★ 1 · last edited Dec 11, 2019
Ouarzazate to Guelmim Route
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Over just over 400 kilometres, this route explores the oases of the south-east (Tissint, Akka, Amtoudi...).
Overview
Stretching over 500 kilometres from the south of Ouarzazate to Guelmim, this route, parallel to the Algerian border, takes you through the oases of the south-west (Tissint, Akka, Amtoudi...).
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The Route
The N12 begins about a hundred kilometres south of Ouarzazate. Over more than 400 kilometres, this road leads you through the oases, offering a glimpse of another Morocco and a chance to experience its places and people in a more "authentic" way.
Itinerary
- km 0/km 575: Ouarzazate
- km 220/km 355: Tissint
Seventy kilometres before Tata, Tissint is home to a beautiful oasis and a few ksour amidst a mineral landscape where desert sand blends with the stones of the Atlas. You’ll also find a lovely waterfall and springs here.
- km 290/km 285: Tata
This is the halfway point between Ouarzazate and Guelmim. It’s the capital of the province of the same name and serves as a base for excursions in the area. Worth seeing for its palm grove, the Messalit caves a few kilometres away, and, more incidentally, the numerous rock engraving sites in the region.
- km 350/km 225: Akka
The oasis of Akka, with its low houses and sand-filled alleys, is planted with date palms and various other fruit trees. Inside the palm grove, you’ll see the remains of the mellah, the former Jewish quarter, on the hillside.
- km 435/km 140: Icht
A small fortified town with underground streets that you can visit.
- km 465/km 110: Amtoudi
Here lies a magnificent palm grove at the start of a gorge. Of all the oases in the region, Amtoudi is the most renowned and, though slightly off the main road, also the most visited. It boasts an ancient kasbah famous for its agadir (a communal granary dating back to the Middle Ages). From there, a stunning panorama opens up over gorges carved into the riverbed, sheltering a wide variety of fruit trees. Near the palm grove, a natural spring invites you for a swim. The area around Amtoudi also features several rock engraving sites.
- km 495/km 80: Tagmout
A peaceful oasis with its palm grove of 35,000 trees.
- km 555/km 20: Aït Boukha
About twenty kilometres from Guelmim, its kasbah is nestled in the middle of the palm grove.
- km 0/km 575: Guelmim
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