It’s thanks to the presence of the Rheris and the Ziz Rivers that here, on the edge of the desert, extends the vast Tafilalt palm grove, about a hundred kilometres south of Errachidia. Sedentary people and nomads live here thanks to the 900,000 date ..

At Rich, while driving along the N 13 connecting Midelt and Erfoud, you reach the Ziz River which has carved out a beautiful, rugged gorge about twenty kilometres to the south. The cliff road affords superb views of it. The green waters of the artifi..

Figuig, in the eastern tip of Morocco far from the usual tours, is one of North Africa’s most famous oases and has preserved all its charm and authenticity thanks to that isolation. At an altitude of 900m, it is on the edge of a depression at the foo..

Getting to Jaffar Cirque requires an effort. The extremely rough track from Midelt can only be driven on in a 4x4, in the summer, and you’ll have to inquire about its condition. Access via Jaffar Gorge is less problematic. But the site is awesome. At..

Tinerhir Oasis, probably one of the most remarkable in the country, includes a vast farming area marked off by a network of low adobe walls, a superb palm grove, and a large number of ksour (adobe villages) where the locals get together. Be sure to..

Todra Gorge, northwest of Tinerhir, is an expression of nature at its most beautiful. This excursion, first driving and then hiking, is a must. The abrupt red rock walls plunge down into the river, hard put to flow here due to the narrow passage. Leg..

Going from oasis to oasis between Tinerhir and Ouarzazate, the road runs through magnificent untamed and solitary landscapes. Rugged at first, they become more gentle farther on, often tormented, sometimes pacified, and are surrounded by mountains wh..

The R 704 follows the course of the Dadès River north from Boumalne-du-Dadès. Starting at Ait-Oudinar the river has carved out beautiful deep gorges, flowing at the foot of vertiginous walls and bordered by a thin strip of greenery. The setting chang..

Ochre houses built according to a highly specific regional model - note the little white-trimmed windows dotting the façades - hug the rock face on the flanks of Jbel Lekst. They herald the numerous villages dotting the Ameln Valley for about twent..

Following the road heading south from Tafraoute, the amazing boulders here that were painted by Jean Vérame on the Painted Rocks site (4 km south of Agard) don’t prepare you for the chaos of Ait-Mansour Gorge. Here the Sidi Mansour River carved out i..

Dominating a vast esplanade covered in marble and dotted with numerous columns, Hassan Tower is the unfinished minaret of the magnificent mosque which Yacoub el Mansour wanted to have built. Begun in the 12C, construction was never completed, and the..

Moulay Ismaïl (1647-1727) was a builder sultan who left Meknes the legacy of his outstanding achievements. Enjoy Bab Berdaïne and Bab el Khémis , two superb gates pierced in the dozens of kilometres of walls erected at the time. The “wall of the R..

Jemaa el Fna Square, in the heart of the medina, waits for the sun to go down before offering up its street shows, multiple stalls, crowds, noises and cries, music and improvised greasy spoons. The highlight of the evening is the street art of “halka..

Jacques Majorelle, an artist from Nancy(1888-1962), developed a passion for Morocco where he came to live in the 1920s. His garden was a hymn to colour and luxuriance, planted with species from all over the world and highlighted by the shade of blue ..

Starting in Erfoud, after many kilometres of stony desert making for a rather harsh landscape, one is struck by the lushness of the pink and golden sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. This is the only erg (dune sea) in the Moroccan Sahara. It stretches fro..

This area, one of the most attractive in old Fez, was restored with support from the Fondation Mohammed Karim Lamrani for the Nejjarine Complex. At the far end of this well-proportioned square stands the fondouk Neijarine (late17C, housing the Nejj..

This medersa , fittingly built by the Marinids in the 14C, was completed by sultan Abou Inan, for whom it was named. While the courtyard is its finest flower, with its zellige tiles, finely worked stucco and sculpted ceiling, the prayer room ceili..

This jewel, embellished by successful restoration, is also a “model” medersa due to the scrupulous organisation of the place. The prayer room, students’ rooms giving onto inner galleries and the classrooms have been arranged around the central courty..

Moulay Ismaïl crowned his works as a builder with this majestically proportioned construction begun shortly before his death and completed in around 1732 by his son, Moulay Abdallah. The gate, the largest in Meknes and one of the most famous in North..

You can’t help but be impressed by the virtuosity of the decoration in the Attarine Medersa ( under restoration ), another treasure left by the Marinids. The zellige tiles, sculpted wood and finely worked plaster are a delight to the eyes. This meder..