Draa Valley
Morocco's longest river runs south from the Atlas and gathers, between Agdz and Zagora, a palm grove some 200 kilometres long — a green corridor between bare red mountains, studded with kasbahs.
Over the pass and down
The road from Ouarzazate crosses the Tizi n'Tinififft and drops suddenly into the valley at Agdz, where the palm grove begins. From there to Zagora the route runs beside the river through village after village of packed earth, most with a kasbah in some state of repair, and the contrast between the green floor and the bare Jbel Kissane above is constant.
Tamnougalt
Just south of Agdz, Tamnougalt is one of the oldest and largest kasbahs in the valley, once the seat of the local caïd. Parts are restored and open; parts are quietly melting back into earth, which is its own lesson in how these buildings live and die.
Dates and water
The valley grows several dozen date varieties and the harvest in October fills the roadside markets. The palm grove has been under pressure for decades from drought and from bayoud disease, and the irrigation systems that keep it alive are among the oldest continuously managed in Morocco.
Tours — Draa Valley
2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech
The quickest way to sleep in the desert if you are short on time. Two days take you over the Atlas, through Ait Ben Haddou and…
Price on request
5-Day Grand Tour of Southern Morocco
The trip we recommend when you have the time. Five days lets the south unfold at its own pace: two nights in the Sahara instead…
Price on request