From Agdz to M’Hamid, the Drâa valley unrolls Morocco’s longest ribbon of palm groves, between the last mountains of the Saghro and the Sahara. A land crossed by the great caravans, whose tracks linked southern Morocco to Timbuktu, it can be explored on a day trip, a 4x4 tour or on foot. Here are the stops we love to share with you.
Agdz, where the valley begins
The famous Drâa valley begins at Agdz. Nearby, the 18th-century Kasbah of Tamnougalt can be visited with a local guide. A guided walk through the palm grove reveals oasis life, and our Berber Lands holiday includes a night in a charming eco-lodge in the middle of the oasis.
A river and a palm grove
Rising in the Atlas, the Drâa winds its way through the mountains before watering an oasis for nearly 200 km between Agdz and M’Hamid, then vanishes into the sand. The tarmac road follows the river as far as Zagora, through a valley lined with palm groves, fields and superb ksour built of rammed earth.
It is Morocco’s largest palm grove: around one million date palms, sustaining thousands of families in southern Morocco. The date harvest takes place every year in October.
The Kasbah of the Ouled Othmane
Built in the early 18th century, this former residence of the pasha has been tastefully restored while keeping its Berber architecture. It is one of the stops on our day trips in the valley.
Zagora, gateway to the desert
An old caravan stop, Zagora is the last town before the desert. This is often where our itineraries pause for lunch, in a local setting, before continuing south.
Tamegroute, its manuscripts and its potters
In Tamegroute, the Naciria zaouia is one of the most prestigious in North Africa. Its madrasa holds a unique library: manuscripts nine centuries old, precious scientific treatises, religious works from the Andalusian golden age and illuminated Korans.
On the edge of the village, the potters’ cooperative is Tamegroute’s other pride. These workshops, among the oldest and most famous in Morocco, have existed since the 16th century. The potters still work in the traditional way: they extract their clay from underground galleries, prepare the slip by treading it underfoot and fire their pieces in kilns heated with palm fronds and dry brush. In a subtle green, somewhere between mignonette and fir, Tamegroute ceramics are renowned throughout Morocco. The underground village can also be visited.
From the Tinfou dunes to M’Hamid
Just beyond Tamegroute, the small dunes of Tinfou appear like a mirage; our Banks of the Drâa day trip includes a camel ride there with our camel driver. Further south, M’Hamid, the last oasis in the valley, was once a stop on the trans-Saharan trade route. You can wander through the nomad souk and, with a little luck, catch the nomad festival held every year in April. Beyond it begin the tracks to Erg Chegaga.
How to discover the valley
- For a day: our private 4x4 day trip, the Banks of the Drâa, from Ouarzazate, taking in Agdz, Zagora, Tamegroute and the Tinfou dunes;
- On a tour: the valley is a stage on many of our escapes, such as Chegaga Desert from Ouarzazate or Dream of Sand from Marrakech;
- On foot: our Drâa valley trek follows the river from Beni Ali to Ouled Driss with a camel caravan, accompanied by camel drivers of the Nouaji tribe, whose ancestors once guided caravans all the way to Timbuktu.
