Lonely Planet Morocco

by Lonely Planet

  But Skoura’s majestic palms face another danger. According to the director of the palm-preservation initiative at Skoura Cultural Centre the biggest threat isn’t Bayoud but rather poverty. During desperate times, when crops fail, some people illegally sell palms to support their families. To address this problem, the centre recently opened an oasis arts showcase. Here Skoura residents sell items made with palm fronds, sustainably harvested without harming the trees.

  TTours

  Toufiq MousaouiOUTDOORS

  (%0611 72 30 05; tmousaoui0@gmail.com)

  One of the top guides working in Skoura, Toufiq is young and energetic, and has a wealth of knowledge about the history and culture of the region. You can arrange a wide range of outings with him, including walking or biking tours through the palmeraie, lunch with a local family, donkey treks (good for kids), traditional bread baking and other activities.

  Nomad AttitudeOUTDOORS

  (%0524 85 22 81; www.nomadattitude.com)

  Run by the owners of L'Ma Lodge, this top-notch outfit offers a wide range of excursions both near and far. You can arrange 4WD trips, multiday treks, desert bivouacs and more.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Given this is a small oasis, there are no real restaurants, so hotels offer full board, or half-board with some light lunch options. If you're just passing through, you may be able to book lunch (depending on numbers), but you'll need to reserve ahead.

  Kasbah Aït AbouHERITAGE HOTEL€

  (%0524 85 22 34; Palmeraie de Skoura; per person incl half-board Dh250, campsites per person Dh60; p)

  Sleep like a dignitary in this 1825 kasbah built by the local caïd, with a 25m mudbrick tower that’s an engineering marvel. Ground-floor rooms are big, plain and naturally cool, with wonky en suites; alternatively, opt for one of the newer rooms set around the vegetable garden. Thanks to a unique partnership with the UCPA youth club, Mohammed can also arrange for horse rides through the palmeraie.

  Follow the red arrows from the main road.

  SawadiGUESTHOUSE€€

  (%0671 57 01 54; www.sawadi.ma; Douar Tajanate; s/d incl breakfast €60/70, ste €85-120; paWs)S

  An oasis within an oasis, 9 acres of walled organic gardens make a bucolic setting for pisé bungalows and are used to prepare sumptuous evening meals (around €16). Unwind after visits to local artisans or kasbah architecture tours with a steamy hammam, or chilled white wine by the pool.

  Sawadi is also a working farm, with cattle, sheep, rabbits and honey bees. For farm-to-table dining, Sawadi is unrivalled. Follow white triangle markers from the road into the northern end of the oasis.

  Skoura LodgeGUESTHOUSE€€

  (%0668 94 35 24; www.skouralodge.com; d €50-60; W)

  Located just outside of Skoura, this traditional lodge offers rooms set in round African-style bungalows, complete with bamboo ceilings, Berber carpets, colourfully woven blankets and handsome bathrooms in tadelakt. There are fine views of the Altas Mountains and over the palmeraie. Coming from Ouarzazate, it's located about 5km southwest of the centre, signed to the left off the N10.

  oL'Ma LodgeGUESTHOUSE€€€

  (www.lmalodge.com; r/ste €90/130; h0666 64 79 08; aWs)S

  This gorgeously designed lodge features seven spacious, light-filled rooms, each with antiques, elegant wood furnishings and artwork (from Morocco, West Africa and beyond). There's a garden, where organic fruits feature in the homemade breakfast jams, and you can relax in hammocks, swim in the heated pool, play a few rounds of petanque or arrange a massage. There's also a kids' play area.

  The restaurant serves excellent, creative veg-friendly dishes, and the affable hosts have a wealth of information on making the most of the area. To get there, look for the marked turn-off on the N10, just east of Skoura, then follow the signs. Reserve well ahead.

  oJardins de SkouraGUESTHOUSE€€€

  (%0524 85 23 24; www.lesjardinsdeskoura.com; Palmeraie de Skoura; s/d/ste incl breakfast from €75/80/130; hclosed during Ramadan; aWs)S

  Low-key, high-romance Skoura style: this garden guesthouse offers intimate rooms with nooks carved from pisé walls, custom-designed rugs and attractive artworks. Lunch on light salads and fresh-baked pizza amid the magical blooming garden, then nap beside the small pool beneath your courtesy palm-woven sunhat.

  You might struggle to tear yourself away for donkey rides in the palmeraie, aperitifs on the roof top and French-Moroccan dinners, but they're worth it. Follow orange triangle markers from the main road.

  Dar LorkamGUESTHOUSE€€€

  (%0524 85 22 40; www.dar-lorkam.com; N 31°05.57, W 06°35.03; d/ste incl half-board from Dh800/1000; hclosed Jan & Jul; paWs)

  With a garden full of roses and views of Jebel M'Goun from the vine-draped terraces, there's hardly any reason to venture beyond the snug confines of Dar Larkom. Seven cosy rooms with understated decorative details sit beneath shady olive trees overlooking a small, child-friendly pool.

  Mornings slip by with walks in the palmeraie and visits to the souq, while evenings are best spent in the royal purple hammam. Follow green triangle markers from the main road.

  Kasbah Aït ben MoroHERITAGE HOTEL€€€

  (%0524 85 21 16; www.kasbahaitbenmoro.com; r incl breakfast Dh700-1000; paWs)

  An 18th-century kasbah given a stylish makeover that remains true to its desert roots with original palm-beam ceilings, moody low-lit passageways, and water-conserving cactus gardens. The three tower rooms are the sweetest deals, with shared bathrooms and oasis views; ask for the one with a fireplace. It’s located on the N10, 2km west of Skoura.

  8Getting There & Away

  There are regular but infrequent buses from Ouarzazate (Dh13, 45 minutes) and Tinerhir (Dh40, two hours) to the centre of Skoura, which lies just off the N10 at the eastern end of the oasis. Grands taxis from Ouarzazate (Dh15) and Kelaâ M'Gouna (Dh22) stop just after the crossroads.

  Kelaâ M’Gouna قلعة مكونة

  Although it takes its name from the nearby M’Goun mountain, the small town of Kelaâ M’Gouna is famous for roses and daggers. Some 50km from Skoura, pink roses start peeking through dense roadside hedgerows, and you can’t miss the bottles of local rosewater for sale in town. During the May rose harvest you’ll see rose garlands everywhere, especially during the town’s signature rose festival (first weekend of May). At the Wednesday souq, you can load up on dried edible roses.

  There's an ATM, pharmacies and internet cafes at Kelaâ’s downtown crossroads.

  2Activities

  To stop and smell the roses on a nature walk, call the bureau des guides (%0662 13 21 92, 0661 79 61 01) or book official guides through local hotels (around Dh350 per day).

  4Sleeping

  Kasbah IswanGUESTHOUSE€€

  (%0524 89 17 71; www.kasbah-iswan.com; Tazroute; per person incl half-board Dh375)

  Spend a few days at comfortable Kasbah Iswan and you'll start to feel as at home as the storks that nest on the turrets. Nights are dark and peaceful, filled with friendly conversation and delicious plates of couscous and fried sardines, while days can be spent reading in the flower-filled courtyard or wandering through rose gardens along the M'Goun River. It's 7km north of Kelaâ M'Gouna, in the village of Tazroute.

  Kasbah ItranHERITAGE HOTEL€€

  (%0524 83 71 03; www.kasbahitran.com; d incl half-board with shared bathroom Dh400, with bathroom Dh550-600; W)

  At this striking clifftop perch, you'll find a maze of terraces, fireplaces and simple rooms with all the essentials. The roof deck offers stunning views over the lush valley and the mountains beyond. Most rooms come with en suite (three with air-con), stiff beds and M’Goun River views. It's 2km northwest of Kelaâ M’Gouna; minivans from town run past en route to the village of Torbis (Dh8).

  Trekking excursions are also available.

  7Shopping

  Unité de Distillation de RoseGIFTS & SOUVENIRS

  (%0661 34 81 77; h8am-5.30pm)

  Coming from Skoura, thi
s rosewater distillery is located on your right 500m before you reach town. Rose buds used here are purchased directly from farmers in the valley. The adjoining showroom offers a full range of perfume, creams and bath products, including uncoloured, untreated rosewater used locally as aftershave.

  8Getting There & Away

  Buses run between Ouarzazate and Tinerhir via Kelaâ, but are often full. You can catch buses and grands taxis from the centre of Kelaâ, where they pull up beside the road. Taxis serve Ouarzazate (Dh35, 1½ hours), Skoura (Dh20, 45 minutes), Boumalne du Dadès (Dh10, 40 minutes) and Tinerhir (Dh35, 1½ hours).

  Boumalne Du Dadès بوملنه داده

  Pop 11,200

  Twenty-four kilometres northeast of Kelaâ M’Gouna you reach a fork: the main road continues over the river to the hillside town of Boumalne du Dadès while the left-hand road leads into stunning Dadès Gorge. The town itself doesn't have much to offer, aside from being a base to explore the nearby gorge. It's worth stopping here however during the lively Wednesday and Sunday souqs.

  2Activities

  Vallée des OiseauxBIRDWATCHING

  (Valley of the Birds)

  A few kilometres to the east of town, where the piste leads south into the seemingly lifeless hammada to the village of Tagdilt, you'll find a surprisingly rich variety of bird life in the aptly named Vallée des Oiseaux. Horned lark, wheat-ears, sand grouse, buzzards and eagle owls are just some of the species you may spot here, along with a healthy reptile population and small herds of Edmi gazelle and Addax antelope.

  Bureau des GuidesTREKKING, CYCLING

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0667 59 32 92; hamou57@voila.fr; Ave Mohammed V)

  Hamou Aït Lhou is a knowledgeable local guide who takes trips to the Vallée des Oiseaux and further afield to Jebel Saghro. The office is located on the main road in Boumalne, about 500m south of the junction for the Dadès Valley.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Kasbah Jeanne EcolodgeGUESTHOUSE€€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0667 41 56 97; s/d/tw/tr €45/55/65/70; W)S

  This riad-style guesthouse with a garden out back receives high marks for its spacious traditional rooms – complete with pisé walls, poplar wood ceilings and juniper wood doors – and the kind-hearted welcome of the owner, who has loads of tips on exploring the region. Dinner costs Dh125 extra. To get there, follow signs leading north off Ave Mohammed V.

  Hôtel AlmanaderHOTEL€€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0524 83 01 72; www.hotelmanader.com; Ave Mohammed V; s/d incl half-board Dh300/450; aW)

  High above the river valley, Almanader makes a splash with colourful murals and 12 tidy, quirky rooms with candy-coloured stucco ceilings; four have air-conditioning. Easygoing staff are quick with hellos, espresso and home-style Berber cooking (mains Dh60 to Dh70).

  Xaluca DadésHOTEL€€€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 57 84 50; www.xaluca.com; s/d/ste from Dh740/900/1460; paiWs)

  A sub-Saharan makeover transformed this 1970s convention centre into a destination hotel. The 106 guest rooms have balconies with Tuareg chairs, plush beds with thick duvets and mud-cloth bedspreads. Expect all the mod cons, plus hammam (Dh100), a bar, billiards, a panoramic terrace swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, and noisy gym. It’s signposted at the top of the hill on Ave Mohammed V, and is just north of the centre of Boumalne du Dadès.

  Restaurant OussikisMOROCCAN€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; Place de Souk; mains Dh40-100)

  Inside the souq plaza on your left, you’ll spot chef Fadil Faska in his spotless open kitchen transforming fresh, local ingredients into savoury tajines, flaky pastilla, or quick, satisfying salads and roast chicken.

  Hôtel-Restaurant AdrarMOROCCAN€

  (%0524 83 07 65; Ave Mohammed V; mains Dh40-80; a)

  This clean place, handy to the bus station, serves popular, filling meals of salads and brochettes or the local speciality, gallia (game hen) tajine.

  8Information

  On Ave Mohammed V there's a Banque Populaire (Ave Mohammed V), four pharmacies and internet access.

  8Getting There & Away

  Bus

  Supratours offers a daily service to Ouarzazate (Dh40, two hours), Tinerhir (Dh30, 1¼ hours), Marrakesh (Dh115, six hours) and Merzouga (Dh90, six hours). The ticket office is near Banque Populaire and buses stop near the covered market.

  Cheaper private buses also leave daily to Ouarzazate (Dh30), Tinerhir (Dh10) and Marrakesh (Dh100), and multiple times daily to Er-Rachidia (Dh40).

  Taxi & Minibus

  You may have to wait a while for a grand taxi or minibus to fill up, but they do go to Ouarzazate (Dh40), Tinerhir (Dh20) and Aït Oudinar (inside the Dadès Gorge; Dh12).

  Trekking Jebel Saghro

  Few tourists venture into the starkly beautiful Jebel Saghro (aka Jebel Sarhro or Djebel Sahro) as most of the flat-topped mesas, volcanic pinnacles and deep gorges dotted with palm groves are only accessible on foot. This arid, isolated territory is home turf to the seminomadic Aït Atta, legendary warriors famous for their 1933 stand against the French here, on Jebel Bou Gafer.

  Jebel Saghro is accessed from three trekking hubs: Kelaâ M’Gouna and Boumalne du Dadès on the north side of the range, and the southern village of N’Kob. The most scenic routes head through the heart of the range, between Igli and Bab n’Ali.

  This circuit has one big advantage over the classic Saghro north–south traverse: it begins and ends on the north side of the mountains, so you can easily resume journeys to Dadès gorges, Merzouga and the dunes.

  THE TREK AT A GLANCE

  Duration Five to six days

  Distance 56km

  Standard Medium

  Start Tagdilt

  Finish Kelaâ M’Gouna

  Highest Point Tizi n’Ouarg (approximately 2300m)

  Accommodation Camping and gîtes/homestay

  Public Transport Yes

  Summary A great alternative to the classic Saghro traverse, showcasing the staggering and varied beauty of the range. Given demanding climbs and long days of walking, you might add another night to the route.

  When To Go

  While many High Atlas trails are impassable between November and February, Saghro is a prime winter trekking destination. Winter temperatures can dip below freezing, and snow may fall as low as 1400m – but even when it does snow, it is usually possible to trek. In autumn and spring, night-time temperatures rarely fall below zero. When summer temperatures get scorching hot (above 40°C), water sources disappear, and even scorpions hunker under rocks for shade.

  8Getting There & Away

  Minibuses run from Boumalne du Dadès to Ikniouln (Dh28), at the northern edge of the range, departing around noon and returning to Boumalne early the next morning. There may be extra buses on Wednesday, when Ikniouln has its weekly souq.

  Day 1: Tagdilt To The Assif Ouarg Valley

  Duration four hours / Distance 17km / Ascent 200m

  Tagdilt is an uninspiring village but a useful trailhead, with three gîtes and a daily camionette (pick-up truck) from Boumalne. For 2½ hours, you could follow the piste used by vans crossing the mountain to N’Kob, or veer onto the track that occasionally strays to the side, rejoining the piste further up the slope.

  At Imi n’Ouarg, the third village above Tagdilt, the path leaves the road (which continues to mines at Tiouit). The path turns right (southwest) beside the village school, marked by a Moroccan flag.

  The path follows the right-hand side of the winding Assif Ouarg valley, beneath the summit of Jebel Kouaouch (2592m). After an hour (about 3km), there’s a farm above terraced fields where you can arrange a homestay (%0661 08 23 21; per person Dh60-70). The host’s sons can be hired as muleteers and hot meals may be available.

  Day 2: Assif Ouarg Valley To Igli

  Duration six to seven hours / Distance 19km / Ascent 620m / Descent 860m

  The most memorable walk on this trek is also the most difficult, starting with a 35-minute climb towards the head of the valley. The path leads left (sou
th) and Jebel Kouaouch is the highest of a row of peaks straight ahead. The path zigzags over a stream, up towards Kouaouch and a lone juniper tree – a good place for a breather. Depending on your fitness and the weather, it could take another hour to reach the pass. As you climb, there are good views back towards Tagdilt, and once over the ridge, the High Atlas and Jebel Saghro come into view.

  The path drops steeply down ahead, but our track veers right (southwest) across the valley’s shoulder and over another ridge, with views south to the palms and kasbahs of N’Kob. Igli is due south over a series of slopes, with the famous Tête de Chameau (Camel’s Head) cliffs appearing as you walk down towards the settlement. Three low buildings form a gîte (per person Dh60) with a toilet and wood-fired hot showers (Dh10). There’s no electricity or sleeping mats here, but the friendly gardien runs a shop selling trekkers’ necessities, including mule shoes, and if you bring flour, he’ll have it baked into bread.

  For breathtaking mountain sunsets, you’ve come to the right place. You might add a round trip to Bab n’Ali, one of the most spectacular rock formations in the Saghro, returning to Igli for another night or continuing to the Irhazzoun n’Imlas gîte (per person Dh60).