ArganaHOSTEL€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 14 96; www.argana-tafraout.com; s/d incl breakfast from Dh120/200; aW)
Recommended by readers, Argana has comfortable backpacker-style rooms of various sizes with shared bathrooms. Also on offer are a laundry service, good breakfasts, a lounge, terraces, and advice from the helpful owner Mustapha, an English-speaking trekking aficionado.
Auberge Les AmisHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 19 21; [email protected]; Pl Moulay Rachid; s/d Dh130/200, r without bathroom Dh170, all incl breakfast; aW)
Overlooking Pl Moulay Rachid, Les Amis has nine basic rooms across three floors and a welcoming team at reception. A new rooftop tent (Dh60 per person) was on order when we dropped by, promising to offer a more breezy alternative to the simple rooms with a subtle Berber ambience.
AfoulkiGUESTHOUSE€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 14 92; www.maisondhotes-afoulki.com; s/d Dh100/200; W)
Above its cafe-restaurant (breakfast/menu Dh25/80), Afoulki's white rooms are bland but large and clean, with shared bathrooms and a roof terrace.
Hôtel Les AmandiersHOTEL€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 00 88; www.hotel-lesamandiers.com; s/d Dh385/496; aWs)
This kasbah-like hilltop pile has 60 reasonably attractive rooms with small balconies taking in incredible views of the rock formations ringing Tafraoute. The pool and restaurant share the views, but the bar is tucked away inside without any vistas. The hotel is feeling a little tired and needs a renovation, but you may have the place to yourself.
WORTH A TRIP
RURAL RETREATS
Tizourgane KasbahHISTORIC HOTEL€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0661 94 13 50; www.tizourgane-kasbah.com; Rte d'Agadir, Idaougnidif; r per person incl half-board Dh330; W)
Overlooking the main road roughly 65km from Tafraoute and 100km from Agadir, is this stunning renovated 13th-century kasbah. Rooms are simply decorated, with carpets, stripy bedspreads, fans and shared bathrooms, but derive extra romance from the setting. There's a hammam, and a terrace restaurant surveys the wrinkled hillsides, scattered villages and Jebel L'Kest.
The kasbah was essentially a fortified town, enclosing 25 houses, a mosque, a granary and a prison, and thick stone walls tower above the passages around the ancient structure. If you're just passing, you can tour the kasbah for Dh10. Buses on the Aït Baha route to Agadir can drop you here.
oEl MalaraBOUTIQUE HOTEL€€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0658 18 18 36; www.elmalara.com; per person half-board Dh410; aWs)
Located above a mountain valley, expat French owners Bernardette and Jean have crafted a beautiful Moroccan guesthouse with six stylish rooms. Shared public spaces including a salon, a lounge and a bar, and a fine attention to detail flows through to traditional decor throughout the property. El Malara is located around 15km from Tafraoute down a piste road via the Painted Rocks.
El Malara is best visited with your own transport.
5Eating & Drinking
L’Étoile d'AgadirCAFE€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; breakfast Dh30; h8am-6pm)
Recommended by readers, this is Tafraoute's favourite cafe for a continental breakfast in the morning sun. After serving breakfast, L'Etoile remains open for drinks throughout the day.
Cafe-Restaurant PanoramaCAFE€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains Dh70; h11am-10pm; W)
Recommended locally, this terrace eatery dishes up tajines, omelettes, large glasses of fruit juice and mountain views.
Café-Restaurant AtlasCAFE€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains Dh40; h8am-10pm)
The covered terrace at Atlas is a popular local hangout, with cheese omelettes, brochette, tajines and sandwiches on the broad menu.
oRestaurant La KasbahMOROCCAN€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0672 30 39 09; set menu Dh100; hnoon-9pm)
Decorated with rugs, lanterns and jewellery, this licensed restaurant serves dishes including tajines, harira and the house speciality, nomad tortilla: kalia (minced mutton with tomato, peppers, egg, onion and 44 spices served in a tajine). Argan oil and spices abound in all the dishes.
Restaurant L’Étoile du SudMOROCCAN€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 00 38; set menu Dh90; hmoon-3pm & 6pm-late)
L’Étoile du Sud serves a good set menu in a rather kitsch Bedouin-style tent. You may have to share the place with tour groups, particularly at lunchtime, but the service is professional and on warm nights it’s one of the best places to eat.
Hôtel Les AmandiersBAR
( GOOGLE MAP ; beer Dh20-30; h4-11pm)
Order a Flag Special or Heineken from the inside bar and then retire to the outside deck for great views. Just the ticket if you've been mountain biking or hiking amid Tafraoute's quirky landscapes. Note it's an uphill walk of around 1km from the centre of town.
7Shopping
Several slipper shops around the market area sell the traditional leather slippers (yellow for men, red for women). Look out, too, for people selling local argan and olive oil. Numerous shops around the post-office square sell Berber jewellery, argan products and souvenirs, and shopping here is less pressurised than in the cities.
Maison du TrocARTS & CRAFTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-9pm)
A good range of Berber and Tuareg products, including pottery, jewellery, cactus-silk blankets and camel-wool kilims (carpets). Products are sourced from across the Anti Atlas region, not just locally.
Au Coin des NomadesGIFTS & SOUVENIRS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP )
Berber handiwork and local souvenirs at reasonable prices. Hours are sporadic but adjacent shopkeepers usually phone owner Houssine Laroussi if he is not around.
Maison TuaregARTS & CRAFTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-12.30pm & 2.30-6pm Mon-Sat & by appointment)
Stocks Berber and Tuareg carpets, jewellery and souvenirs from the Atlas, Rif and Sahara. Also has a booth opposite Hôtel Salama.
SouqARTS & CRAFTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; hTue & Wed)
A lively weekly souq takes place near Hôtel Salama. Small dealers sometimes sell Berber carpets here.
8Information
For tourist information and local events, visit www.tafraout.info.
There are numerous banks with ATMs and exchange facilities in the centre.
Banque Populaire ( GOOGLE MAP ; Pl Mohammed V; h8.15am-3.45pm Mon-Fri)
BMCE ( GOOGLE MAP ; behind L’Étoile d’Agadir; h8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri)
Internet Amelen ( GOOGLE MAP ; off Rue al-Jeish al-Malaki; per hr Dh5; h8.30am-10pm)
Pharmacie al-Massira ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 01 60; Pl al-Massira; h8am-8.30pm)
Post Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; Pl Mohammed V; h8am-4.15pm Mon-Fri) Has a bureau de change.
8Getting There & Away
Bus
Buses for regional destinations depart from outside the various company offices, mostly on Rue al-Jeish al-Malaki. CTM ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 17 89; www.ctm.ma; Rte Aguerd-Oudad) has departures to Tiznit (Dh35), Agadir (Dh70) and Sidi Ifni (Dh30).
Local buses ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) to the Ameln Valley (Dh5) leave from outside Cafe Paris every half-hour, stopping on request at different villages. Lux bus 20 to Tiznit (Dh40) leaves from a stop ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) near Pl Mohammed V.
Four buses from 11am Monday to Saturday travel to Afella-Ighir ( GOOGLE MAP ) and Aït Mansour (Dh26) from outside the Auberge Les Amis. This service can be infrequent so check with Houssine Laroussi at Au Coin des Nomades to make sure it is still running.
Taxi
Station wagons and Land Rovers do the rounds of various villages in the area, mostly on market days. They hang around the post-office square, and on Rue al-Jeish al-Malaki by the Afriquia petrol station at the bottom of Tariq an-Nahzi. Grands taxis ( GOOGLE MAP ) leave for Tiznit (Dh50) in the morning from the latter location.
Around Tafraoute
Tafraoute makes a good base for exploring some interesting landmarks a
nd geological features around the area.
Tazekka & Tirnmatmat
The closest of the easily accessible examples of prehistoric rock engravings found in the Tafraoute area, the Carved Gazelle is 2km away in the village of Tazekka. It’s a simple carving on the top face of a fallen block. The easiest way to find it is to walk along Rte de Tazekka, then make enquiries when you reach the village. It’s not far from Camping Tazka on the Tiznit road (R104), so you could, alternatively, ask for directions there.
It's a pleasant mountain-bike ride or walk of around 2km from central Tafraoute.
1Sights
Maison Berbere TraditionnelleNOTABLE BUILDING
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0673 82 90 54; [email protected]; adult Dh15; h8am-6pm)
Maison Traditionnelle stands in the largely uninhabited old hilltop village, where bulging boulders have been incorporated into the pisé walls of the centuries-old houses. You can visit the Carved Gazelle as part of a tour of the four-floor dwelling, where the knowledgeable proprietor Mahfoud’s family once lived. It’s possible to stay the night here (Dh150/230 per person including breakfast/half-board).
Mahfoud, a trekking guide, offers Berber music soirées and tea ceremonies.
TirnmatmatARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
To find the rock engravings at Tirnmatmat, take the Tiznit road (R104), then after 14km turn north at Tahala towards Aït Omar. Just before the village, an unmarked piste (track) leads to Tirnmatmat, where you will find the gravures (engravings) along the riverbed (the local kids will lead you there, or you can engage a guide from Tafraoute). The village sits in a lovely spot and there are excellent walks in all directions.
Le Chapeau de Napoléon & the Pierres Bleues
The village of Aguerd-Oudad, 3km south of Tafraoute, makes for a nice stroll or bike ride. From the roundabout by the Afriquia petrol station in Tafraoute, take the road to Tiznit via Izerbi. On the way you will see the unmistakable rock formation known as Le Châpeau de Napoléon (Napoleon’s Hat).
Some 7km south of Tafraoute, 500m past the foot of the road to the Afella-Ighir oasis, a touristique piste leads uphill to the right – to the Pierres Bleues (Painted Rocks), the work of Belgian artist Jean Verame.
Verame spray-painted the smooth, rounded boulders in shades of blue, red, purple and black in 1984 and, although the rocks have a faded air, they remain strange and impressive against the landscape. Local lore has it that the villagers give these incongruous tourist attractions a fresh coat of paint every year.
The packed-earth track is passable in a normal car, but this is prime mountain-biking territory. You can see the rocks a couple of kilometres from Tafraoute, then ride or drive right up to them some 5km away. The track leads 9km to the village of Afella Ouaday, 5km from Tafraoute on the Tiznit road (R104).
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
AFELLA-IGHIR
Southeast of Tafraoute is the pretty oasis of Afella-Ighir. Leave Tafraoute on the Aguerd-Oudad road, turning left a few kilometres south of the village, and travel roughly 25km over a mountain pass through Tlata Tasrirte to the start of the dramatic Aït Mansour Gorges. You can see the Pierres Bleues from the road up to the pass, which is often foggy and sometimes snowed over in winter.
You can drive through the gorges in a normal car if it hasn’t rained, but walking or mountain biking is the best way to appreciate this atmospheric area, where red cliff faces tower above the palms.
Follow the road through a string of villages perched above the oasis, until you reach the T-junction in Gdourt after about 8km. Turn right here for Tiznit or to loop back to Tafraoute. Turning left, the next village is Souq el-Had Issi, a rather depressing settlement that accommodates workers from the nearby gold mine. From Souq el-Had Issi, the road leads south to Aït Herbil. After about 12km, there are some impressive rock carvings in Ukas, although you need a guide to find them.
A turn-off 1km beyond Souq el-Had Issi leads 5km northeast to the village of Tiwadou. In a 4WD, you can continue from Tiwadou through the Timguilcht Gorges to Tlata Tasrite (about 20km). At the time of writing, it was not possible to drive this circuit in a 2WD vehicle, as the road disintegrates after Tanrarte; the tarred road was being extended, so it should be possible in the future.
Contact Houssine Laroussi at Au Coin des Nomades in Tafraoute to book accommodation in these areas and also confirm bus details from Tafraoute.
4Sleeping
Auberge Aït MansourGUESTHOUSE€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0676 73 51 98; r per person Dh80, with half-board Dh170)
In the village of Aït Mansour at the beginning of the gorges and oasis, Auberge Aït Mansour offers mattresses on the floor and new flush toilets. Owner Abdou can guide you to the old village nearby for oasis views and cooks a mean Berber omelette.
Auberge SahnounGUESTHOUSE€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 21 83 65, 0667 09 53 76; [email protected]; r per person incl half-board Dh150)
A turn-off 1km beyond Souq el-Had Issi leads 5km northeast to the village of Tiwadou, where the family-run Auberge Sahnoun is on the edge of a palmeraie (palm grove). It has three basic rooms, with mattresses on the floor and a shared bathroom with hot water, and a roof terrace. The auberge's late owner, Mohamed Sahnoun, was involved in village development projects.
Ameln Valley & Jebel L’Kest جبل لكست و اميلن وادي
Tafraoute lies in a basin, largely surrounded by craggy brown cliffs and rocks. To the northwest lies one such ridge, on the other side of which runs the Ameln Valley. North of the valley is Jebel L’Kest (2359m). From Tafraoute you can make out a rock formation in this range that resembles a lion’s face. Villagers will jokingly tell you that he is there to guard the women while their husbands are away working.
From Tafraoute, the Agadir road (R104) takes you to the valley, dotted with picturesque Berber villages. Four kilometres out of Tafraoute, the road forks with the right branch turning east up the valley towards Agadir.
1Sights
Maison TraditionnelleMUSEUM
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0666 91 81 45; www.maisontraditionnelle.ma; Oumesnate; Dh10; h8am-sunset)
At Oumesnate, 6km from Tafraoute, follow the signs through the village and then the footpath to this mountainside museum house. The three-storey granite, palm and argan house, some 400 years old, was inhabited by 20 family members – three generations – until 1982. The owners will take you on a fascinating tour, telling tales of traditional life.
4Sleeping
The villages have numerous basic gîtes (trekkers' hostels), maisons d'hôtes (small hotels) and homestays; Au Coin des Nomades can organise a stay.
L’Arganier d’AmmelneHOTEL, CAMPGROUND€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 00 69; www.arganierammelne.com; Rte d'Agadir, Tandilt; s/d incl half-board Dh250/360; aWs)
L’Arganier d’Ammelne's pink, yellow and pisé rooms open onto a flowery garden. The terrace restaurant (meals/menu Dh40/80) serves dishes including local specialities and the recommended beef tajine with apricots, almonds and prunes. Five new rooms and a new swimming pool are evidence the friendly owners are keen to make sure their accommodation remains one of the best in the region.
Oumesnate Maison d’HôteGUESTHOUSE€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0661 51 37 93; www.maisontraditionnelle.ma; Oumesnate; s/d incl half-board Dh250/400; aW)
Staying in the guesthouse next to Oumesnate's Maison Traditionnelle – run by the same family – is a wonderful way to get an insight into Berber village life. If you have a car, spending a night here would be more interesting than Tafraoute. Rooms have en suites, and meals (Dh70) are available with notice. Trekking, 4WD and bike tours can be arranged.
YaminaGUESTHOUSE€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 21 66 21, 0670 52 38 83; www.yamina-tafraout.com; Tandilt; r per person incl half-board Dh220; aW)
At the top of the village, Yamina is run by a Berber woman and her French husband, who have created a unique cross between a comfortable guesthouse and a maison traditionnelle (traditional house). Re
ached along terraces, courtyards and earthen walkways with low ceilings, the simple rooms are beautifully decorated with cheery paintwork on the walls and beams.
Chez AmaliyaHOTEL€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 80 00 65; www.chezamaliya.com; Tazoulte; s/d incl breakfast from Dh330/500; hclosed Jun; aWs)
A few hundred metres past the turning for Tandilt, Oumesnate and Agadir, this Dutch-owned hotel is one of the valley's grandest options. A Berber tent and Jebel L'Kest's lion face rise above the pool, and paintings and local maps decorate the lobby. Rooms are comfortable, and there are three more spacious rooftop apartments (Dh1000) perfect for groups and families.
Chez Amaliya has the most well-stocked bar for many a mountain valley, and the smart restaurant (menu Dh100) is open from noon to 9pm and accepts nonguests. The chicken pastilla is recommended, but you'll need to give the kitchen at least two hours' notice.
8Getting There & Away
Grands taxis (Dh8) head along the main road between the villages and Tafraoute has regular bus services (Dh5). Note these buses also double as the school bus and only run during the day.
Lonely Planet Morocco Page 74