A Driving Day in the Draa Valley
If your Morocco tour stops in Ouarzazate for a day, and you’ve done all the city sightseeing, shopping and strolling you can handle, then a day trip by rental car to the Draa Valley may be what you and your camera has been craving. Bring every standard, wide angled and telephoto lens you’ve packed, because the Draa Valley will keep your snapshot finger firing with hills, rocks, valleys, gorges and canyons. Drive where the Kasbah sites are never boring, where the busy Berbers never sleep, and where a once brawny Draa river chewed through rock leaving vistas second to none.
From Ouarzazate, road number P31 travels southeast along the stunning Draa Valley. The Draa originates high in the Atlas Mountains and stretches through Morocco to the Atlantic, due north of Tan Tan. The river makes the red-rock, seemingly lifeless region, abundant with citrus trees, almond groves, date palms and olive plantations. If you drive to Agdz and head toward Zagora, this two hour drive has some of the richest sections of the valley. After reaching Zagora, however, taking the quiet 6965 paved route towards M’Hamid, you’ll observe a valley brimming life and lush foliage and vegetation.
If heading south for the day doesn’t fit your fancy, then driving northeast up route P32 after visiting Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou, which provides some of the most famous gorges in Morocco. Passing through Skoura and El-Kelaa M’gouna, which are good stopover towns for gas, banks or food. Here, you’ll see road signs and roadside placards for Boumalne du Dades. A few kilometers before Boumalne, however, drive the hairpin 6901 passage to the Dades Gorge. A valley chock-full of fig and almond trees surrounded by rock formations, the Dades Gorge has attracted visitors for over a hundred years. If you’re interested in hiking and trekking Morocco, hire a local tour guide in order to follow the windy foot and donkey paths throughout the gorge.
Circling back to route P32, head northeast to Tinerhir, subsequently taking route 3445 towards Imilchil. This road will lead you to the Todra Gorge 15 kilometers away. Step out of the car and take an hour stroll through the valley. It’s near impossible to get lost and the perspectives are most likely the most striking you’ll ever see. If you head out early and arrive at the Todra Gorge early, the sun turns the rock a light pink then a deep ochre. If it’s the winter, dress warmly as strong, cold winds sweep through the valley. If you’re into climbing, this is one of the most highly sought-after rock climbing spots in Morocco. If rock climbing is out, then hire a local guide for the day for some amazing hiking and trekking around the High Atlas and Jebel Sarhro. With hotels, hostels, and riads galore, you’ll have no trouble crashing for a night or two anywhere in the Draa Valley.
by Terry Hollowell, JBT Team
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November 24th, 2007 at 11:29 am
[…] villages and towns such as in the Ziz- or Draa Valley make a substantial economic living off the dates produced from the palms each year. In addition to […]
March 25th, 2008 at 11:03 am
[…] Picturesque spots afforded by the gorges found at Dades and Todra and surrounding villages and Draa Valley are some of the most exuberant reasons to go trekking in the High Atlas Mountains. There is no bad […]
June 8th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
[…] the river. There is no other way into this region, except on the route you are taking. Similar to Todra Gorge, these gorges are seldom visited. Your surroundings quickly halt all other thoughts running through […]
August 8th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
[…] Draa Valley is best known for its palmeraies. Dates grown in this valley are especially sweet and tasty; the […]