Draa-Tafilalet
Errachidia
The gateway to the Sahara, and the head of the Ziz Valley.
- Best time to visit
- October to April. October and November add the date harvest.
- Ideal for
- Landscape photography, road trips, desert gateways, slow days
Introduction
Errachidia is the administrative centre of the Tafilalet region and the point where the road from Fes and the Middle Atlas finally reaches the desert south. It is a working town rather than a picturesque one, but its setting is extraordinary.
North of it, the Ziz river has cut a gorge through red rock. South of it, the same river feeds a palm grove that runs, almost unbroken, for well over a hundred kilometres towards Erfoud and the Sahara. That green corridor through raw desert is one of the defining images of southern Morocco.
Why visit
- 01
The Ziz Valley viewpoint is one of the finest views in Morocco and takes ten minutes off the main road.
- 02
It is the practical gateway to Merzouga and the dunes, with an airport and good road links.
- 03
The oasis agriculture here — palms, irrigation channels, terraced plots — is still worked entirely by hand.
Things to see
- The Ziz Valley viewpoint
- The Ziz Gorge, north of town
- The Hassan Addakhil dam and reservoir
- Earthen ksour standing above the palm groves
- The Tafilalet plain, where the desert begins
- The date harvest, in October and November
Things to do
- Photograph the valley from the main viewpoint at first light
- Walk inside a palm grove along the irrigation channels
- Visit an inhabited ksar
- Buy dates at the source in autumn
- Take tea with a family in a riverside village
- Continue south to Erfoud and the Erg Chebbi dunes
Local experiences
- Walking the seguia irrigation channels with a farmer
- Fresh dates eaten in the grove they grew in
- A ksar explained by someone who lives inside it
- The gorge in the first hour of daylight
Food
Food
This is date country — dozens of varieties, from the prized majhoul to smaller local types sold by weight in the autumn markets. The Tafilalet speciality is medfouna, a stuffed bread baked in sand, and tagines here lean on dried fruit and almonds more than they do further north.
Culture
Culture
The Tafilalet was the base of the Alaouite dynasty that has ruled Morocco since the seventeenth century, and nearby Rissani was once Sijilmassa, a major caravan city on the gold route. The region's ksour — collectively owned fortified villages — reflect that history of wealth needing defence.
Best highlights
- 01
The Ziz Valley viewpoint
- 02
The Ziz Gorge at sunrise
- 03
A working palm grove
- 04
The road south to the dunes
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