Beautiful stops and sites discovered in Morocco in March

In early March, full of carefree joy and happy to return to Morocco, we landed in Marrakech under the sun. We spent just one night in Marrakech at the Hôtel Toulousain, as we did on our previous trip. And we booked our 3 nights for the end of our trip, the second half of March... Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! But we’re not there yet...

Our first goal is to reach Magdaz, a mountain village in the Tessaout Valley, sometimes called the lost valley. We discovered the village of Magdaz on this forum, and we were charmed by the photos and comments from travelers who came before us. The road is easy—it’s dry, and the tarmac takes us right to the village gates at over 2,000 meters above sea level. We arrive in the afternoon and are left speechless by the beauty of the place. A jewel of Berber architecture! Perfectly restored granaries and kasbahs!



A young man from the village guides us on the visit and opens the doors to the terraces overlooking the village.

Several magnificent collective granaries have been beautifully restored. The warm colors of the stone capture the light wonderfully. It’s stunning!



We won’t find anything decent to stay overnight there, so we head back down a bit and settle in at the Assounfou guesthouse. Lovely welcome. The place is in excellent condition and very clean. It’s spacious, but we’re the only ones there. First day full of promise!

Hi there, Thanks for bringing back such great memories!... We’re looking forward to the rest

A peaceful night in the heart of the mountains. The room was beautifully colorful. We slept like logs in our step-over guesthouse! And we had the dining room all to ourselves.



It’s Monday, and after breakfast, we pop over to the souk just a stone’s throw from the guesthouse... Perfect timing! People from the mountains arrive on donkeyback. We watch them pass by from our terrace.



The souk is held along the road, between the road, the mountain, and the riverbed. It’s tiny but picturesque and authentic! You’ll find little shops, butcheries, and small restaurants that only open once a week, on souk day. It’s absolutely charming!









We head back to the guesthouse to pick up our car and thank the family for their hospitality. It’s a great spot to share. Then we hit the road again, heading toward Route 307. Along the way, we wander through the villages lining the road. It’s stunning! The kids play with simple things and are surprised to see us in their village.



Next stop: Skoura.

And thanks to all of you for introducing me to this wonderful village.

Off to a great start—I’m following along with envy since I’d planned all this starting March 14th... and you know the rest. 😕😕😕

We arrive in Skoura around 2 PM... The souk is in full swing. So, this will be the second souk of the day. But here, it's a big souk, with an area dedicated to animals, another for straw, one for meat, vegetables, tools, wool, dried fruits... It's large and lively!





The multicolored popcorn vendor...

The wool shop for making carpets...

And a cart that must be taking men and supplies back home.

After spending a good hour wandering through the souk in every direction, we knock on the door of the guesthouse Kasbah La Palmeraie. We stayed here 5 years ago already, and we loved this big house where you really feel welcome. It's the oldest boy of the house who opens the door for us, a real little man of about ten years old, already very responsible. In 5 years, he's obviously changed a lot!

The large living room and small sitting room have been happily renovated. It's cozy!



We settle on the terrace on the first floor to share the welcome tea after taking possession of our room. The sky suddenly filled with big clouds, and we're glad we left the mountains.

The next day, the blue sky is back. But the Atlas peaks are snow-capped. It's magnificent.



After a good breakfast where we rediscover the delicious taste of homemade honey crepes, we go for a stroll in the palm grove. The carnations are in bloom. It's very pretty...









Back at the guesthouse, we spot the beekeeper on the roof of the house. He wants to check if the house bees are in good shape after winter.



And after a little reading time, we make a quick stop at the local women's pastry association and buy some treats to go with our 5 PM tea. But since these ladies don't have change for our bill, we come back with 20 pastries and cakes... There'll be enough for everyone...

I'm drooling over your cakes. 10 years already: I met this child when he must have been two years old... time flies...

These pastries are beautiful and delicious. And you get your money's worth... But when you come back with 20 pieces for 20 MAD, you need to find some guests. We made people around us happy. Have a great Sunday.

These lovely ladies who used to love gathering daily to bake bread and cakes had to close up shop too. The lockdown made it necessary!

Our second day in Skoura starts with a lovely breakfast served on the terrace, with a view of the palm grove and the Atlas peaks. We want to dedicate this day to the palm grove, but this time we leave the guesthouse by car and park near the beautiful Amridhil kasbah. It’s majestic, and the oued flowing at its feet is huge. It’s impressive!





We wander without a specific goal and discover beautiful earthen structures here and there, even an old mosque that still has its minaret.





We realize this heritage is threatened with disappearing sooner or later when we see these magnificent stone walls starting to crumble.

And here’s a beautiful earthen complex that could be a farm with its well in the foreground.



We thought to bring water and we’re glad we did because even in early March, it’s pretty hot.

Really beautiful!

I’ve been following you on VF hoping to do this "for real" next year. But I don’t think carnassiers thrive in Morocco—I think I spotted the flowers of the cognassier, whose quinces let you simmer the delicious "quince tagine" my whole family loves. 😛

Oops! I should’ve proofread that. Lesson learned! Have a great day.

Thanks for taking us on a journey and making us dream—your photos are amazing!

Have a great rest of the day

Thanks so much, Josyane. As for me, it lets me relive this wonderful trip! Everyone wins!

Hi Danouk, this trip looks amazing! Some stops we hope to discover too, like Magdaz, which we don’t know yet, and others we’d love to revisit, like the kasbah in the palm grove, to see the kids grow up! Thanks for sharing.

Gorgeous photos and story—I hope he doesn’t stop there!

Our 3rd and final day in Skoura was all about walks through the palm grove... And yes... when you love it, you don't keep track of time. Then, reading on our lovely terrace while sipping tea now and then and enjoying Moroccan pastries. We knew we'd be driving more in the days ahead, so we took it easy.



And a magnificent sunset over the palm grove, photographed from the terrace.



The next day, after saying goodbye to the lovely Skoura family, we headed toward Aguinane via Agdz and Tissint. But it’s not always easy to decipher what’s written on the kilometer signs. We even wonder why this happens so often in Morocco.



We passed lots of people on our route...







And from time to time, we came across camels, who totally ignored us, too busy with their meal.

In Foum Zguid, we photographed the pretty, colorful embroidered fabrics—the only cheerful note in a town that seemed so sad to us... so very sad.



And tomorrow, we’ll be in Aguinane, a stop that delighted us.

Aguinane? What kind of vehicle do you have? Since you’ve already been through there, do you come out at Aguadir Melloul?

Indeed, we’ll end up in Agadir Melloul... with a Logan!

What an exciting story, amazing photos! I can't wait to read the rest!

Okay, it works but it's not always smooth. A really beautiful route. There’s also supposedly a way to take a track at the top of the pass on the right, coming out between Aguadir Melloul and Ifri!!! I looked for it but didn’t see it. Any ideas??

You’re right to point out that the kilometer markers are way too often unreadable! Still surprising though!

So here we are in Aguinane, a small oasis we discovered thanks to the show *Échappées belles*, which dedicated a report to it. And here too, it's love at first sight for this oasis that we're lucky enough to see in spring—it's luminous, with golden blonde cereals growing in terraces, and generous, abundant water flowing everywhere. It's stunning!



We start by looking for a place to stay for the night. We settle in at *Paradis d'Aguinane*. We're welcomed by Khakia, with a radiant smile and boundless energy. Everything is spotless. While dinner is being prepared, we take a little walk around the village. The kids are playing.

The village's little bakery, *Tafarnout*, is run by women. Little paths wind between the terraces and irrigation canals that bring water to the cultivated plots. It's charming, peaceful, zen...



We return for dinner on the terrace, with a superb view of the entire oasis. And the next day will live up to all its promises.

Perfectly quiet night. There aren’t many of us at the hostel. View of the oasis from our bedroom window. After a nice breakfast, the sun is already flooding the whole oasis—time to explore the area.







And water, always present, everywhere...

We cross the village again, which surprises us a bit with the size of its houses. We head back to the bakery to buy bread for our picnic and return calmly to the hostel.



In the evening, we see a whole procession of women and children passing by, singing above our hostel. Khakia explains that it’s a weekly tradition for the women—they gather at one of their homes to share a moment.

The next day, we hit the road again. Destination: Taliouine. We leave Aguinane, a visit that truly enchanted us. The first few kilometers aren’t easy—the road is narrow and steep... We figure it’s definitely better to go up than down.

True, the climb up to the pass isn't something to take lightly. But what a beautiful route!!

Absolutely! We made sure to check beforehand before heading up to the pass, and everyone told us the road was good and that we’d get through easily with a Logan... And it was true! No potholes... No impassable rocks... But hairpin turns and some pretty impressive climbs... We’re glad we did it, but we preferred the other route on the way back—less stressful!

And what a joy these landscapes are!!!

Gorgeous landscapes! Amazing travel journal! I dream of seeing all this! But I’ll have to wait a bit... and read the forums in the meantime! Thanks so much!

Aguinane was on our September 2019 itinerary, canceled due to hospitalization, and the March one canceled because of contagion. We're still waiting... without making any plans. Thanks for this beautiful visit to the oasis. Are you photography pros? If so, that's great, if not, big kudos anyway...

Well... Huge congrats... 😉

Aguinnane was also on my March itinerary—luckily, your travel journal lets me dream about the next trip. Thanks.

hi there Huge kudos and thanks for this new travel journal! after Darzel’s one, I’m thrilled and I see once again that Morocco is paving the way for our greatest pleasure! francia

Here’s the one I know: After 2.2 km past the pass, at the junction for the track to Agadir Melloul, stay on the right. Head toward Eguerfa and Timedghart (8 km). At the exit of Timedghart, take the track to the left for 25 km. It joins the P1743 18 km north of Agadir Melloul. No difficulties—a beautiful climb after Timedghart, then a plateau until the tarmac. FYI: at the exit of Timedghart, the right-hand track joins the N10 (33 km) west of Tazenakht (32 km), but it’s rougher.

Be aware, this route isn't fully paved at all—only the first 20-30 km after Aït Kine (can’t remember exactly, my last trip was in February).

By the way, you’ll pass within a few hundred meters of a beautifully restored downtown AGUADIR in Aït Kine—don’t miss it.

It’s locked up, but if you hang around for a few minutes, someone’s bound to come to the rescue.

Oh, awesome, thanks a million! I’d heard about it before. I’ll definitely make a note of it. Yeah, now I think I have a rough idea where it is. Good for the end of the year—December, in principle. Because before that, October/November, Algeria, now that I’ve got the instructions to be sure I’ll get my visa. Almería/Ghazaouet/Almería/Algeciras/Tangier Med.—probably just dreaming, unless I conquer that *coromachin* thing.

No problem. Let me know if you'd like more details like GPS points, etc. I'll dig out my travel journals.

hi I’m a "woman" 😕, not great with maps 😉 can you tell me your route to get to Aguinane? after that, I can see the road to Taliouine, but via the N12, it’s not obvious! maybe a "man" can explain it to me! thanks 😏 francia

Hi everyone, Here’s roughly the route I think "Danouk" took: From Skoura, take the N10 to Ouarzazate, then the N9 to Agdz. On the right, take the R108 at the intersection with the R111, follow it until the intersection with the N12, then take the N12 to Kasba El Joua. One kilometer past Kasba El Joua, turn right onto the P1743 toward Akka Ighane. There, take the P1800, and after about 10 km, turn left onto the road that’ll take you to Aguinane. 400 km and 6 hours of driving. I think I got the route right if I followed "Danouck"’s travel journal correctly.

Hi Danielle, This travel journal is amazing and the photos are gorgeous. Thanks for taking us on a journey during these complicated times.

We had just come from Tissint, then we turned right to go to Akka Ighane, and from there, we continued on to Aguinane.

https://voyageforum.com/discussion/trajet-taliouine-oasis-aguinane-n12-en-4x2-d9650612-1/

Good explanations

From the Aguinane oasis to Taliouine, these are vast natural spaces with diverse colors and practically desert-like. You hardly come across any cars—or very few, anyway. The sheep have figured it out, though—they’ve taken over the land... and even the road!













And just at the entrance to the village of Ifri, on the right, there are fitted caves... You can imagine they’re used by nomads to shelter their animals...

Yeah, once you reach the plateau, the track is really smooth. On the other hand, in Ifri, when you go in, it's a real maze—my guides told me, during my first visit, that it was an Agadir??

Originally, this was surely an agadir... Which seems to have found another use today... Have a great day under the Moroccan sun.

👍👍

On the other hand, in Ifri, once you're inside, it's a real labyrinth. My guides told me during my first visit that it was an Agadir ??

Hi there! "Ifri" means "cave" (plural: "ifrane") "Agadir" means "wall" Just like in the photo...

For fans of collective granaries, ighrem or agadir:

"Collective granaries in Morocco" Jacques Meunié, 1944

I managed to find quite a few. Some were pretty damaged, others partially or very well restored. Often with no signs, and since "GPS points" are worse than "Chinese" to me, it often took hours of questioning after that.

The go-to book right now is: Greniers collectifs de l'Atlas, by Salima Naji