Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dadès Gorge
As the local saying goes, the wind has a son who lives in Boumalne, which is why he rips
down this valley to visit him in winter. Sitting in the rain shadow of the Central Atlas, the
Dadès Gorge presents a dramatic landscape: ancient rust-red and mauve mountains
stripped back to zigzagging layers of strata and knobbly rock formations reminiscent of
Utah. A rush of springtime water puddles in the valley where irrigation channels siphon it
off to fields of wheat and orchards of fig, almond and olive trees. A series of crumbling
kasbahs and ksour line the valley in the Berber villages of Aït Youl, Aït Arbi, Aït Oudinar,
Aït Ouffi and Aït Toukhsine.
Nomads still live in the surrounding mountains with their herds (you can see some of
their troglodyte caves from the Berbere de la Montagne campground) and use the valley as a
seasonal livestock between their High Atlas summer pastures and their winter home in
Jebel Saghro. In spring and autumn, if you're lucky, you'll see them on the move with
laden camels and mules.
The R704 road is sealed all the way to Msemrir (63km north of Boumalne de Dadès),
but you'll need a 4WD beyond that - especially for the piste that leads southeast into
Todra Gorge. If you're up for a challenge, you could travel north from Msemrir over the
High Atlas to Imilchil. Lots of transport heads up the valley on Saturday for the Msemrir
market . There's also a market in Aït Oudinar on Sunday.
Sights & Activities
The most dramatic gorge scenery commences 26km up the gorge where the road crosses the
river and starts to climb through an extraordinary series of hairpin bends (see
www.dangerousroads.org ) . When the road flattens out again, you might take that as your
cue to turn around: you've covered the best gorge scenery you can see without 4WD or
good hiking shoes.
There's a good trekking trail heading northwest, beginning just across the river, 28km
from Boumalne du Dadès. The energetic could cover the distance from Dadès and Todra
Gorges on foot (a two- to three-day walk). Most hotels in the gorge and Boumalne du
Dadès can arrange hiking guides (Dh200 to Dh300 per day) and 4WD trips to the Todra
Gorge (Dh1400 per day).
Aït Youl
KASBAH
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