broken up by large rocks, and surrounded by an amphitheatre-like parade of buildings fringed with baby blue, you can see why. The clientele has changed somewhat, since Taghazout is now the country’s main surf resort instead, but the laidback vibe and friendly relationship between villagers and tourists remain; few travellers stay for less than a week.
Arrival and informationTaghazout
By bus Buses #32 and #33 head here from Agadir, via Aourir, running every 30min or so between them (25min).
By grand taxi Grands taxis come here from the main rank in Agadir, or you can charter a cab for yourself (good for those with a surfboard).
Money There are no ATMs in Taghazout – the closest one is 6km away in Aourir – so bring as much cash as you need from Agadir or elsewhere. You can usually pay for accommodation online or in person by card.
Local firms rent out apartments, but you may be able to find a cheaper deal by renting a room from a local family. You’ll need to haggle and the longer you stay the less you’ll pay.
Amouage Main road at north end of town surfmaroc.co.uk. Part of the Surf Maroc stable is this eye-poppingly gorgeous affair, and one not squarely aimed – this may be a Taghazout first – at the surfer set. Poke around the super-relaxed compound and you’ll find an on-site spa, bar and infinity pool; their dorm beds are overpriced, yes, but still better value than any others in town. BB dorm €, double €€€
L’Auberge Taghazout main beach surfmaroc.co.uk. Once a beach guesthouse for hippies, this place just grows and grows, with new facilities all the time, but still manages to be easy-going, informal and friendly. It’s a delightful place to stay, with small but pleasant rooms, hot-water showers, a roof terrace, movie room (often as not showing surfing films) and a restaurant downstairs. BB €€
There are absolutely loads of surf spots along the coast both north and south of Taghazout. The huge majority are long right-hand point breaks. Most of the waves are long tapering walls – hollow sections are the exception rather than the norm. Killers, 6km north of the village and named after the killer whales which are often seen here, has one of the most consistent breaks, a powerful, perfectly peeling charger which breaks over a rock shelf. Source, just south of Killers, is so called for the fresh water bubbling up underneath it. Anchor Point, just north of Taghazout, is the most famous wave in the country. It can hold solid swell which peels for hundreds of metres down the point. At the north end of the village beach itself, Hash Point is supposedly used by those too stoned to make it to the others, but otherwise is a reasonable enough wave.
Another surf haven is Cap Rhir, 41km from Agadir and distinguished by its 1926 French-built lighthouse. A prime surfing spot is Boilers, a powerful right break named after the relic of a shipwreck that’s perched on an island: the paddle-out between the wreck and the shore demands good duckdiving or immaculate timing to avoid being washed up by sets. Draculas is another longright named after its pincushion of sea urchins, breaks just inshore of Boilers. There are also good surf spots north and south of Taghazout, notably at Banana Beach between Aourir and Tamraght, and Cro Cro Beach just north of Tamraght.
If you’re not bringing surfing gear along, there are plenty of rental spots in and around Taghazout – several dedicated surf shops rent out, sell or repair boards, and sell surfing accoutrements. The main movers and shakers on the surfing scene are British firm Surf Maroc (surfmaroc.co.uk), who rent out equipment from their office at Taghazout Villa (see above), and offer surf guiding and tuition along with accommodation in Taghazout. They offer special surf-and-stay packages at their two hotels, and rent out apartments at surfing spots further north. Also worth checking out is Surf Berbere (surfberbere.com), who have a guesthouse just off the main road (see above) and a café on the beachfront; their week-long surf-and-stay packages are good value, and there are yoga options available too. Almugar Surf Shop, by the bus stop in Taghazout, also rent and repair surfing equipment.
Surf Berbere Just off the main road in the centre of town surfberbere.com. Though the simple rooms in this guesthouse are usually rented by the week as part of surf packages, it’s also possible to take them by the day. Breakfast is served at a beachside café with grand views of the Atlantic bashing in. BB dorm €, double €€
The eating scene here has become far more traveller-oriented in recent years, with “surf” used as a menu-item prefix with monotonous regularity, but poke around and you’ll still find simple places serving up grilled fresh fish and fish tajines, as well as those doling out smoothies and granola breakfasts. Note that the place is Sahara-dry as far as alcohol goes – staff at the various Surf Maroc locations organize occasional booze-runs to Agadir.
Dar Joséphine Main road near south end of town. The most attractive restaurant on the main road by far, though be sure to nab a table on the elegant outdoor terrace for the full effect. The food on the blackboard changes by the day, and is usually an interesting mix of local and European – expect to see goodies such as grated carrot in orange and cinnamon, pastilla or calamari in spicy sauce; the set meals are decent value, and there are always lots of veggie options. €€
Surf It Above the beach. Good spot for local staples, with cous-cous, tajines and grilled fish, and a choice of indoor or beach-view outdoor seating. €
World Of Waves Above the beach. Usually busy from morning through to night, and with its speakers pulsing with music for much of the day, this is where to head for an open-air smoothie or espresso; they also have pasta dishes, salads, omelettes and the like at reasonable prices. €€
Paradise Valley begins around 10km east of Aourir – a deep, palm-lined gorge, with a river snaking along the base. There’s a well-marked 2.7km walking trail at around 28km from Aourir, heading uphill most of the way to rejoin the road – it’s also pleasant to delve down into the ravine and try to figure your own way back out. With more time in hand, you can hire a mule to explore the valley’s Berber villages (ask at the hotels), and it’s a glorious place to camp, though pitch your tent well away from the riverbed in case of flash floods.
Arrival and departure Paradise Valley
By public transport Trucks, minibuses and shared taxis between Aourir and Immouzer will set you down at Paradise Valley on request, and will pick you up if not full.
By car and motorbike It’s a lovely ride up from Aourir, though be sure to take the right-hand fork after the main body of the village – the left-hand one looks like the main road, but leads to a dead-end.
Auberge Bab Immouzer 2.5km above Paradise Valley, aubergebabimouzer.com. Not quite such good value as the other auberges, nor as well kept, though it benefits from a large swimming pool surrounded by a spacious sun terrace, well hidden away from the road. There are good views from the restaurant, but the small windows in the rooms mean that they don’t share it, and the cheaper rooms don’t really have a view at all. €
Auberge le Panoramic 3.5km above Paradise Valley 0528 216709. Run by a charming family, this place certainly lives up to its name, with impressive views down the valley and a panoramic terrace where you can take lunch. There’s another panoramic terrace on the roof of its accommodation wing, which is just across the road, boasting a swimming pool and its own little fruit orchard. It’s worth taking half-board here, unless you plan to eat at one of the other auberges. €
Tifrit 3km above Paradise Valley (500m below Auberge le Panoramic) 0528 216708. Run by the same family as the Panoramic (see above), and set among palms and olives, this small auberge has cool rooms, a swimming pool, and fine Moroccan meals on its terrace; they also sell locally made honey and argan oil. HB €€
Heading east from Paradise Valley, a further 25km of winding mountain road takes you to the village of IMMOUZER, a small regional and market centre of the Ida Outanane tribe, tucked away in a westerly outcrop of the Atlas and renowned for a lofty waterfall, whose base is within walking distance down the slopes. Bar the waterfall and a refreshing, rarified air, there’s not too much else of tourist interest here, bar a souk held every Thursday. The local speciality is honey, made by bees that browse on wild thyme, lavender and other mountain herbs. There’s also a five-day honey moussem in late July or early to mid-August. Note if you are considering buying honey here that it may well be illegal for you to import it into your home country.
One of the stranger sights of the Souss and surrounding coastal region is goats browsing among the branches of spiny, knotted argan trees, a species similar to the olive that is found only in this region. Though some younger goatherds seem to have a sideline in charging tourists to take photographs, the actual object of the exercise is to let the goats eat the outer, fleshy part of the argan fruit. The hard, inner nut is then cracked open and the kernel crushed to extract the expensive oil.
Argan oil is sweet and rich, and is used in many Moroccan dishes and in salads, or for dunking bread. It is also used to make amalou, a delicious dip of honey and almond paste. An expensive delicacy, argan oil is not easily extracted: while one olive tree provides around five litres of olive oil, it takes the nuts from thirty argan trees to make just one litre of argan oil. Plastic bottles of argan oil are occasionally sold at the roadside in the Oued Souss area, but are very often adulterated with cheaper oils. It is therefore better to buy argan oil or amalou from a trustworthy source such as Argan Naturel in Agadir, Hôtel Tifrit in Paradise Valley, or specialist shops in Marrakesh or Essaouira. Argan oil is also sometimes sold in larger supermarkets.
4km from Immouzer • Free • 1hr on foot from Immouzer
The spectacular waterfalls for which Immouzer has long been renowned are best seen at their foot, 4km downhill to the northwest of the village and flanked by a clutch of souvenir stalls. The falls have been very adversely affected by drought of late; tight control of irrigation now reduces the cascade on most occasions to a trickle, with the villagers “turning on” the falls for special events only. However, the petrified canopy of the falls is of interest in its own right, and there’s a full plunge pool, one that’s rather chilly even at the height of summer.
A surfaced road twists down to the foot of the falls, though it’s far more pleasant for pedestrians to take the footpath which branches off the road just after it starts heading downhill. Additionally, and even more thrillingly, a path from the lowest point in the garden of the Hôtel des Cascades follows a water channel across cliffs; it’s then possible to scramble down into the olive groves, but it isn’t a route for the timid or unfit (or those in flip-flops), and ascending again is harder still.
By public transport From Agadir, take a grand taxi or city bus to Aourir, from where there are shared grands taxis and minibuses to Immouzer. The most frequent services are on Thurs, when the weekly souk is held, but on other days you shouldn’t have too long to wait.
Amalou At the end of the waterfall road, near the foot of the falls 0528 846966. More-than-acceptable budget option with simple rooms, a swimming pool (summer only), and a restaurant serving surprisingly good food – try the chicken-and-lemon tajines. €
Des Cascades Signposted from the main square 0528 826016. A delightful place, set amid gardens of vines, apple and olive trees, roses and hollyhocks, with a panorama of the mountains rolling down to the coast (all rooms have a balcony and a share of the view), and a spectacular path down to the foot of the falls. The food, too, is memorable, and there’s a swimming pool (summer only) and tennis court. The hotel can organize trekking on foot or by donkey, maintains gîtes to overnight in, and has arrangements with families further afield to put up guests. €€
Le Miel Near the end of the waterfall road. When visiting the falls, eat at Hotel Amalou (see above), but grab your coffee here – it’s the best you’ll find for miles around. They do other simple snacks and drinks as well. €
With its majestic, tawny-brown and honey-gold circuit of walls, TAROUDANT is one of the most elegant towns in Morocco. Its position at the heart of the fertile Souss valley has always given it a commercial and political importance, and the Saadians briefly made it their capital in the sixteenth century before moving on to Marrakesh. Taroudant is a friendly, laidback sort of place, with a population of around 70,000 and the good-natured bustle of a Berber market town. While on your walk around, note the distinctive, highly beautiful blue veils that many of the older local ladies wear. It’s a good base for trekking into the Western High Atlas or the Jebel Sirwa as well as for two superb road routes – north over the Tizi n’Test to Marrakesh, and south to Tata, Foum el Hassan and beyond.
Despite its extensive ramparts and large tracts of open space, the town is quite compact. Within the walled “inner city” there are just two main squares – Place Assarag (officially renamed Place Alaouyine) and Place Talmoklate (officially Place en Nasr) – and these mark the centre of town, with the main souk area between them to the north. The pedestrianized area of Place Assarag is the centre of activity and comes alive in late afternoon as the sun’s heat eases off and people come out to promenade. Lately it has seen the return of performers such as storytellers, snake charmers and musicians – as in Marrakesh’s Jemaa el Fna, but on a smaller scale, of course.
East of Taroudant, the spectacular kasbah in Freija is worth a stop, set in a lovely village which makes a good overnight layover. Further down the road, the oasis and kasbah of Tioute is also close enough to explore in a half-day’s trip by car, or an energetic day by rented bike.
7km walking circuit around the exterior; also possible to tour by bicycle, or take a calèche from just inside Bab el Kasbah
The town’s walls and bastions, now restored in many places, make an enjoyable 7km circuit, which is best undertaken in the late afternoon in order to witness the ramparts getting fired up by the sunset. Unfortunately, there are no paths atop the walls, meaning that you’ll have to go around the outside, though there are stairs up onto them at the Bab el Kasbah, a triple-arched structure that’s the most imposing of the city’s several gates. The finest stretch, in architectural terms, runs south from there to Bab Zorgane, though the setting sun often plays fancy tricks on the north-facing sections around Bab el Khemis and Bab el Djedid.
Just to the north of Bab el Kasbah, the kasbah was originally a Saadian winter palace complex, and contains the ruins of a fortress built by Moulay Ismail. You won’t see much these days – the kasbah is now home to the city jail, a fire station and a law court, and isn’t at all photogenic.
Aside from its ramparts, Taroudant’s main attractions are its two daily souks: the Souk Arab, immediately east of Place Assarag (and north of Place Talmoklate), and the Marché Berbère, south of Place Talmoklate. There’s also a diverting Thursday market a little way north of the walls.
Many entrances, but easiest approached along the lane by the BMCE bank, or from Pl Assarag • Free
Also known as the “belt” market, the Souk Arab is good for rugs, carpets, leather goods and other traditional crafts, but especially jewellery. This comes mainly from the Anti-Atlas villages (little of it is as “antique” as the sellers would have you believe), though until the 1960s there was an artisan quarter here of predominantly Jewish craftsmen. For good-quality wares, the Antiquaire Haut Atlas is recommended.
Easiest access is via Pl Talmoklate • Free
The Marché Municipal has more everyday items than the Arab souk, with spices and vegetables as well as clothing and pottery, and again jewellery and carpets. Parts of it are rather atmospheric.
1km north of Bab el Khemis, then easily visible on the left • Free
The Thursday market, where Berbers from the villages sell farm produce and sometimes craftwork, takes place up the road from the northeast gate, Bab el Khemis. This market once took place in an area just north of the gate, but in 2014 was moved to a “proper” gated compound by the local government, ostensibly to facilitate tax collection. Nevertheless, there are usually far too many tradespeople to fit into the place, and the large yard out front provides additional market space (tax-free, presumably).
Turn left outside Bab Targhount, then right after 100m • Free
The leather tanneries are outside the town walls on account of their smell – leather is cured in cattle urine and pigeon droppings – and for the proximity to a ready supply of water. Compared with those in Marrakesh or Fez, they are small, but tidy; your presence is likely to be noticed immediately, but the resultant pestering is usually small-scale. Sheep, cow and goat leather articles are all on sale, but don’t buy skins of rare or endangered species, which are also unfortunately on sale: their importation is banned in most Western countries, and buying them, or indeed patronizing shops which sell them, encourages illegal poaching of rare animals.
From Taroudant’s rooftop terraces, the fang-like peaks of Awlim (3482m) and Tinerghwet (3551m) look temptingly close on the rugged northern skyline. The area is easily reached from Taroudant, as is the Tichka Plateau. The Jebel Sirwa is also within practical reach of the town; you should really allow at least a week for a cursory visit, more if possible. One of the very best trekking routes in Morocco, nicknamed “The Wonder Walk”, is a two-week trip up to the plateau and on to Jebel Toubkal, Morocco’s highest peak.
If you are interested in a guided trek, contact El Aouad Ali through the hotels Roudani or Taroudant. He is a highly knowledgeable, English-speaking mountain expert, and can organize treks at short notice if need be. It is best to avoid other agencies as there have been some unpleasant rip-offs by cowboy operators.
Arrival and departureTaroudant
By bus Buses use Taroudant’s gare routière, which is a yard just outside the walls by Bab Zorgane; you can buy tickets on the buses, or in advance from a clutch of agencies just inside the walls. Buses to Freija use a stop outside the town hall at the beginning of the Ouarzazate road. There are buses to Marrakesh via the thrilling road of Tizi n’Test each Sat morning; otherwise, get a minivan from the gare routière to Tin Mal, and onward transport from there.
Destinations: Agadir (3 daily; 1hr 45min); Casablanca (13 daily; 8–10hr); Igherm (3 daily; 2hr 30min); Marrakesh (6 daily; 4hr); Ouarzazate (6 daily; 5hr); Rabat (3 daily; 13hr); Taliouine (5 daily; 2hr); Tata (3 daily; 4hr 30min).
By grand taxi Grands taxis use a yard immediately west of the one used by buses. To Tata, there are rarely direct shared grands taxis; set off early in the day to avoid getting stranded at Igherm.
Destinations: Agadir (1hr 15min); Aoulouz (1hr); Freija (20min); Igherm (1hr 30min); Inezgane (1hr 15min); Marrakesh (4hr); Ouled Berhil (40min); Taliouine (1hr 30min).
By petit taxi There are plenty of petits taxis for short journeys (usually to be found in Pl Assarag).
By bicycle and scooter You can rent bicycles by the hour, half- or full-day from a little shop on Av Mohammed V just off Pl Assarag between Crédit du Maroc and Bank Attijaraiwafa. Alternatively, you can rent velo-scooters or motos from Location 2 Roues, opposite the mosque.
By car Many choose to rent a car here to chalk off the sights around town and some of the surrounding countryside; it’s also a good start-finish point for those tackling the Tata circuit. There are several rental spots dotted around town – ask your hotel for details of the one closest to you.
By calèche You’ll see a fair few horse-drawn calèches angling for business around town, particularly around Bab el Kasbah.
Accommodationmap
Mini Atlas Av el Mansour Eddahbi 0528 551880. The staff here are very friendly and the rooms are small but sparkling, with en-suite showers, though hot water only runs at certain times of day. Breakfast costs extra. €
Palais Oumensour Borj Oumensour palaisoumensour.com. A charming, if overpriced, hotel tucked away at the end of a calm side street in the city centre. The pool is small but certainly does the trick after a long day of walking, and the rooms are beautifully appointed, with huge bathrooms (though the toilet cubicles can be tricky to get into). BB €€
De la Place Pl Assarag 0528 852623. Though it’s in a good location, on the main square (enter through the tearoom), the rooms are a bit grubby and very basic, with shared bathroom facilities and no hot water. If you can negotiate a reduced rate, however, its low price might make it worthwhile for tight budgets. €
Riad Maryam 40 Derb Maalem Mohammed, signposted off Av Mohammed V riadmaryam.com. Taroudant’s original riad, with six rooms and a suite around a lovely patio garden. The decor is interesting (a double-edged sword), but it has a certain charm, as do the family who run the place, and the food is wonderful. It’s a little hard to find – ask directions when you’re in the area. BB €€
Riad Tafliag Derb Taffelaght riad-tafilag.com. Enduringly popular riad hotel whose nine traditionally-decorated rooms are simply dreamy places to stay for a few days. There are bicycles for hire, and also a small pool, while the rooftop provides lovely views of the sun’s rising and setting. BB €€
Taroudant Pl Assarag 0528 852416. A Taroudant institution and the oldest hotel in town, this was run by a grand old French patronne up until her death in 1988, and retains her influence – and some of her old poster collection. Very good value, with a patio garden, and charmingly tiled rooms. €
Chambres d’Hôtes Les Amis 800m west of Bab Targhount 0667 601686. A stay at this guesthouse is more like being in a Moroccan family home than a hotel, with clean and pleasant rooms, constant hot water, a roof terrace, and use of the kitchen. BB €
Dar Zitoune 2km south of town, on the Agadir road darzitoune.com. The best upmarket choice in town, with fourteen a/c bungalows and eight suites all set in a magnificent garden (one which smells absolutely wonderful in the evening), and a “Berber village” of stylish tents out back. There are two large pools, and a smaller one featuring a jacuzzi. It’s a little way out of town, though mercifully the food is also excellent if you’d rather not move too far for dinner. There’s also a bar. BB €€€
Riad el Aïssi Nouayl el Homr, on the Ameskroud road 0661 173089, riadelaissi.ma. A beautifully restful place in a little village 3km southeast of town, set amid nineteen hectares of orange, lemon and banana trees in a 1930 pasha’s mansion, and both owned and managed by a local lady (unusual, in these parts). The rooms are enormous, and each comes with an individual terrace; rounding out the picture are a pool with beautiful views of the mountains to the north, and a restaurant serving excellent Moroccan and Italian food. It’s a short way from the centre, though call and the staff may pick you up. BB €€
Eatingmap
It has to be said that Taroudant’s culinary scene has failed to keep pace with its accommodation choices – there are very few places of note to eat. For real budget food, there are stands selling small sandwiches filled with merguez or sardine balls, though for tax reasons most have, sadly, gone the way of the dodo. If you’re in luck, you’ll find one on Av Bir Zaran, and another opposite western exit of the Marché Municipal. Juice shops around town sell all kinds of concoctions, and there’s a stand on Av Bir Zaran doling out freshly-pressed sugar cane juice with ginger and lime.
Espace Bashar Av Moulay Rachid. Simple place for coffee and tea, though with one major string to its bow – come by just before sunset, climb on up to the terrace, and pick out birdsong while Taroudant’s prettiest town gate fires up with the final rays of the day. €
Oasis Pl Assarag. The most popular of the many cafés around the city’s colourful main square, selling so-so pizza and spaghetti to those in need of something non-native to tickle their tastebuds, but far more notable for its tea and espresso (avoid the overmilky café au lait), and crêpes à l’orange. Often crowded with local gents watching international football games on the telly. €
Riad Maryam 40 Derb Maalem Mohammed, signposted off Av Mohammed V 0528 551112. The Moroccan home cooking here is so good that it has featured more than once in the French gourmet magazine Saveurs. Non-residents can eat here, but must book at least two hours ahead. €€€
Roudani Pl Assarag. Simple Moroccan dishes such as tajines and couscous are on offer at this hotel restaurant; nothing too special, but all tasty, fresh and well prepared. Food is served at tables on the square – a great place to take in the evening atmosphere or daytime bustle. €€
Jnane Soussia Av Mohammed V. Moroccan cuisine served in a relaxed, open-air restaurant just south of the walls, set around a star-shaped pool, with views of orange trees and music stirring the air. There’s veal tajine with prunes, chicken tajine with lemon and olives or, if ordered in advance, mechoui (roast lamb) or pigeon tajine with raisins. It’s mostly pretty good, but you can also just drop in for a mint tea or mango juice. €€€
Riad el Aïssi Nouayl el Homr riadelaissi.com. This excellent, out-of-the-way hotel churns out some great food, as much as possible of which is made with ingredients culled from their own gardens. Interestingly, Jacques Chirac once stopped by for a snack. They’re proudest of their goat tajine (feeds two), but couscous and other cheaper staples are available; the salad items and fruit juices are super fresh. You’ll need to take a taxi from the centre. €€€
Drinkingmap
Dar Zitoune 2km south of town, on the Agadir road darzitoune.com. This excellent hotel has a well-stocked bar, and it’s not that pricey at all. Enjoy your glass of wine out by the pool, or in their eye-catching bar area. It’s a little far from town, though staff will find a cab to get you home.
Shoppingmap
Antiquaire Haut Atlas Souk Arab. A lovely, and lovely-looking, antique shop in the Arab souk; to find it, entering the souk from Pl Assarag by the BMCE bank, continue roughly straight ahead, and it’s on the right after 200m.
Maison Berbère Off Pl Assarag. On a side street just north of the main square (look out for the signs), this sells elaborate tajines and vases, amid the regular touristy stuff. The owner speaks English, too.
Banks Several banks on and around Pl Assarag have ATMs and exchange facilities, as do a trio east of Bab el Kasbah on Av Hassan II.
Car repairs There are garages and spares shops just inside and outside Bab Targhount, and inside Bab Zorgane.
Hammams Hammam Tunsi, 30 Av Mohammed V. There’s also a hammam with an entrance for men just next to the Hôtel el Warda and an entrance for women round the back in an alley between 177 and 162 Av Mohammed V.
11km east of Taroudant • Hourly buses from just east of the kasbah in Taroudant; shared grands taxis from the Taroudant gare routière
The ancient, fortified village of Freija stands atop a hill rising above the Oued Souss. The oued is quite wide here, and usually dry, but when it does flood, the hill keeps the pisé (mud-brick) houses safely high and dry. As well as being quite picturesque, and a good spot for birdwatching, Freija affords sweeping views of the river, the fertile plains beyond, and the High Atlas.
Riad Freija 3.5km west of of Freija riadanma.com. The best place to stay in the Freija area (avoid the riad converted from the kasbah by the main road), with a series of modern, pleasingly decorated rooms – all named after other Moroccan cities famed for riad accommodation – arrayed around a swimming pool. Given the slightly remote location, you’ll most likely be dining at the riad, too, which is no bad thing. BB €€
The road from Taroudant to Taliouine
The main road linking Taroudant and Taliouine (N10), has a few notable spots in which to stop, whether or not you’ve got your own vehicle; a couple of them also make great places to hunker down for the night.
Heading east from Taroudant, you’ll first come across tiny Freija, which is worth a little wander around, though it’s a little tricky to get eastward transport from here. It’s easier to visit with your own wheels, which will also allow you to make a side-trip to the old kasbah in Tiout.
Next comes Ouled Berhil, 43km east of Taroudant; it’s a non-entity of a town but of note for its old kasbah, 800m south of the main road (signposted from the centre of the village), which has been turned into a sumptuous hotel-restaurant, the Riad Hida (see below). Buses along the N10 stop in Ouled Berhil, and there are shared taxis to Taroudant and Aoulouz.
Lastly, there’s the town of Aoulouz, 34km east of Ouled Berhil; it has quite a lively little market, at its busiest on Wednesdays and Sundays, but for travellers it’s more notable for the two daily buses to Marrakesh via Tizi n’Test, one of the most exciting mountain roads in Morocco: a series of hairpin bends cutting across the High Atlas. There are shared taxis from the centre of the village to Taroudant (1hr), Inezgane (2hr 15min), Ouled Berhil (30min) and Taliouine (40min).
Accommodation and eating en route
Riad Hida Ouled Berhil palaisriadhida.com. This nineteenth-century palace was bought in the 1950s by Danish millionaire Börg Kastberg, who spent thirty years restoring it to its former glory. It now has deluxe rooms and suites, spacious grounds, a magnificent garden and a great restaurant. HB €€€
Sahara Aoulouz 0672 674948. A surprisingly nice place in this little town, with nice, fresh rooms and shared – but, importantly, clean – bathroom facilities. €
25km southeast of Taroudant • No public access • Infrequent grands taxis from Taroudant (mainly mornings and late afternoons)
The stone-built Glaoui kasbah at TIOUT is one of the grandest in the south, and is still owned by the local caid. Profiled against the first foothills of the Anti-Atlas, it is a wonderfully romantic sight, and was used as a location in Jacques Becker’s 1954 French film Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. You can’t go in, but from near its ramparts you’ll be able to take in fabulous views over the luxuriant palmery, with the High Atlas peaks beyond.
Igrane By the main road below the kasbah 0618 790365. Villa in a great location, set off the main road just by the palmery. There are only three rooms, all with delightful straw-and-pisé walls, so call ahead to make sure they’ve got space. HB €€
Kasbah Tiout Inside the kasbah 0668 747243. Head on up the road leading to the kasbah, and you’ll eventually have to stop at this restaurant-with-a-view. There’s a great value set menu (there will be no other options, though they could perhaps rustle up an omelette), but even if you’re not hungry, it’s a delightful place for coffee or tea. €€
More village than town, there’s a palpable end-of-the-road feeling once you’ve reached TALIOUINE – the roads do continue, however, and thanks to good accommodation options and some superlative vistas, the place makes a logical stopover point en route to Taroudant, Ouarzazate or Tata. The aforementioned views are mostly made up of various shades of gold and brown, often sculpted into comb-patterns by varying forces, such as the page-like rocks making up the surrounding mountains, grooves made by the hooves of goats which peck at the local scrubland, ploughed furrows on brown fields which seem dry year-round, and tyre-tracks on the dusty roads winding their lonely courses out of town. All in all, it’s a study in understated beauty.
Taliouine is most famed for its saffron (harvest season usually runs Sept–Oct) and one-gram packets are sold at shops in town – note that saffron is damaged by light, so it’s best not to buy if it has been left out in glass jars for any length of time. The town also has a Monday souk, held across the valley behind the kasbah.
Within swiping range of town are the peaks of the Jebel Sirwa; Taliouine makes a good base for this trekker’s paradise, though to reap maximum reward you’ll have to stay in the mountains for at least a few days.
Just off the main road, across the river
The magnificent kasbah, visible across the river to the east of the village, was built by the Glaoui after the French evicted the original landowners to make way for it. However, the Glaoui regained the land after independence, and although large parts of the kasbah are derelict, one member of the family, together with his French wife, has restored part of it and opened a maison d’hôte in it. There are more kasbahs in the hills round the village, if you have time to explore them.
Arrival and departureTaliouine
By bus The main bus stop is on the main road, towards the west end of the village. Buses can be picked up elsewhere, but won’t stop if they’re full.
Destinations Agadir (5 daily; 3hr 30min); Casablanca (2 daily; 12hr); Er Rachidia (1 daily; 11hr); Marrakesh (1 daily via Tizi n’Test; 7hr); Ouarzazate (6 daily; 3hr); Rabat (1 daily; 14hr); Taroudant (6 daily; 2hr); Tazenakht (6 daily; 1hr 30 min); Tinerhir (1 daily; 8hr); Zagora (1 daily; 8hr).
By grand taxi Grands taxis leave just along from the bus stop.
Destinations Aoulouz (40min); Taroudant (1hr 30min); Tazenakht (less frequently; 1hr).
By car or motorbike If heading to or from Tata, you’re best advised to take the scenic P1743.
Banks There are branches of Banque Populaire and Attijawiwafa on the main road, both with foreign card-friendly ATMs.
Trekking A few trekking specialist operators are located in and around Taliouine, with Zafrani (zafrani.ch) particularly recommended for tours of Jebel Sirwa.
Banks There are branches of Banque Populaire and Attijawiwafa on the main road, both with foreign card-friendly ATMs.
Accommodationmap
Atlas Bordeaux By the bus stop 0666 752292. The best of the handful of ultra-cheapies on the main drag in the centre of the village. The rooms are simple, but clean and fresh, with hot showers (usually). Though the neighbouring small hotels may be slightly cheaper, they are also dirtier. €
Auberge Le Safran On the main road near the eastern edge of town auberge-safran-taliouine-sud-maroc.com. This good-value place has become a default option in its price category, with rooms that are simple but colourfully decorated. They now have a pool, though like the rooms themselves, it could often do with a little more cleaning. They also have a restaurant downstairs. €
Camping Toubkal 3.5km east of town 0528 534343. This campsite has passable bungalow rooms, including some a/c and two adapted for wheelchairs, a small grocery store, a cheap restaurant, and a swimming pool. Wi-fi near the reception only. Camping €, bungalow €€
Escale Rando In the kasbah 0528 534600. A member of the family who owned the land before the kasbah was built has now established this maison d’hôte in part of it which has been restored from its ruinous state. Most rooms have shared bathroom facilities, though a few are en suite. BB €€
Eatingmap
Taliouine is no gourmand’s paradise, and there are few actual restaurants to speak of. However, there are plenty of informal grill-spots near the bus stop.
Auberge Le Safran On the main road near the eastern edge of town auberge-safran-taliouine-sud-maroc.com. If you’re not eating at your accommodation, this hotel is your best in central Taliouine. Most items on the menu involve saffron somewhere along the line. Go for the brochettes, rice and veggies, all with a hint of the magic herb. €€
Laiterie Freres Assounfou On the main road in the centre of town. There are a fair few little cafés on the main drag, but this little shop – interestingly decorated with mauve paint, purple tables and a pink-metal staircase inside – makes the most pleasant drinking spot. €
Calligraphie Tifinaghe South of the main road, eastern side of town. Shop-gallery in which a cheery local gent, Moulid Nid Ouissadan, creates some cool-looking Berber-text calligraphy, with the aid of saffron, rose-water, and “magic” (the latter element otherwise known as a blowtorch). Good for souvenirs including T-shirts and bags, too, and every visitor gets a blowtorched Berber version of their name for free. A great little place.
Cooperative Souktana de Safran On the main road, eastern side of town. Ostensibly a museum, with one attractive exhibition room that teaches nobody anything at all, this is the most reliable place in town in which to buy saffron (30dh or so for a bag). You may be offered a cup of saffron tea if you call by at the right time.
The Jebel Sirwa (sometimes spelled Djebel Siroua) is an isolated volcanic peak, rising from a high area (3000m-plus, so take it easy) to the south of the High Atlas. It offers good trekking, rewarded by magnificent views, a cliff village and dramatic gorges. It’s best in spring; winter is extremely cold. For those with 4WD, one of the great scenic pistes of Morocco circles north of Sirwa, a two- to three-day trip from Taliouine via Askaoun and Tachnocht, rejoining the N10 north of Tazenakht.
A week-long walking circuit taking in Jebel Sirwa is outlined on the map, where the numbers represent the overnight halts.
The circuit begins on day one with a gentle valley ascent from Taliouine to Akhfaman where there are rooms and a kasbah. The piste actually reaches west of here as far as Atougha but, souk days apart, transport is non-existent and the walk is a pleasant introduction to the trek. Beyond Akhfaman the piste climbs over a pass to another valley at Tagmout and up it to Atougha, before contouring round into the upper valley, where you can stay at azibs (goat shelters) or bivouacs.
Jebel Sirwa (3304m) can be climbed from Atougha in five to six hours: a pull up from the southern cirque onto a plateau, crowned with rock towers; the nervous may want to be roped for one section of the final scramble. The sub-peak of Guliz is worth ascending, too, and a bivouac in the gorge below is recommended.
Beyond Guliz, you should keep to the lower paths to reach Tisgui, where there are rooms available. In Tisgui, don’t fail to visit the unique cliff village, whose houses, ranked like swallows’ nests on a 300m precipice, are now used as grain stores. Continuing the circuit, past fields of saffron, you reach Tagouyamt, the biggest village of the Sirwa area, where rooms are available, and which is connected by piste to the Taliouine road. Trails leave it to pass through a couple of villages before reaching the river, which is followed to the extraordinary conglomerate features of the Tislit gorges. This natural sculpture park is amazing; you can camp or get rooms at the village.
A road now runs from Tislit back to wider civilisation, following the valley to Ihoukarn and then to Ifrane. You can get a vehicle out from Tislit, or alternatively trek over the rather barren rise back to Tagmout, and spend a couple of days retreading your steps back to Taliouine.
Tours Mules to carry gear, as well as tent rental, can be arranged by various hotels in Taliouine (the Escale Rando,, is recommended), or by staff at the Kasbah restaurant in Taroudant, though they don’t operate in the Sirwa in winter. Trips can also be organised remotely.
Maps If you are going it alone, the relevant survey maps are the 1:100,000 Taliwine and 1:50,000 Sirwa.
Heading south across the Anti-Atlas from Taroudant, or east from Tiznit, you can drive, or travel by bus or a combination of grands taxis and trucks, to the desert oases of Tata, Akka and Foum el Hassan to the west, or Foum Zguid to the east. This is one of the great Moroccan routes, still very much a world apart, with its camel herds and lonely, weather-beaten villages. As throughout southern Morocco, bilharzia is prevalent in the oases, so avoid contact with pool and river water.
Getting aroundThe Tata circuit
By public transport Transport can be sparse, which means you’ll have to think ahead if you want to stop off at various places en route and be somewhere with a reasonable hotel by the time transport dries up. The other problem is that smaller places like Oum el Alek and Aït Herbil have nowhere for visitors to stay, and are not served by grands taxis – they’ll drop you off, but are unlikely to be passing with a free seat for you. Buses are more frequent than they used to be, but it can be a long wait. Hitching is not advisable in this area.
By car The easiest way to see the area is to rent a car. Agadir has the best choice, though Tafraoute gets you closer to the loop.
The small garrison town of TATA is a pretty long way from anywhere, and from whichever direction you’re arriving, it’ll be something of a relief to see its orderly array of pink-coloured buildings, flanking a large oasis below a steep-sided hill known as La Montagne, largely occupied by the military. The town is resplendent under an azure sky governed by an unblinking sun – temperatures often sail into the forties, though humidity is next to zero. Tata is a leisurely place with a friendly (if early-to-bed) air, and distinct desert influences in the dark complexion of the people, the black turbans of the men and the colourful sari-like coverings of the women.
There’s not too much of tourist import in town – its attraction is a palpable feeling of remoteness, and simply the reward of getting here in the first place. One of the nicest things to do here is go walking in the palmery, which is at its best in the morning or early evening, before the sun hits its zenith. There’s also a Sunday market in town, and a very lively Thursday souk held at an enclosure – or, more accurately, a series of pisé courtyards known as El Khemis, 6km out on the Akka road (N12); dates are the mainstay at both.
By bus Buses use the gare routière, located south of town on the Akka road, around 300m south of the Relais des Sables. You’ll pay around 7dh for a taxi to or from central Tata, though it’s an easy and fairly pleasant twenty-minute walk.
Leaving the N10 Taroudant–Taliouine road after 8km at Aït Iazza, the R109 passes Freija and the turning to Tiout, before winding its way up into the stark Anti-Atlas mountains. Transport is scarce – only four buses a day in each direction. Direct shared grands taxis are also rare: most terminate at Igherm (also spelt Irherm; 93km from Taroudant), where there’s a Wednesday souk. If you get stranded here, basic rooms are available at a couple of café-restaurants.
Igherm is also a crossroads, with scenic, surfaced roads to Taliouine and Tafraoute, as well as the old R109 road to Tata via Issafen. Though buses still continue south on the R109, it has now been superseded by the spectacular route 7086, climbing over the ragged mountain strata before dropping down into a valley, which it follows to Tata. On this road, at Annamer – a blaze of almond blossom in March – you can visit one of the best-preserved agadirs in Morocco, a huge walled courtyard with tiers of minute storerooms reached by ladders made of notched tree trunks. If you want to see inside, ask around for the gardien, who will, of course, expect a tip for his trouble. If you want to enquire about trucks from Igherm to Taliouine or Tafraoute, try asking around the petrol station in the middle of town, or the cafés around it, where the truck drivers hang out and play cards.
From Foum Zguid, there is a surfaced road, two daily buses, and occasional grands taxis to Tata; most buses start in Tazenakht and Ouarzazate. The route runs through a wide valley, following the course of a seasonal river, amid an extremely bleak landscape, which is now and then punctuated by the occasional oasis and ksar, with the wave-like range of the Jebel Bani to the south. At Tissint, halfway from Foum Zguid, there’s a gorge and waterfall, whose best vantage point is 2km west of town on the road to Tata. Tissint is also a good base for scenic walks into the desert.
If heading from Taliouine, you’re best advised to take the P1743, which splits off from the N10 around 15km to the east on the Tazenakht road. This is one of the most scenic drives in this whole part of Morocco, and there’s a good road the whole way – you’ll have most of it to yourself. It heads south via Agadir Melloul and Akka-Irhen (25km east of Tata, with a Thurs souk); the latter is your best and most scenic pit stop for coffee, in either direction. Heading to Tata, you’ll then join the N12 for the final westward stretch.
Destinations: Agadir (3 daily; 6–7hr); Akka (6 daily; 1hr); Bou Izakarn (6 daily; 4hr); Casablanca (2 daily; 13hr); Foum el Hassan (6 daily; 2hr); Foum Zguid (2 daily; 2hr 30min); Guelmim (2 daily; 5hr); Igherm (3 daily; 2hr 30min); Marrakesh (3 daily; 10hr); Ouarzazate (2 daily; 5hr); Rabat (1 daily; 17hr); Tan Tan (2 daily; 8hr); Taroudant (2 daily; 4hr 30min); Tiznit (4 daily; 5–6hr); Zagora (1 daily; 8hr).
By grand taxi Collective grands taxis leave from just north of Pl Marche Verte, and sometimes from the square itself. It can take some time for them to get together enough passengers to set off, and services are extremely sparse – you’re better off going by bus. However, there are occasional departures (especially in the morning) to the destinations below, as well as taxi-trucks to Foum Zguid (especially Sun night and Mon morning for the Monday souk).
Destinations Akka (1hr); Bou Izakarn (3hr 30min); Foum el Hassan (2hr); Foum Zguid (2hr 30min).
By car There are some lovely scenic routes to Tata. It’s always a good idea to fill your tank before leaving or when arriving here, since the only two petrol stations for dozens of miles either way are, nonsensically, staring at each other across the road to the south of town, just past the Relais des Sables. If driving westward, the only fuel stop before Bou Izakarn is the Ziz station at Aït Herbil.
Tourist information The Délégation de Tourisme (0528 802075) is on the old Igherm road, 500m north of Hôtel Tigmmi. For guides, you could do worse than asking at the Oasis de Rêve restaurant.
Bike rental Bicycles can be rented from the campsite on Av Mohammed V.
Bank and post office There’s an Attijariwafa, with ATM, on Av Mohammed V; the post office is on the same road.
Accommodationmap
Bir Anzarane Off Av Mohammed V, by the market 0667 099842. This bare-bones ultra-cheapy is at least cleaner, and also slightly cheaper, than the others on the same road, and unlike those, this one at least has a shared shower, albeit in the same room as the shared toilet. €
Camping Palmier Off Av Mohammed V, overlooking the oued 0528 802810. A far better option than the town’s barren Camping Municipal, this campsite has adequate space and at least a little shade. Its mosque-side location means that you’ll also most likely get a nice early start to the day. Camping €
Dar Infiane Off the Akka road, in the palmery darinfiane.com. Upmarket boutique hotel with six rooms and several terraces and patios, in a 500-year-old converted kasbah with palm-frond furnishings and traditional palm-wood ceilings. Overpriced, for sure, but the most upmarket option hereabouts. BB €€
Les Relais des Sables Av des FAR hotelrelaisdessables.com. The best-value place to stay in town is this three-star hotel with a bar, restaurant and small – though photogenic – swimming pool. Rooms here are small but colourful and comfy, with en-suite showers and toilets; alternatively, there are mini-suites with a sitting area and complete bathroom. To eat in the restaurant, you need to order two or three hours ahead. €€
Eatingmap
Most guests choose to dine at their accommodation, though there are a few little restaurants on and around Av Mohammed V.
Al Mansour Av Mohammed V. The best of the small restaurants on the main street, though there’s no guarantee what they’ll have at any particular time. They can at least usually whip up a tajine for you. €
Café Amal Tata Av Mohammed V. This café-restaurant is usually devoid of a chef, but its dryish garden is a pleasant spot for coffee or fresh orange juice. €
Oasis de Rêve Av Mohammed V. This tiny outfit is the nicest place to eat in Tata by far – try the mixed grill of kefta, turkey and the best merguez in town, served by an English-speaking chap who’s a good source of local knowledge. €
Snack el Baraka Rue Sidi Mohammed Ben Brahim Tan Marti. Cheery sandwich shop with a couple of outdoor tables and ingredients that always seem fresher than the nearby competition. If you fancy something a little unusual – the staff will look at you strangely – ask for a sandwich featuring the delicious local merguez sausages mixed up with omelette. €
Drinking and nightlifemap
Aït Ibork On the Akka road south of town, just past the bus station turn-off. For a fun local experience, head to this café for an evening shisha). In keeping with Moroccan norms, the smoking is done out back, out of sight; the light is so dim that you’ll be able to see the stars in between exhalations. Unlicensed.
Les Relais des Sables Av des FAR relaisdessables.com. This hotel has missed a trick: it’s the only bar for miles and miles around, but they’ve forgotten to mark up their beer prices. Sit back and enjoy swigging a beer by the pool, overlooking the wadi.
Fifty kilometres southwest of Tata, the N12 passes through AKKA, a flyblown roadside town abutted, to its north, by a large palmery. With less military investment, the place as a whole is not nearly as orderly as Tata; like its sibling, there’s little else to see bar the oasis itself, though it’s one of the most pleasant in the area, and lends itself to aimless wandering. There’s also a weekly souk on Thursdays, where the oasis dates (Akka means “dates” in Teshalhit) are much in evidence. There’s a smaller souk on Sundays.
It’s worth taking a morning to explore Akka’s oasis. Local sights include a kasbah and agadir (granary) southeast of the village of Aït Rahal, and Les Cascades – a series of shallow, dammed irrigation pools, enclosed by palms. Local people bathe in these pools, but they are reputed to harbour bilharzia, so avoid contact with the water – both here and in the irrigation canals. To reach Les Cascades by road, turn right after crossing the dry riverbed west of Akka, then head through the almost contiguous palmery villages of Aït Aäntar, Tagadiret and Taouriret; on foot, and with a keen sense of direction, it’s more fun to head through the palmerie.
A scorching three-hour trek to the northwest of Aït Rahal (don’t forget to carry plenty of water) is the Targannt Gorge, in which a cluster of oases are tucked between the cliffs. There are ruins of houses, though the place is deserted nowadays, save for the occasional nomadic camel herder. En route is a small hill on which the French built a barracks. There are rock engravings of oxen at the eastern end of the hill – some modern, others perhaps up to two thousand years old. Approaching the gorge, a lone palm tempts you to its mouth. A guide from the village would be helpful when looking for the carvings.
7km southeast of Akka, off the Tata road
There are more rock carvings, said to be prehistoric, near the village of OUM EL ALEK (or Oum el Aälague). Anyone with a particular interest is best advised to get in touch with the gardien – the Café-Hôtel Tamdoult in Akka should be able to put you in touch.
Arrival and departure Akka and around
By bus Buses run to and from the main road in the middle of the village.
Destinations Agadir (6 daily; 6hr); Bou Izakarn (8 daily; 3hr); Guelmim (2 daily; 3hr); Tata (9 daily; 1hr); Tiznit (6 daily; 4hr 30min).
By grand taxi There are sparse shared grands taxis to Tata and Bou Izakarn. Don’t leave it too late if you want onward transport – as at Tata, it dries up early.
Destinations Bou Izakarn (2hr 30min); Tata (45min).
By car or motorbike Note that there’s nowhere to fill up on petrol in Akka – the closest places are in Tata to the east, and Aït Herbil to the west.
Accommodation and eatingmap
Tamdoult On the main road, in the middle of the village 0528 808030. This café-hotel is the only place to stay in Akka, and pretty much the only reliable place to eat as well. The rooms are very basic, though they’ll do if you have to overnight here, and the food’s decent enough, though nothing spectacular. Even if you’re not staying, it’s a good pit stop for coffee and a game of pool. €
FOUM EL HASSAN (also spelt Fam el Hisn), 90km southwest of Akka, and 4km off the main road (N12), is basically a military post on the edge of an oasis where there was some fighting with Polisario in the early 1980s. There isn’t much in Foum el Hassan itself aside from a few shops and a couple of cafés, but there are countless prehistoric rock carvings in this region. The only decent accommodation in the area is in nearby Icht (pronounced “Isht”), where there’s also an interesting old-town area to poke around.
5km from Foum el Hassan • Free, though you’ll need the services of a guide • On foot from Foum el Hassan, follow the oued through the “V” in the mountains north of the town; bear right after 2km where it splits
The rock carvings at Tircht (pronounced “Tirsht”) , a peaked mountain about 5km from Foum el Hassan, are worth a look. However, neither the mount nor the carvings are easy to find: you are best advised to employ someone from town as a guide. The best carvings require a little climbing to get to, but they are among the finest in Morocco – elephants and rhinoceroses, 15cm to 30cm high, dating roughly from 2000–500 BC, a time when the Sahara was full of lakes and swamps.
Icht, around 10km from Foum el Hassan • Free, though a guide is required
Icht town’s main point of interest are some old cave-style dwellings, now generally referred to as Ancienne Icht. Built to provide shade and cool air by day and protection and warmth by night, the partly subterranean complex is wonderfully atmospheric, almost like a clutch of ancient riads hewn out of the rock, and joined together with a network of tunnels. Amazingly, you’ll need to navigate some stretches by torch, even at noontime. Even more incredible is the fact that a couple of families are still living troglodyte-style existences here, devoid of light for much of the day, their wooden door shut to the outside world. There’s even a little mosque here, though to find this you’re best off enlisting the services of a guide.
Off the N12, 15km northwest of Foum el Hassan – the junction is right opposite a filling station • Free • Grands taxis from Foum el Hassan, Akka, Tata or Bou Izakarn; for onward travel, however, you’ll be lucky to find a passing grand taxi with places free, so short of hitching you’ll have to depend on infrequent buses (8 daily in each direction)
Less renowned than the rock carvings at Tircht are those at the village of Aït Herbil, a homely oasis where there’s plenty of greenery providing welcome shade for inhabitants – or the very, very few foreigners who venture this way looking for rock carvings. There are two series, marked as “A” and “B” on the map; both are easily accessible on foot, though you may have to ask locals for directions, and most of them will have no idea what you’re on about.
“A”, overlooking Oued Tamanart, consists of as many as a hundred small carvings, depicting gazelles, bison, a giraffe and a bird or two, in a steep rock-fall, and to the right of a patch of distinctively lighter grey rocks (indicating several deep and dangerous wells). The rock-fall looks recent but clearly, with the carvings all in the same place, it has not shifted for centuries, even millennia. “B”, north of the partly deserted village of Eghir, can be found by following the irrigation channel for 800m from the main road, where a signpost points the way. There are fewer carvings here but they are larger and more impressive.
Arrival and informationFoum el Hassan and around
By bus Buses between Tata and Bou Izakarn (4 – 5 daily) make the four-kilometre detour to stop at Foum el Hassan; they’ll also drop off at Icht or Aït Herbil, though it’s hard to pick up a bus at the former.
By grand taxi Infrequent grands taxis run to Bou Izakarn and Tata.
Destinations Bou Izakarn (1hr 30min); Tata (2hr).
Guides You’ll need to sequester the services of a guide to see most of the local engravings. Mouloud (0661 660587) is the expert for just about everything between here and Tata, though since he doesn’t live locally you’ll have to call well in advance; Hassan (0668 065754) will get you to the Tircht carvings; and Abdellah (0650 684659, or contactable through Borj Birmane) or his French-speaking cohort can take you around Icht village.
Borj Biramane Icht borj-biramane.com. Just off the main road at Icht, this French-run place is the only genuine accommodation in the area, and it’s a real beaut. There are shared Berber tents, a/c rooms (one of which has been converted very effectively for wheelchair users) and camping facilities, all arrayed around a pool that’s small but highly inviting, thanks to the chunky mountains surrounding the complex. The food is top notch too (a good job, since there’s nothing else around), and they’ve a nice selection of wines and spirits. Camping €, Berber tent € per person, double €€
If you have your own wheels, it’s worth making an excursion from the N12 Bou Izakarn –Tata road to visit AMTOUDI (or Id Aïssa, as it appears on most maps), a very scenic little village surrounded by soaring red cliffs straight out of Road Runner, and tucked away into a frond-filled ravine at the end of the P1315 from Aday. Presided over by one of Morocco’s most spectacularly located agadirs, it’s a likeable, extremely quiet little hamlet, and by far the best place to stay the night between Tata and Tiznit. Staying on here will also give you the chance to benefit from some good hiking opportunities.
Allow at least 2hr for the round trip up and down • Open whenever the gardien is around; call him from one of the auberges • Charge
Boasting formidable towers and ramparts, Amtoudi’s agadir (fortified granary) sits on an eyrie-like setting atop the spur of a hill, reached up a steep zigzag path. There is a small collection of antiquities dotted around the place, and parts of the walls and towers have been restored. Make sure the gardien is available before tackling the climb, as the agadir is kept locked; it’s also a good idea to bring a torch, which will come in handy in some sections.
Organize excursions though Amtoudi’s auberges
A walk up the substantial gorge at the end of the village leads to another agadir, with huge curtain walls, perched high above a cliff. 3km on and you will arrive at a spring and waterfall. You can climb – or ride a mule – up a winding track and walk around the site, providing the gardien is there. If by chance you find the place overrun by visitors, you can escape the crowds with a walk down the palm-filled gorge; here another imposing but decaying agadir is perched on top of the cliff and, after about 3km, you’ll come to a spring and waterfall.
By car Amtoudi can be reached on a piste which leaves the N12 at the village of Taghjicht, or on a surfaced road (signposted to Amtoudi) which leaves the N12 14km east of Taghjicht. The two roads join at Souk Tnine D’Adaï, a village known for its decorative doors; from here the P1315 makes the quick trip east to the ravine that Amtoudi calls home. Unfortunately, there are no public transport links here.
Amtoudi On the western approach to the village hotelamtoudi.com. This is one of the first sets of buildings you’ll see when approaching Amtoudi from the west, a friendly auberge with simple rooms, hot water, a restaurant and a camping area. As well as food and accommodation, they offer half-day walking tours. Camping €, BB double €
Auberge l’Ombre d’Arganier Inside the village 0668 398675. The only place to stay in town at the time of writing, its simple rooms livened up with splashes of colourful paint, and occasional artistic frills. It’s also the best place to eat in Amtoudi, whether you’re staying here or not – anything complicated (ie grills or tajines) will have to be ordered in advance, but you can hold them to an omelette or coffee at any time. Dorm/shared tent €, double €
The village of BOU IZAKARN – set where the roads from Tata, Tiznit and Guelmim meet, and strung out to a certain extent along all three of them – is mostly of interest to people needing to change buses or shared taxis here. It’s a lazy kind of place, where not much happens, except during its Friday souk; you might as well stay the night in Tiznit, which isn’t too far to the north (see below), or Guelmim, even closer to the southwest.
Arrival and departure Bou Izakarn
By bus All buses stop in the centre of the village, usually at the start of the road they’ll be taking.
Destinations Guelmim (hourly; 30min); Tata (8 daily; 4hr); Tiznit (hourly; 1hr 15min–1hr 30min).
By grand taxi Shared grands taxis leave from the Tiznit road, by the main roundabout in the centre of town, for Tiznit and Inezgane. Across the square, at the start of the Tata road, they run to Timoulay (14km east of Bou Izakarn), Ifrane de l’Anti-Atlas and occasionally Foum el Hassan. For Guelmim, they leave from a rank on the Guelmim road at the south end of the village, 500m off the main square.
Destinations Foum el Hassan (1hr 30min); Guelmim (30min); Ifrane de l’Anti-Atlas (20min); Inezgane (2hr); Timoulay (10min); Tiznit (1hr).
Banks and post office You’ll find a post office and Banque Populaire near the roundabout at the centre of town.
Anti-Atlas Tiznit road, by the main roundabout 0528 788134. As far as cheapies go, this is a much better place to make for than the grubby offerings at the same price in Akka. The rooms are decent enough, grouped around a little courtyard with flowers and citrus trees, and there are shared bathroom facilities. €
Tiznit itself was used as a base by El Hiba (also known as Ma el Aïnin), the ruler of Smara in the Western Sahara, who declared himself sultan of Morocco here in 1912 after learning of Moulay Hafid’s surrender to the French under the Treaty of Fez. El Hiba was known as the Blue Sultan on account of his blue desert robes. He led a considerable force of Berbers to Marrakesh, which acknowledged his authority, before advancing on Fez in the spring of 1913. Here his forces were defeated, but El Hiba continued his resistance. Basing himself at Taroudant, and then in the Anti-Atlas mountains, he fought on until his death, near Tafraoute, in 1919. Despite his defeat, the Berbers of the Anti-Atlas mountains still remained outside of French control, and only suffered their first true occupation with the bitter French “pacification” of the early 1930s.
Locked in a muscular, red-granite mountain embrace, and charming in a dusty, windswept sort of way, Tafraoute is worth all the effort and time it takes to reach – “like the badlands of South Dakota”, as Paul Bowles put it, “writ on a grand scale”. Created as an administrative centre by the French, yet still only home to around five thousand hardy souls, Tafraoute is one of the most relaxed destinations in Morocco, though a few faux guides may still make a nuisance of themselves. The best time to visit is early spring, when the almond trees are in full blossom, or in autumn, after the intense heat has subdued; in midsummer, it can be debilitatingly hot.
There’s not too much to see in the city itself, bar some rock carvings in Tazka, just to the south, and as such its biggest appeal lies in exploring the surrounding area – north to the beautiful villages of the Ameln Valley, nestled under an awesome escarpment; or south to gorges, palmeries, and curious rock formations such as Napoleon’s Hat, or the “Pierres Peints”, painted blue and pink by a Belgian artist. South again and over a mountain pass is the Gorge Aït Mansour, where several villages are strung out along a highly picturesque palmery. However, the adventure can start before you even enter Tafraoute, since the town is approached by scenic roads through the Anti-Atlas from Tiznit or Agadir.
About 2km southwest of Tafraoute
It’s an easy walk from Tafraoute to the village of Tazka, a pleasing, super-quiet little place in which many houses – some of them hundreds of years old – have incorporated the surrounding cliffsides and boulders into their design. Most people are here to hunt ancient gazelle – two rock carvings, hidden away on the western periphery of the village. Far easier to spot than the engravings are the remains of an old kasbah, and a Maison Traditionelle.
Free • Off the road behind the small mosque; turn right on the dirt path, which will veer you around to the left then between two buildings – the carvings are on and below a granite bluff visible just after the path veers to the left
Modest in size and appearance they may be, but Tazka’s carvings make for an enjoyable hunt. An ingoncruous white dot on the granite bluff indicates the more modern of two gazelle carvings; the older one is on the upward-facing edge of a fallen boulder, behind the tree in front of the newer one.
Abutting the kasbah, behind the mosque • Charge
Among Tafraoute villagers, emigration to work in the grocery and hotel trade – all over Morocco and France – is a determining aspect of life. The men return home to retire, however, building European-looking villas amid the rocks, and most of the younger ones manage to come back for a month’s holiday each year – whether it be from Casablanca, Tangier, Paris or Marseille.
But for much of the year, the women run things in the valley, and the only men to be found are the old, the family-supported or the affluent. It is a system that seems to work well enough: enormously industrious, and very community-minded, the Tafraouteis have managed to maintain their villages in spite of adverse economic conditions, importing all their foodstuffs except for a little barley, the famed Tafraoute almonds and the sweet oil of the argan tree.
Hidden among huge boulders, by the kasbah, is a four-floor Maison Traditionelle. It’s best used as an opportunity to see how locals live, though these days the proprietor lives elsewhere; he’ll be able to organize small musical performances or tea ceremonies, and the entry fee includes a side-jaunt to the gazelle carvings (see above).
Arrival and departureTafraoute
By bus Tafraoute can be a little frustrating to reach by bus. There are few services, and several companies running them, but for advice you’ll have to hunt each office down individually, since there’s no gare routiere. In addition, almost every service goes via Tiznit, which can add hours to your journey; only two daily services go directly to Agadir via Aït Baha (saving only an hour or so), and there’s nothing at all heading east. The only CTM service (daily to Casablanca via Tiznit, Inezgane and Agadir) starts from the CTM office, just south of Pl Moulay Rachid. There are hourly Lux buses to Tiznit, but these are city-style vehicles, making for an uncomfortable ride across the mountains – choose another company. The unnumbered Lux services to the Ameln Valley and south to Agard Oudad leave from stops around Pl Moulay Rachid; most other services start from Rue el Jeish el Malaki.
Destinations Agadir (6 daily; 4–5hr); Aït Baha (3 daily; 2hr); Casablanca (5 daily; 14hr); Marrakesh (4 daily; 10hr); Rabat (2 daily; 16hr); Tiznit (hourly; 3hr).
By grand taxi Shared grands taxis for Tiznit (2hr 30min) leave from Rue el Jeish el Malaki; for the short hop to the Ameln Valley, they leave from the Route d’Amelne. Unfortunately, there are no regular services in any other directions – you’d have to charter a whole cab to get somewhere like Igherm, or the direct road to Agadir.
By minibus Minibuses to Tiouada leave from Pl Moulay Rachid Mon–Sat at around 11.30am, returning at 5.30am the next morning; don’t treat these times as gospel, and ask for advice from locals before tackling this route.
Bike rental Maison de Vacances, more or less opposite the Kasbah restaurant, has well-kept bicycles for.
Mechanics You’ll find a few mechanics and tyre repair shops north of the bus stop in the crook where the main road does a sharp bend, and also down towards the Afriquia filling station.
Banks The Banque Populaire on Pl Massira and the BMCE on Av Moktar Soussi have ATMs.
Festival A moussem is held in the second week of February to celebrate the almond harvest.
Trekking Brahim Bahou (0661 822677, 
brahim-izanzaren@hotmail.com) operates from a kiosk by the souk mosque, and offers two-day treks to Jebel el Kest.
Climbing A look at the scenery surrounding Tafraoute will make rock-climbers go weak at the knees. Try to hunt down Climb Tafraoute by Steve Broadbent, a meticulous compendium of information about almost every possible climb in the area, and a handy crag selector; the Kasbah restaurant has copies to look at, and some info can be found on a related website (climb-Tafraoute.com)
Accommodationmap
The hotels in Tafraoute are generally pretty good value. At the top end, the arrival of competition has made prices even more negotiable than usual, and it’s worth shopping around to see who’ll give you the best deal (all frequently offer promotional rates). Further accommodation options can be found 4km north in the Ameln Valley.
Les Amandiers On the hill above town 0528 800008. Located up a hill and with views out over town, this is Tafraoute’s top hotel in more ways than one – as attested by photos here, Mohammed V laid one of the foundation stones. It has, to a certain extent, been upstaged by the new kids in town, but still has a lot of old-fashioned charm, with a wood-panelled lobby, great views, and large, airy rooms. There’s also a cosy little bar. BB €€
Les Amis Pl Moulay Rachid 0528 801921. Solid budget option, with airy rooms (costs extra for en suite) decorated in gentle pastel tones. It overlooks one of the town’s main junctions, and though rooms facing the road aren’t all that noisy, light sleepers are advised to get one further back. €
Maison d’Hôte Arganino Near the old mosque 0670 661105. Tucked away at the end of a small alley by the mosque, this delightful little pension-style guesthouse is run by the family who used to live in it, and it still very much retains an old family atmosphere. It also has its own little hammam. BB €
Rochers Peints Route de Tazka hotelrocherspeints-Tafraoute.com. A very impressive hotel, tastefully done. The first-floor rooms are more attractive than those on the second floor, with straw-and-pisé-covered walls, coloured glass windows, and carved wooden doors from Mali. All rooms have a/c and satellite TV. €€
Saint Antoine Av Moktar Soussi 0528 801497. A slick, modern if somewhat overpriced hotel, with efficient, English-speaking staff, cool, spacious rooms, a bar and a nice big swimming pool. There’s also a decent restaurant and 24hr room service. BB €
Salama By the river hotelsalama.com. A good-value hotel, originally dating from 1966, but refurbished, with quite large rooms in warm, earthy colours, en-suite bathrooms, a roof terrace, a fire in winter and a reputable restaurant. €
Camping les Trois Palmiers Off the Tiznit road 0662 405870. The most central campsite, a 10min walk from the centre, is set in a small secure enclosure with hot showers and three small rooms. It tends to overflow out of its enclosure and onto the surrounding land in winter and spring, when Tafraoute plays host to a swarm of camper vans driven by sun-seeking retired Europeans. Camping €, double €
Eatingmap
Atlas Route de Tazka. Basic but well-presented Moroccan nosh – chicken or lamb brochettes, liver, steak, sandwiches and breakfasts – in café surroundings complete with blaring TV. Dishes include chicken or veal brochettes. €
Espace Tifawine Route d’Ameln. If you’ve made it this far, you may be crying out for something other than the Moroccan culinary tricolore of couscous, brochettes and tajines. You can eat all three of those here, too, but even more tempting are the tasty wood-fired pizzas, which you can eat outside around the swimming pool. In addition, with wi-fi and good coffee, it’s a good place in which to plot your day, or onward trip. €
Étoile du Sud Av Hassan II. A set-menu restaurant serving delicious Moroccan food, either indoors or outside in a Bedouin-style tent, with an occasional cabaret and floor show for tour groups. You can order separate items from the menu, but they’ll most likely attempt to give you a “free” dessert and charge for the set anyway. €€
Kasbah Route d’Aguard Oudad 0660 954269. Pine-panelled and hunge about with carpets, this is an appealingly decorated salon where much of the menu revolves around tajines – options available include beef with almonds and prunes, a veggie option, and a rather unique – and very tasty – tajinified omelette with onions, tomatoes and olives. Moroccan wine and saffron tea are available, and the owner is a very, very useful source of local information, especially for trekking and rock-climbing. €€
Marrakech Tariq el Nahzi. An unpretentious family-run place overlooking the road, with excellent-value meals (60dh set menu) and friendly service. The couscous here is particularly tasty, though the omelette breakfast set is also a good shout. €
Drinkingmap
Les Amandiers On the hill above town. This hilltop hotel has a bar which is, in theory, open to residents only – in practice, anyone can drink here. The bar itself is an atmospheric little cubby-hole behind reception, though they usually allow people to drink in the fancy dining hall; they’ve a surprisingly large range of spirits, including gin and Martini, as well as cheap beer.
Saint Antoine Av Moktar Soussi. This hotel recently moved its bar to the basement, and made it far larger and louder – disco ball, pumping music, but despite the effort, it’s usually only home to two or three local chaps having a bottle of Flag.
Shoppingmap
Tafraoute is well known for its babouches (slippers), and a narrow street of cordonniers sells quality slipperwear just north of the Coin des Nomades. In addition, there’s a Wed souk, held by the river in the centre of town.
Coin des Nomades Just west of the Salama. Also signed as the “Meeting Place of Nomads”, this is a pleasant little space (oddly full of posters of Rafael Nadal) in which to shop without pressure to buy – you may even have to get the proprietor’s attention.
Maison Troc Route d’Aguard Oudad. The most reliable carpet shop in town, with a range of styles from nearby areas – mostly Anti-Atlas but also some High Atlas variants (and they’ll happily explain the difference, as well as arrange postage if necessary). They also have some silver implements, and old Jewish money.
Around 4km north of Tafraoute at its closest point • 45min on foot from Tafraoute, though little shade on the road • Lux buses (unnumbered) from Tafraoute every 30min, running past most settlements • Grands taxis from Tafraoute
You could spend days, if not weeks, wandering round the 26 villages of the Ameln Valley, north of Tafraoute. Set against the backdrop of the Jebel el Kest’s rock face, they are all beautiful both from afar and close up – with springs, irrigation systems, brightly painted houses and mosques.
The Ameln villages are built on the lower slopes of the Jebel el Kest, between the “spring line” and the valley floor, allowing gravity to take the water through the village and on to the arable land below.
Tafraoute is a bit of a long way from anywhere, but the various routes into town are all stunners. These include the “main” roads from Tiznit and Agadir – both are beautiful and involve plenty of mountain zigzagging, but the Tiznit approach has the edge, winding through a succession of gorges and a grand mountain valley.
The Tiznit–Tafraoute R104 passes a succession of villages, most named after their souk day. In winter and spring the road is sometimes crossed by streams but it is generally passable enough; the drive takes around two hours, but leave plenty of time to see, and navigate, the mountains before dusk.
At Assaka (20km from Tiznit), a bridge crosses the Oued Tazeroualt – the river that causes most difficulty in winter and spring. Nineteen kilometres further on, a side road heads 10km south to the zaouia of Sidi Ahmed ou Moussa, which in the seventeenth century controlled its own state, the Tazeroualt, its capital at nearby (and now deserted) Illigh. The zaouia hosts a moussem in the second or third week of August, which is worth trying to attend. Sidi Ahmed is the patron saint of Morocco’s acrobats, most of whom come from this region – and return to perform.
Just beyond Tighmi, 42km from Tiznit, the road begins its ascent of the Col du Kerdous (1100m), with the kasbah-like Hôtel Kerdous (see below) marking the top of the pass. The area is good for paragliding, though there isn’t much activity these days.
At the end of the descent, entering the village of Jemaa Ida Oussemlal (64km from Tiznit), the road divides. The left fork, which runs downhill through the village, is the direct road to Tafraoute, a picturesque route that drops into the Ameln Valley at Tahala, once a Jewish village. The right fork, a newer road, which skirts round Jemaa Ida Oussemlal, is longer but well surfaced, flatter and faster going, arriving in Tafraoute through a grand spectacle of mountains and the lunar landscape around Agard Oudad. Just after Aït Ouafka, it splits again – take the right-hand fork for Izerbi, where an ex-housing minister has built a Disney-style chateau.
Lastly, along the road from Tiznit to Tafraoute, you may occasionally see children holding little furry animals for sale – live, on a piece of string – by the roadside. These are ground squirrels, which are known locally as anzid or sibsib, and are destined for the tajine dish, in which they are considered quite a delicacy, their flesh being sweet since they subsist mainly on a diet of almonds and argan nuts. You will not get anzid tajine in any restaurant, however, unless perhaps you provide the squirrels yourself.
The R105 road from Agadir to Tafraoute is a bit drab until you reach the village of Aït Baha, which is a lively shopping centre on Wednesday, its souk day, and you can also stay overnight here. From Aït Baha, the road south to Tafraoute is a highly scenic, though slow and winding mountains ride, past a series of fortified kasbah-villages. The most spectacular fortified village in the region, Tioulit, is to the west of the road, around 35km south of Aït Baha, with the best views of it from the south (so looking back, if you’re coming from Agadir). Another 13km on, you’ll easily discern the Kasbah de Tizourgan (see below).
Accommodation and eating en route
Kasbah de Tizourgan Tioulit tizourgane-kasbah.com. This is one of Morocco’s most distinctive guesthouses, located in a thirteenth-century kasbah. Rooms are small but immaculate, with shared bathroom facilities, and there’s a very good restaurant – a good job, since you have to take half-board. HB €€
Hôtel Kerdous KM 54, Route de Tiznit Tafraoute hotel-kerdous.com. At the top of the Col du Kerdous pass, this hotel is set in an old fort with well-turned-out a/c rooms and a pool. It deserves at least a stop for a tea, and the breathtaking views. €
Oumesnat, like most Ameln settlements, emerges out of a startling green and purple rockscape, crouched against the steep rock walls of the valley. Its houses are often bizarre constructions, some built on top of older houses deserted when they had become too small or decrepit; a few of them, with rooms jutting out over the cliffs, are held up by enormous stilts and have raised doorways entered by short (and retractable) ladders.
One of Oumesnat’s houses, known as La Maison Traditionelle, is owned by a blind Berber and his family, who show visitors round. They give an interesting tour, explaining the domestic equipment – grindstones, water-holders, cooking equipment – and the layout of the house with its guest room with separate entrance, animals’ quarters, and summer terrace for sleeping out. To get the most from a visit, you may need to engage an interpreter, such as one of the guides recommended in Tafraoute.
Trekking along the valley is no great hardship, but more serious hikers might consider making the ascent of the Jebel el Kest (2359m). A striking feature on it is the Lion’s Face at Asgaour – a rock formation which really does look like the face of a lion in the afternoon light when seen from Tafraoute. Getting up is a rough and rocky scramble – there’s no actual climbing involved – over a mountain of amethyst quartzite from Tagoudiche, the Almen’s highest village (spelt Tagdichte on the road sign). There is a black igneous dyke below the summit pyramid, and the summit itself, being a pilgrimage site, has shelters on the top, as well as hooped petticoat daffodils blooming in spring. The easiest route is not obvious, and a guide is advisable. In addition, many other areas scattered on both the southern and northern slopes of the Jebel el Kest offer excellent rock climbing, usually on sound quartzite.
AccommodationThe Ameln Valley, map
There are some great places to stay around the Ameln Valley, especially around the junction with the road from Tafraoute. Sadly the old gîte once used by hikers tackling the Jebel el Kest has closed down – hiking operators will find you somewhere to stay if necessary.
Around the Ameln Valley junction
L’Argannier d’Ammelne 500m east of the junction arganierammelne.com. This hotel offers small but sweet rooms with smooth, polished walls, each in a different colour, set around a small garden. There are also camping facilities and dorm beds. Camping €, BB double €
Auberge la Tête du Lion 600m east of the junction 0528 801165. A scenic spot, located directly opposite the Lion’s Face (hence the name). The spacious a/c rooms are arranged around a lush garden, and there’s a panoramic roof terrace and a restaurant. €
Chez Amaliya Just west of the junction chezamaliya.com. Boasting perhaps the best pool view of any hotel in Morocco, this is a cool place with an elegant lobby and well-appointed rooms, all presided over by an enthusiastic Dutch woman. There’s wi-fi in the lobby area, and it reaches most of the rooms. The food is top-notch, too, and the place is licensed. BB €€
Gîte Lkst 0661 718678. A tranquil setting and beautiful scenery are the plus points here, while hard mattresses and darkish rooms are the minus points. It isn’t the most traditional Berber experience (note the old-school payphone and Kodak sign), but it’s a decent place to stay, at a very reasonable price. €
Maison Traditionelle 0661 513793. The owners of this grand house also offer bed and breakfast or half-board in a nearby village home, with a/c rooms – heated in winter – and a little garden. The website hasn’t been updated in years, but gives you the picture; rooms are bookable on some major online accommodation engines. BB €
With 26 villages strung out like pearls along a straightish river bed, beneath a curtain of granite to the north, it’s easy to get your bearings in the Ameln Valley, and the main bone of contention is where to start and finish your walk. Many villages have basic shops where you can buy drinks, if little else. Getting around, you can use a combination of taxis and walking, or rent bicycles. However, the paths between the villages are sometimes hard to find, or even nonexistent, so especially on a bike you may have to head back towards the main road from time to time. It’s not too far a stretch though – Oumesnat to Anameur, for example, is around 12km.
Most choose to start their walk in Oumesnat, one of the prettiest valley villages. From here, you can walk through or above a series of villages to Anameur, where there is a source bleue, or natural springwater pool (for looking at, not for swimming in), a meandering hike of around three hours in total. Along the way is Tazoulte, one of four local villages with Jewish cemeteries, remnants of a community now completely departed, though Jewish symbols are still inscribed on the region’s silverware, which was traditionally made by Jews. On your way, you’ll also pass the starting point for a hike up the Jebel el Kest.
If you don’t want to re-tread the same route when returning to Tafraoute, you can walk over a pass back from the R104 road near Ighalene in around three hours. The path isn’t particularly easy to find, but it’s a lovely walk, taking you past flocks of sheep and goats tended by their child-shepherds. The route begins as a piste (east of the one to Tagoudiche); you follow a dry riverbed off to the right, up a side valley, where the zigzags of an old track can be seen. Cross to go up here (not straight on) and, once over the pass, keep circling left till you can see Tafraoute below.
Eatingmap
There aren’t many places to eat in this whole area. Most people eat an evening meal at their hotel (all offer good half-board rates), and perhaps grab lunch in Tafraoute.
Anmougar By the junction. Simple rooftop café with pictures of all sorts of tempting food – and strangely enough, never, ever any food. Still, it’s a great place to sit and drain a coffee or mint tea with a spectacular view of the valley. €
Bio Beldi Aït Omgas 0697 820288, facebook.com/RestaurantBioBeldi. Presided over by a friendly English-speaker, this is a wonderful place which sources almost all of its ingredients from the local area – including eggs from the chickens running around the charming garden out back, where you’ll mostly likely end up eating. Veggies will be in their element here with things like the spicy zaalouk salad or cous-cous, while meat-eaters can try sampling one of their tajines; there are plenty of juices available too, including yummy beetroot. Quite a superb place, and in the middle of nowhere to boot. €
Chez Amaliya Just west of the junction chezamaliya.com. This hotel is a great place to drop in for a simple meal if you’re in the area and don’t feel like going back to town for lunch. They have the usual range of Moroccan dishes (shout out to their meatball-and-egg tajine, and there’s wine available in the adjacent bar. €€
Head south from Tafraoute for a short but enjoyable walk or cycle to AGARD OUDAD, a dramatic-looking village built under a particularly bizarre outcrop of granite. Like many of the rocks in this region, this has been given a name; most of the others are named after animals – people will point out their shapes to you – but this one is known, in good French-colonial tradition, as Le Chapeau de Napoléon (Napoleon’s Hat). There’s little else to do in the village, which seems to muddle through the day on permanent siesta, though your presence will certainly pique the interest of its locals.
1.5km southwest of Agard Oudad • Free • Accessible by bicycle or car; follow road past Agard Oudad until the sign for “Rochers Peints” pointing right, then follow piste 2km or so – loop trip possible by following piste further out west, eventually emerging onto the R104 in Afella Adaï • On foot, you can take a short cut away from the main road by following the flat piste round to the right behind the Chapeau de Napoléon, and you’ll see the rocks on your left after a couple of km
The Painted Rocks (also known as the Pierres Bleues, or Rochers Peints) were executed in 1984 by Belgian artist Jean Verame and a team of Moroccan firemen, who hosed some eighteen tons of paint over a large area of rocks; Verame had previously executed a similar project in Sinai. The rocks had lost some of their colour over the years so a local man decided to refresh them in 2010, to mixed reactions from local people, many of whom disliked the project, especially after pieces of the paint started washing off into the local streams. Now, however, budding modern artists – mostly younger travellers from elsewhere in Morocco – are adding their own hues to the mix on nearby rocks. Controversy aside, it’s an absorbing spectacle, especially when the setting sun imbues its own take on proceedings.
Just over 30km southeast of Tafraoute • Minibuses leave Tafraoute for Tiouada and Souk el Hadd Issi around 11.30am–noon, returning around 5.30am the following day; unless you fancy hitching back, you’ll have to stay the night • The area is far better tackled by car
For a beautiful day-trip from Tafraoute, drive southeast towards the Gorge Aït Mansour, a route that first rises into beautiful Anti-Atlas mountain scenery, then descends into some fabulous gorges and palmeries. It’s possible to make a loop of the route in a sturdy vehicle.
Leaving Tafraoute, the road here climbs over the hills, with superb panoramas back across Tafraoute and the Ameln Valley, before reaching reach Tleta Tazrite (15km from Tafraoute), which has a souk on Friday. From Tleta Tazrite, the road heads south then descends rapidly into Aït Mansour, where many people like to park up and stroll through the massive palmery, which is beautifully cool in the heat of the day. The palmery stretches a good 6km along the floor of a valley, while the road itself rises above it, giving amazingly beautiful vistas – especially from the fine agadir (fortified granary) at the crest, a little behind which you can see a yellow mosque backed by sumptuous-looking rock formations. Just south of this, at Souk El Hadd Issi, the palmery ends.
To the south, a piste (for which really you need 4WD) heads off to Aït Herbil, passing a number of ancient rock carvings, though they are not easy to find and a guide would be advisable. The first and least difficult group of carvings to find are some 700m east of the road, about 6.4km south of the junction, and feature long-horned cattle and elephants, which lived in this part of Africa when the carvings were made. To the east, you can make the loop back to Tleta Tazrite via the villages of Tiouada, Temguilcht and Tarhat – though none are especially beautiful.
Accommodation and eatingGorge Aït Mansour, SEE MAP PAGE 451
Auberge Aït Mansour Near the north end of the palmery 0528 735198. This friendly guesthouse in the palmery has simple rooms, but the surrounding area is enchanting, and they’ll be able to whip you up a simple meal. Call ahead, or there may be nobody there to greet you. HB €
Many of Morocco’s walled cities creak under the weight of tourist hordes, but little TIZNIT is pleasingly “real”. While it may lack the heady atmosphere of Taroudant, Fez and the like, it perhaps makes for a more genuinly local experience. Despite its solid circuit of huge pisé walls, the city was only founded in 1882, when Sultan Moulay Hassan (Hassan I) was undertaking a harka – a subjugation or (literally) “burning” raid – in the Souss and Anti-Atlas. These days, the few travellers who make it to southern Morocco are extremely likely to hit Tiznit at some point; clean, neat and tidy, the city makes a good staging point en route to Tafraoute, Sidi Ifni or Tata, and is worth at least a day of your time, especially if you’re interested in jewellery, for which the city has achieved national renown. As an added bonus, there’s a nice beach not far away at Aglou Plage, 17km west of Tiznit – a nice place to stay, too and another reason to extend your stay in the area.
Tiznit has five kilometres of walls and seven major gates, the most important of which are Bab Ouled Jarrar and Bab Jedid. The second of these was a French addition, as its name (“New Gate”) indicates; it is also called Les Trois Portes (“the three gates”), though in fact it consists of four gateways. The Medina also contains a number of ksour which were there before the walls were built.
The walled town’s main square, the Mechouar, was once a miltary parade ground; it’s now rather ugly, and essentially used as a car park. Far prettier is the Grand Mosque in the centre of the Medina, which has an unusual minaret, punctuated by a series of perches; these are said to be an aid to the dead in climbing up to paradise, and are more commonly found south of the Sahara in Mali and Niger. Around the corner from the mosque is the Source Bleue; recently renovated, and occasionally home to a family of geese, this spring is dedicated to the town’s patroness, Lalla Tiznit, a saint and former prostitute martyred on this spot, whereupon water miraculously appeared.
By bus Most buses pick up and drop off near the main roundabout, where the Tafraoute road meets the Guelmim road (Rue Bir Anzarane); you’re best advised to head here and ask for the best place to stand for any particular location. CTM buses stop outside their office on Rue Mohammed Hafidi, less than 100m east of the main roundabout, though you can buy tickets more centrally at their Mechouar office; Supratours buses stop outside their office on Rue Bir Anzarane, about 300m south of the main roundabout. City-style Lux buses head to surrounding areas, including the #1 to Aglou Plage, and the #18 to Mirhleft and Sidi Ifni (every second one goes via Aglou Plage too); they arrive at and depart from a yard just outside Bab el Aouina.
Destinations: Agadir (2–3 hourly; 2hr); Bou Izakarn (2 hourly; 1hr–1hr 30min); Casablanca (1–2 hourly; 10–11hr); Dakhla (9 daily; 17–18hr); Guelmim (2–3 hourly; 1hr 30min–2hr 30min); Laayoune (16 daily; 9–10hr); Marrakesh (2–3 hourly; 5–8hr); Mirhleft (hourly; 45min); Ouarzazate (1 daily; 9hr 30min); Rabat (8 daily; 11–13hr); Sidi Ifni (hourly; 1hr 30min); Smara (3 daily; 7–8hr); Tafraoute (hourly; 3hr); Tan Tan (2–3 hourly; 4hr 30min); Tata (6 daily; 7hr).
By grand taxi Collective grands taxis for most destinations use a yard opposite the post office, where you’ll find vehicles serving Agadir, Inezgane, Mirhleft, Sidi Ifni and Tafraoute. Vehicles for Bou Izakarn and Guelmim have a station on Rue Bir Anzarane, just south of the main roundabout. Shared grands taxis for Aglou Plage can be found on Av Hassan II, by the southwestern corner of the city wall.
Destinations Agadir (1hr 15min); Aglou Plage (15min); Bou Izakarn (1hr); Guelmim (1hr 30min); Inezgane (1hr); Mirhleft (45min); Sidi Ifni (1hr 30min); Tafraoute (2hr).
Banks and exchange There are plenty of banks in town, as well as a couple of bureaux de change.
Hammam There’s a traditional hammam just inside the walls at Bab el Khemis, open for men and women.
Accommodation map
Budget hotels in the Medina cannot all guarantee hot water, but there’s a public showerhouse, Douche Atlas (both sexes), in a cul-de-sac off Rue du Bain Maure.
Assaka Rue Bir Anzarane, on main roundabout 0528 602286. Quite a bargain, this place, since it’s effectively a two-star hotel at backpacker prices. The rooms are impeccable, with a/c, heating, balcony, TV and good en-suite bathrooms. €
Idou Tiznit Av Hassan II, by main roundabout 0528 600333. Tiznit’s only real “hotel” option, a four-star forming part of a small nationwide chain, with spacious rooms, a/c, satellite TV, a pool and professional staff – but it’s a little bit soulless, especially the “bar”, for which there are still signs everywhere, even though it has been mothballed for years. There’s usually some kind of promotional rate on offer. BB €€
Maison du Soleil 470 Rue Tafoukt 0676 663175. A small, prettily done out little maison d’hôte in a residential area of the Medina, near Bab Aglou and away from the main tourist zone, with just five rooms (two en suite) and a sunny patio, not to mention very reasonably priced home-cooked meals. BB €
De Paris Av Hassan II, by main roundabout 0528 862865. A friendly and modestly priced hotel, with cosy rooms (en suite, with a/c, heating and TV) and a popular restaurant. Consistently popular with foreign backpackers. €
Riad Janoub Rue de la Grand Mosque riadjanoub.com. Run by an affable couple, this is now top dog in town, its splendidly decorated rooms set around a delightful pool. The place really comes into its own in the evening – clamber up to the rooftop for a look at the sunset, then come back down for the delectable dinners. BB €€
Riad Le Lieu Rue Imzilen Issaoui riadlelieu.ellohaweb.com. Hidden away in the alleys northeast of Bab el Aouina, this is a super little place, set around a courtyard painted a French colonial lemon, and shaded from the sun by a ceiling of flowers. It’s here that their excellent breakfasts are served – and dinner too, if you so desire. Rooms are a little small, and most have shared facilities, though these are kept spotless. BB €
Des Touristes 80 Pl Mechouar 0528 862018. A deservedly popular backpacker hotel, with hot showers, friendly staff and old-fashioned iron bedsteads. The communal areas are decorated with pictures of Paris in the 1950s and an impressive collection of banknotes, and it’s by far the best budget option in town. €
Camping Municipal Right up against the walls by Bab Ouled Jarrar 0528 601354. Tiznit’s campsite is secure and has more shade than most Moroccan campsites. It’s popular with retired Europeans in camper vans, especially in winter. €
Eatingmap
Asrir Pl Rue Id Ali Oubihi. A surprising find in the Medina area, this pleasing little hidey-hole wouldn’t look out of place in the trendier parts of Marrakesh – a calm, covered courtyard centred around a couple of trees. Unfortunately, they’ve stopped serving food and shisha, and removed the Saharan record sleeves that once lined the walls, but every hipster-type in town seems to end up here (there’s even a power socket at each seat), and it’s a great spot for coffee or tea. €
A l'Ombre du Figuier Psge Akchouch facebook.com/OmbreDuFiguier. A good find, this friendly courtyard restaurant is about your best bet in town for local food, with regular staples augmented by interesting additions such as camel culet or horse tajine. It doesn’t quite live up to the surprisingly substantial amount of hype it has generated online, but worth tracking down regardless. €€
Tiznit Pizza Bd Hassan II. The pizzas here are not going to satisfy any serious cognoscenti, but they’re reasonable enough as Moroccan pizzas go, and the place is full most evenings. €
La Ville Nouvelle Av du 20 Août 0528 600963. Just outside the walls, this popular place has a little bit of everything. It’s good for bargain breakfasts of juice, hot drink and pain au chocolat; the top floor has a “panoramic terrace”, with a non-smoking saloon on the middle floor, plus there’s free wi-fi. Food on offer includes spag bol, brochettes and tajinesand the excellent “cous-cous royale”, made with chicken, beef and spicy sausage. It’s also good for cheap baked goods and an espresso or avocado juice. €
Drinkingmap
Mauritania Rue Bir Anzarane. There’s a small restaurant in this hotel, but most are here for the booze – the several halls out back are often filled with tradespeople and colourful local fellows, knocking back cheap beer. It’s also possible to get yours to take away, the shame hidden by an old newspaper, or fetching black plastic bag. Very atmospheric, but not a place for lone females, or anyone who likes washing their hands after using the loo.
Shoppingmap
The jewellery souk (Souk des Bijoutiers) is still an active crafts centre despite the loss to Israel of the town’s large number of Jewish craftsmen; the jewellers occupy the northern part of the main souk, which can be entered from the Mechouar. Over to the south, outside the walls, off Avenue du 20 Août, there’s a municipal market selling meat, fruit, veg and household goods.
Idou Supermarket Off Av Hassan II. Well-stocked supermarket, which may come in handy if you’re using Tiznit as a springboard to somewhere more remote. Open round the clock, too.
Tresor du Sud Just in from Bab el Khemis. The most popular shop in town with tourists, a friendly spot with a visually appealing collection of silver bangles, filigree work, and earrings, as well as some very dangerous-looking daggers.
The beach at AGLOU PLAGE (Sidi Moussa d’aglou), 17km west of Tiznit, sits by a barren, scrub-lined road; it’s an isolated expanse of sand with body-breaking Atlantic surf. It has a dangerous undertow, and is watched over in summer by military police coastguards, who only allow swimming if conditions are safe. Surfing can be good, but you have to pick the right spots; it’s also popular with paragliders from September to April, though most people doing these activities actually hole up in Mirhleft, down the coast. Quite a few Moroccans (including migrant workers from France) come down in summer, with a trickle of Europeans in winter. Otherwise, the place is very quiet.
There are a couple of marabout tombs on the beach and, about 1.5km to the north, a tiny (and rather pretty) troglodyte fishing village, with a hundred or so primitive cave huts dug into the rocks. These are slowly being bought up by expats and trendies from up the coast – this place could, in time, become a backpacker magnet.
Arrival and departure Aglou Plage
By bus Take bus #1 from Tiznit – some of the #18s head here too on their way to Mirhleft and Sidi Ifni.
By grand taxi Grands taxis run frequently from Tiznit though some only go to Aglou village, 3km short of the beach, so try to take one that goes all the way.
Camping Aglou Plage On the main road 0528 613234. Popular and deservedly so, this municipal campsite is about 500m up from the beach, on the right if coming from Tiznit. Guests get 50 percent discount at the adjacent water park – and yes, it does have water slides. €
Tay Fad d’Laz Overlooking the beach 0528 613755. The most presentable of the several restaurants and cafés facing the beach – grab an outdoor seat and some couscous, calamari, or just a coffee or tea. €
MIRHLEFT is a friendly, bustling village about halfway between Tiznit and Sidi Ifni, set a kilometre back from a series of good beaches with crashing waves and strong currents, which particularly attract surfers. The town has little of tourist interest bar the old French fort overlooking it to the east and a Monday souk (devoted mainly to secondhand items), but it’s a nice little place to hole up for a few days, walking the dusty streets and enjoying a carefree atmosphere – the latter perhaps the biggest contributing factor behind the surprisingly substantial expat population, mostly made up of French and Belgian retirees.
There are four main beaches around Mirhleft, each with their own particular vibe and appeal. Furthest north is Imintourga Beach, also known as the “main” beach; 1km from central Mirhleft, this wide curl of sand is the most popular in the area, and can get packed out on weekends. Next comes Aftas Beach, a tiny, secluded spot directly below town, and also home to Aftas Beach House. Next comes Marabout Beach, 1.5km to the south and so named because of the tomb (and mosque) just off its centre; it’s also home to the Dar Najmat hotel, and famed for the intriguing – and highly photogenic – rock formation sticking straight up from the beach like a miniature mountain. Last, but by no means least, is the Plage Sauvage, a wide beach with the most protection of all four, and therefore the best place for swimming; there are also surf spots in the vicinity.
Walk up Bd Legzira and just keep going • Free
An old military French fort, built by the Foreign Legion in 1936 and underscored by Arabic text, overlooks the village from the hill above, which you can climb for beautiful views over the surrounding countryside. It’s a popular sunset-watching spot, especially with young local couples seeking a bit of privacy.
By bus Mirhleft is on the #18 Lux bus route linking Tiznit and Sidi Ifni; buses stop on the main road in the centre of town. Half of them take a detour to swing by Aglou Plage on their way to and from Tiznit.
Destinations Aglou Plage (roughly every 2hr; 45min); Inezgane (daily; 3hr) Sidi Ifni (hourly; 45min); Tiznit (hourly; 1hr).
By grand taxi Mirhleft is served by grands taxis from Sidi Ifni (30min) and Tiznit (45min), but they can be sparse, especially around lunchtime – they run from the main road in the middle of the village.
Banks There’s an Attijariwafa Bank, with an ATM, on the main road.
Excursions Staff at the Abertih can organize all sorts, including quad-bike trips, donkey rides, and paragliding.
Surfing For board and suit rental, there are innumerable small-scale operators in town. For lessons, ask at Café Aftas (0670 729583), next door to Aftas Beach House.
Paragliding This has become a very popular activity here in recent years; the Abertih is a great source of info and can organise trips.
The town-centre options below are all on the same road, which runs parallel to the main road 100m to the east; it’s easy to find, even if you’re not looking for it, since all roads seem to converge here.
Abertih On the corner of the main street with the Tiznit–Ifni road 0528 719304. The best hotel in the village, run by an amiable Frenchman and tastefully decorated, with a good restaurant, constant hot water and some en-suite rooms (extra charge). There’s a hammam around the side, too. BB €
Atlas Opposite the souk 0528 719309. A bog-standard Moroccan hotel revamped for tourists; rooms are but small and simple, some en suite, and most without outside windows. There’s a roof terrace giving views of the fort, the showers and toilets are impressively clean, and they supply towels, soap and shampoo. €
Tafoukt Next to the souk 0528 719077. This simple, no-nonsense hotel charges ordinary Moroccan rates, and makes no particular concessions to tourists, but it’s clean and decent, and frankly just as good as pricier places nearby. Most of the rooms have windows facing inward, and those at the top get a lot more light than the first floor. €
Aftas Beach House Aftas beach 0675 164271. A small guesthouse run by an Englishwoman, in a great location, right on its own little beach, with almost nothing else there. The rooms are small, and slightly pricier ones have ocean views. Food is available (for guests only), and Café Aftas next door offers surfing lessons. Note that there’s often a two-night minimum. €
Auberge des Trois Chameaux On the hill above town, just below the fort 3chameaux.com. Classy maison d’hôte housed in what used to be the officers’ quarters of the French army fort. There’s a choice of rooms (which are actually more like junior suites) and, for not much more money, suites with private terraces and wonderful views. There’s also a heated swimming pool, parking facilities, an in-house hammam, good food and great vistas over the countryside. HB €€€€
Dar Najmat Marabout Plage, 2km south of town darnajmat.com. A beautiful auberge with bright, modern a/c rooms and a scenic infinity-style pool. Standing on its own at the end of a small, picturesque beach, the hotel is dominated by an impressively large rock and overlooked by a mosque and a row of small shops, with just one beach café. The beach is not suitable for surfing, which keeps most of the Mirhleft crowd away. HB €€€€
Sally’s B&B Overlooking Imintourga Beach, just west of town sallymirleft.com. A nice option close to town, in a quiet neighbourhood, this B&B is a great place to chill out, with picture-perfect views from the rooftop. Though there’s no pool, the beach is right below, and the studio room here is absolutely huge. HB €€
All options listed here are on the same road in the town centre – aim for the souk.
Abertih The menu at this hotel changes daily, but the food is always good, and you can have beer or wine with your meal. There’s usually fish cooked a la plancha and couscous on offer, but keep your fingers crossed and they may have spider crab or camel. A pity that it’s only open in the evenings. €€
La Bonne Franquette Hôtel du Sud. On the same road as the city-centre accommodation, the Hôtel du Sud’s restaurant cooks up some tasty grub, including grilled fish and camel tajine. It’s also licensed. €€
Chourouk 0662 739658. Popular with locals (always a good sign), this is the place to head for cheap local staples: think tajines, couscous, and a fried fish platter. Head on up to the rooftop for pleasant views over the town’s focal-point road. €
Tifawin Cafe. This tiny place has been a breath of fresh air in dusty Mirhleft, and every foreigner in town seems to pop by for breakfast – all-day options include muesli and avocado on toast), as well as omelettes and toasted sandwiches. Coffee’s good, they serve avocado juices in myriad ways, or try the “jus vert” with apple, cucumber, mint, parsley and lemon. €
Known as “Ifni” to its friends, SIDI IFNI is the most attractive town in southern Morocco, and uniquely interesting: built in the 1930s, on a clifftop site, it is surely the finest and most romantic Art Deco military town ever built. Many buildings from that era have been the victims of neglect, but with a realization by the authorities that they attract tourists, steps have been taken to conserve the town’s heritage. In addition, there’s the colonial aspect – this enclave was relinquished by Spain only in 1969, after the Moroccan government closed off landward access, and many locals still speak Spanish.
The site, then known as Santa Cruz del Mar Pequeño (“Holy Cross of the Small Sea”), was held by Spain from 1476 to 1524, when the Saadians threw them out. In 1860, the Treaty of Tetouan gave it back to them, though they didn’t reoccupy it until 1934, after they – or rather, the French – had “pacified” the interior.
Sidi Ifni’s main attractions are its Spanish feel and Art Deco architecture, and a relaxed atmosphere – you’ll spy dreadlocked local chaps ambling around, and a few local girls wear outfits which most likely make their parents furious, while it’s the only place this side of Agadir where one could go on a bar crawl (there are three bars!). The beach, with a marabout tomb at its northern end, is not that great (the beaches at Legzira and Mirhleft are better;) and is prone to long sea mists; it can be surprisingly cloudy in summer, when warm Saharan winds mix with cool ones from the Altantic, though the sun often burns through after noon. On Sundays a large souk takes place just east of the abandoned airfield, and each June 30 the city hosts a festival to celebrate its 1969 reincorporation into Morocco.
10km north of Sidi Ifni • Walkable along the coast from Sidi Ifni • On the #18 Lux bus line from Sidi Ifni (hourly), which continues to Mirhleft and Tiznit • Surfboards and gear can be rented here, as well as quad bikes
Wide and handsome, Legzira Beach is flanked by natural sea-worn rock archways and overlooked by an old Spanish fort from the hills above, whose thermal currents attract hang-gliding and paragliding enthusiasts. A rather horrible vacation village has unfortunately now been built directly above the beach, but that doesn’t detract from the beauty of the place – something best experienced on the long walk along the coast from Sidi Ifni. Given the fact that the bus stop is both some way uphill from the beach and unsheltered, it makes most sense to bus here from Sidi Ifni (when departures are on the hour) and walk back to town, so long as the tides agree.
Arrival and informationSidi Ifni and around
By bus All buses arriving or departing Sidni Ifni stop on Av Mohammed V. To and from Tiznit, your best bet are the #18 Lux buses, which head via Mirhleft; half of them also hit Aglou Plage.
Destinations Agadir (4 daily; 4hr–4hr 30min); Aglou Plage (roughly every 2hr; 45min); Casablanca (2 daily; 12hr); Marrakesh (3 daily; 7hr 45min); Mirhleft (45min); Tiznit (hourly; 2hr)
By grand taxi Grands taxis leave four blocks east of Av Mohammed V, though for Mirhleft and Tiznit they’re also easy to pick up near the bridge just north of town.
Destinations Guelmim (1hr); Inezgane (3hr 30min); Mirhleft (45min); Tiznit (1hr 30min).
Banks You’ll find a BMCE and Banque Populaire on Av Mohammed V, both with ATMs.
Sidi Ifni, map
Aït Baâmram Rue de la Plage 0528 780217. By the beach, and with a restaurant and bar, this hotel looks dodgy from the outside but has immaculate tiled walls and floors in its public areas. The rooms themselves are a bit chipped and scuffed, though all are en suite. €
Bellevue Pl Hassan II 0528 875072. Housed in an original Ifni Art Deco building, right on Plaza de España, and next to the law courts, this well-kept hotel has sweeping views over the beach, a good restaurant, and a bar. Some rooms are en suite (which doubles the price), but the shared bathroom facilities for those that aren’t have hot water from 7–11am only. €
Ifni Av Mohammed V. There’s a smattering of small, basic hotels very close to each other in the centre, all catering mainly for a Moroccan clientele. Rooms here, as at the rest, are very basic, but at the time of writing, this was the only one with working hot showers. €
Maison Xanadu 5 Rue el Jadida (look for the Ψ symbol on the door) maisonxanadu.com. Bright, cheerful, French-owned maison d’hôte with lots of jolly pastel colours and breezy, modern, en-suite rooms, plus great views from the roof terrace. The owner is a good source of local advice. BB €€
Logis la Marine Av Moulay Abdellah logislamarine.com. Sidi Ifni’s fanciest choice, with a small selection of charming rooms, many looking directly onto the ocean; the views are so good here that most passers-by end up taking photos, yet somehow the hotel hides in plain sight. Staff here are switched on, and a lovely breakfast is served in the garden out back. BB €€
Suerte Loca Rue Moulay Youssef 0528 87535. Going for years, this is a characterful place– the name (meaning “Crazy Luck”) and a bodega-style bar, which is sadly not licensed, reveal its small-town Spanish origins – run by a very welcoming English-speaking family. It has cheap rooms in the old Spanish wing, slightly pricier en-suite ones in a new wing, and is deservedly popular; try for one of the rooms splendid views of the sea, way down below. It also has an excellent café-restaurant, a roof terrace, and a surf shop next door. €
Spanish colonial architecture in Sidi Ifni
The best place in which to start a tour of Sidi Ifni’s old Spanish buildings is Plaza de España (now officially rechristened Place Hassan II), a quiet square whose centrepiece is an Andalusian garden with Spanish tiled benches and a Moroccan tiled fountain. A plinth in the middle once bore the statue of General Capaz, who took Ifni for Spain in 1934. At the northern end of the square, the now-empty Spanish consulate, a building straight out of García Márquez, stands next to a Moorish Art Deco building, which used to be the church, and is now the law court. At the other end of the plaza, the blue-and-white-striped town hall, complete with its town clock, stands next to the former governor-general’s residence, now the royal palace; here you’ll also spy the Cine Avenida, a real beaut which was in regular use in colonial times, but now only sparingly for special events.
Nearer the sea, there’s a magnificent Art Deco lighthouse (to which you can’t get too close), while heading north down Rue Moulay Youssef, you’ll find what must be the world’s only Art Deco mosque, small and rather pretty, with blue piping up the sides of the minaret. At the street’s northern end is a building in the shape of a ship, which once housed the Spanish naval secretariat. It was the first large building to go up in Sidi Ifni, and its two forward portholes were the windows of cells where miscreant sailors were held.
Lastly, old Spanish street signs on Avenue Mohammed V still identify it as Calle Seis de Abril, and several of its buildings are original Ifni Art Deco. The post office was much more splendid before the top storey was demolished, and under Spanish rule it used to issue its own stamps, featuring wildlife, traditional costumes and even the town’s buildings.
Camping Sidi Ifni Rue de la Plage 0528 876734. The best campsite in town, though it has absolutely no shade at all; however, it does have a swimming pool in summer (open to all), high walls for security, and sunshine most of the day. Rooms are also available; oh, and there’s a bar. Camping €, double €
Legzira Beach Club On the beach 0670 522800. The best choice on the “strip”, with tidy rooms, some with bathrooms and terraces (a massive plus point, considering the view), plus a decent restaurant downstairs. Single rooms are good value. €
Sidi Ifni, map
Cafe Tagoute Av Moulay Abdellah. Given the superlative views, it’s amazing how crappy the eateries on the pedestrianised clifftop walk are; this is the better of two adjacent cafes, with very good coffee and fruit juice, and old Ifni stamps and black-and-white photos on the walls. €
Fish stands By the market. These hole-in-the-wall market eateries always have excellent fish tajines on the go, and they can also whip up fried sardines, or a mixed friture of squid, sole, prawns and whiting. It’s unfair to single out a stall, but the first one on the left as you enter is very reliable. €
Gran Canaria Av Mohammed V. This modern, upper-floor spot bills itself as a seafood place, but is in reality quite Italian – it’s far better for pasta (including home-made lasagne) and wood-fired pizzas, while tiramisu and panacottaare on the dessert list. €€
Ocean Miramar 3 Av Moulay Abdallah. Better for the views than the food, this restaurant has a scenic terrace; they specialize in fish, including a good seafood gratin, while there’s chocolate mousse or banana split for afters. They also do breakfasts. €
Suerte Loca Rue Moulay Youssef. This cool hotel is also one of the best options for food in Sidi Ifni – many places in town advertise Spanish-style dishes, but this is often the only place actually serving paella, Spanish tortillas and the like, making for a nice break from the norm. Also consider the yummy almond milkshake, or the non-alcoholic crepe suzette. €
Abouis On the beach. Good food overlooking the beach, with tasty cheese omelettes, couscous through the week, large paella that’s enough for two, grilled fish, and good coffee. The yummy sauces that they’ll plonk on your table with most meals are mojo – a speciality from the Canary Islands, a few hundred kilometres to the west, these really should have greater worldwide renown, and you may well end up making your own back home. €€
Sidi Ifni, map
Aït Baâmram Rue de la Plage. This hotel is where locals come to drink, an atmospheric place with a pleasingly seedy-looking interior and a clutch of outdoor tables gazing straight at the sea; these are wonderful sunset roosts, and after that they’re illuminated only by ambient light. As well as beer there’s a decent selection of spirits for somewhere so remote. Bring your mosquito repellent, if you want to sit in the outdoor area.
Bellevue Pl Hassan II 0528 875072. This Art Deco hotel has a cool little bar up on top, overlooking the sea; sadly you’re not allowed to consume alcohol on the outdoor terrace. It’s pricer than the other places, but more relaxed, and with free olives to munch on.
El Hourria Av el Houria. Once a restaurant, this is now a lovely shisha bar; apple and mint are your two flavour choices, while they replace your charcoals with alarming frequency and theatrical tong-clacks. No alcohol.
Surrounded by some impressively bleak scenery, GUELMIM (also Romanized as Goulimine or Gulimime) is an administrative town with a distinctly frontier feel and a couple of small, fairly animated souks, including two evening markets. One of these runs off the Route d’Agadir (now officially renamed Boulevard Mohammed VI), mainly selling food, and one off Avenue des FAR, mainly selling clothes.
You may meet local hustlers here indulging in theatrical cons, usually involving invitations to see “genuine hommes bleus” (supposedly desert nomads, clad in blue) in tents outside town, inevitably just an excuse to relieve tourists of some money.
On a side street off Av Mohammed V • Free
The nearest thing that Guelmim has to a tourist sight is the remains of Caid Dahman Takni’s palace, hidden in the backstreets behind the Hôtel la Jeunesse, and ruined now but barely a hundred years old. Just a corner and the back survive in any substantial form, but the views from here are pretty good – just watch out for the shards of bottle-glass which blanket the ground.
Make no bones about it – the 10km shoreside trek (lasting 2–3hr) from Sidi Ifni to Legzira beach is, quite simply, one of southern Morocco’s most enjoyable walking routes. Many locals will try to convince you that you need a guide; this is not true, and as long as you bear a few simple things in mind, it’s quite easy. The main thing that you’ll need to take note of is the tide: the route is only possible at low tide, and the daily times are very easy to find online. Secondly, you’ll need to head up the cliff and away from the beach at one point, just before the first rock arch you’ll come across on the way up from Sidi Ifni. The uphill path is easy to spot, as is the downwards counterpart, which slides gently down a wide crevasse a few hundred metres further north. After that, you’ll pass through more spectacular arches on your way to Legzira. You’ll be able to do this route in flip-flops, though do note that at various points you’ll have to walk across large, slippery stones, some of which are covered in moss and algae.
Surfing and paragliding around Sidi Ifni
In recent years, Sidi Ifni has become something of a base for surfing and paragliding. Favourite surfing spots are the main beach, just in front of the tennis courts, and another beach 100m south of the new port. There are a few places offering surf lessons and equipment in town, but by far the best is Barandilla Surf School, adjoining the Suerte Loca. There are other small operators on Legzira beach, including Legzira Surf School. Favourite paragliding spots are the hills behind Ifni, and at Legzira Beach; your best sources of information are the Abertih in Mirhleft,.
1km out of town on the Tan Tan road
Guelmim’s Saturday morning souk, known as the camel market, is rather a sham. It has the usual Moroccan goods (grain, vegetables, meat, clothes, silver, jewellery, sheep and goats), but what it doesn’t have many of is camels, which have fallen from favour over the years in the wake of lorries and transit vehicles, and the caravan routes are more or less extinct. Those you do see have been brought in for show, or to be sold for meat.
Arrival and departure Guelmim and around
By plane The airport is 5km out of town, off the Sidi Ifni road; there’s no public transport so you’ll have to charter a grand taxi to get there. Note that it’s a military airfield, too – you’ll have to show documents at the entrance, and printed tickets help. Arriving by air, you may need to call your hotel to send a taxi.
Destinations Casablanca (5 weekly via Tan Tan; 2hr 50min); Tan Tan (5 weekly; 30min).
By bus Most buses use the gare routière on the Bou Izakarn road. The CTM and Supratours offices are just north of the gare routière, on Av Abaynou.
Destinations: Agadir (2–3 hourly; 4hr 30min); Akka (2 daily; 8hr); Casablanca (1–2 hourly; 14hr); Dakhla (9 daily; 16hr); Foum el Hassan (2 daily; 6hr); Laayoune (1–2 hourly; 7hr); Marrakesh (2–3 hourly; 9hr 30min); Ouarzazate (2 daily; 15hr); Rabat (9 daily; 16hr); Sidi Ifni (2 daily; 1hr); Smara (4 daily; 6hr); Tan Tan (2–3 hourly; 2hr); Tata (2 daily; 9hr 30min); Tiznit (2–3 hourly; 2hr 30min).
By grand taxi Grands taxis for most destinations leave from next to the gare routière. For Assaka, they leave from a station on Av Hassan II at the junction of Av el Moukouama, where Land Rover taxis can also be found. For Asrir, they use a station southeast of the centre, on the new Asrir road.
Destinations Agadir (4hr 45min); Asrir (15min); Assaka (1hr 30min); Bou Izakarn (1hr); Inezgane (4hr 30min); Laayoune (5hr); Sidi Ifni (1hr); Tiznit (2hr 30min); Tan Tan (1hr 30min).
A large moussem is held annually in early June at Asrir, 10km southeast along the Asrir road. Traditionally a camel traders’ fair, there are still many humped beasts present at the festival today. There’s also usually Guedra dancing, a seductive women’s dance of the desert, performed from a kneeling position (developed for the low tents) to a slow, repetitive rhythm.
Banks There are plenty of banks with ATMs. The BMCE is on Av Hassan II, 100m west of Hôtel Salam.
Hammam Next to the post office, with showers as well as steam rooms. Men’s and women’s entrances are either side of a café.
Accommodationmap
Carrefour 31 Av Mohammed V 0528 771510. The nicest place in the centre, with rooms that’ll make you forget you’re in Guelmim for a while – all are en suite with wooden furnishings and clean, spacious bathrooms, and the service is by far the most professional in town. Located right above a petrol station, though thankfully the sounds and smells don’t carry into the rooms. €
Ijdiguen 194 Av Ibn Battouta 0528 771453. Bright, clean and right opposite the bus station, with shared hot showers and friendly staff. Great if you’ve just arrived on a late bus, or need to catch an early one. €
Oasis Palm Route d’Agadir oasispalmhotel.com. A middle-of-nowhere experience is on offer at this hotel 7km to the northeast of town, part of (and actually the only part of) a “new” village which may never be completed. There’s a pool, the rooms are good, the views are sweeping, and there’s food available on site. BB €
Eating map
For cheap eating, try the clutch of rôtisseries (spit-roast chicken joints) on Av Mohammed V by Pl Bir Anzarane.
4 Saisons Bd Mohammed VI. Juice and dessert cafe that’s cheap, cheesy and colourful. Ice cream and fruit shakes are cheap and tasty; there’s no English menu, but it’s easy to point at what you want. €
Al Bahja Bd Mohammed VI. Cheap local place for fried fish, or beans served with offal, bread and side-salad. €
Café Sidi Elghazi Av Ibn Battouta. Very handy café-restaurant by the gare routière, with a bit of everything: tajines, couscous, pizzas, sandwiches, juices, coffee and cakes. Just what you need if arriving or leaving by bus at a silly hour. €
15km north of Guelmim • Head up the Sidi Ifni road, and it’s signed to the right after the airport
There are several spring baths in the Guelmim area, but easiest to reach are those in Abbainou, a tiny oasis reachable by grand taxi. The hot springs – gender-segregated, of course, and on cool mornings steam can be seen coming off the palmery irrigation channels. There’s a basic campsite, and a café and bakery in the village centre.
35km from Guelmim • Paved road to Tisséguemane branches left off Sidi Ifni road 1km outside Guelmim, then there’s 20km of piste
Fort Bou-Jerif is a truly romantic spot, set 13km from the sea beside the Oued Assaka, with a wonderful auberge-campsite in an old French Foreign Legion camp – and all in the middle of nowhere. From here, you can go on some superb four-wheel-drive excursions in the area, including trips to the Plage Blanche – the “White Beach” that stretches for sixty or so kilometres along the coast southwest of Guelmim. Travellers heading for Mauritania and Senegal should also be able to pick up information here as a lot of overlanders stop over at the fort on their way down.
Accommodation and eatingFort Bou-Jerif
Fort Bou-Jerif Auberge fortboujerif.com. This wonderful place offers accommodation in a “motel”, a “little hotel” and a “hotel”; alternatively you can camp, with a nomadic tent on offer if you don’t have your own. Most people take half-board, which is a good idea as the food is good (camel tajine the speciality) and there’s nowhere else to eat. Camping per person €, nomadic tent per person €, double €
