South of the High Atlas we find a spectacular, dreamlike landscape. Clay villages, oases with hunderds of palmtrees and the beautiful valleys of the rivers Draa and Ziz. The south, a vast region of desert and mountainous semi-desert doesn’t resemble the north of the country in any way. Here it’s difficult to find a road that is not spectacular. Southern Morocco is the dream of movie-directors: wide valleys of lush oases, clay fortresses and beautiful mountains whereever you look. The population here attracts attention as well. Nomads with their cattle, women in exotic veils and men dressed in bright blue djellaba’s.
The south, also called La Grand Sud, covers the area between the Algerian border in the east and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. In the north the High Atlas forms a natural border, in the south it’s the Sahara desert. Highly recommended are the valleys of the Draa, the Ziz and the Dades (also called the Rose Valley) as well as the Todra and Dades Gorges. Further west, the region around Tafraout is equally magical.
Yes, this is actually the best way to explore the south! Many hotels and auberges can best be reached by car and driving over these quiet roads in this vast, colourful landscape is an unforgettable experience.
From Marrakech three roads give access to the south. The first is Tizi ‘n Test (2100 m), that leads to Taroudant and Tafraout in the Anti Atlas. The second and wider road is called Tizi ‘n Tichka (2260 m), that leads to Ouarzazate and the Draa Valley. In winter both mountainpassed can be closed during some days and in that case the only other option is to take the road via Agadir and the Atlantic coast. If you’re coming from Fes you drive down east of the highest peaks, passing through towns such as Midelt and Errachidia.
The Sahara is the largest desert in the world. Contrary to what many people think, it doesn’t exist of sand alone. Large parts of the Sahara are made up of rockdesert. In the Moroccan Sahara we find two large sanddunes, one near the village of M’Hamid and another near Merzouga. The latter, called Erg Chebi, is probably the most beautiful one of the two. These dunes measure around 100 km2 and have summits till 150 m. Very special is the light here. The rising and setting sun bathes the sand in a fantastic orange glow.
