Ouarzazate

This is a city from the bowels of the earth in the desert in the south of the Kingdom, with a variety of decorations as elusive qu'époustouflants. Burning sand, snow-capped peaks, lush oases and palm groves, haughty ksours, fortified villages and lavish kasbah, this is the charm of an idyllic town in another millennium. Ouarzazate, a city of the convergence of cultures and crafts, marks the starting point of the road oasis. It is at the crossroads between the valley of Drâa- who digs up his bed Agadir- Dadès- from the High Atlas and the Ziz feeds the huge palm Tafilalet before getting lost in the sands of Taouz .

Two beautiful kasbah catch the traveler, dazzled by so much beauty, that of Taourirt and Ait Ben Haddou, located 30 km from the city. The reputation of these two "monuments" is such that movies like "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Sheltering Sky" have set up shop. And, the ultimate culmination of the framework: UNESCO added the two World Heritage kasbah.

In Ouarzazate, endowed with beautiful and luxurious hotels, you can score a stopover before venturing into the wilderness where all kinds of sensations decorate the trip. We will discover with amazement Kelâa Gouna, the most beautiful rose gardens in the valley, the ancient Kasbah Glaoui balanced on a rock, the Dades gorges, huge limestone block cut of a saber .la Ziz Valley, she punctuates the way to the desert. The Oued Ziz, lined with tall palm trees from which emerge ksours and sublime kasbah of Ifri, emerald form a web that offers a dazzling spectacle. Once through the door Erfoud, the desert in all its nakedness and splendor.

To visit:

Casbah of Taourirt

The residence was once a Pasha of Marrakech (XIX) and is considered one of the most beautiful in
Morocco. Its buildings are made of mud flats rich, simple houses and crenellated towers profusely decorated. You can visit the old Glaoui apartments where you can admire the dining room and bedroom of the favorite who kept their decoration painted stucco ceilings and cedar wood.

The craft center

Located opposite the Kasbah Taourirt, the center is the opportunity to buy some local crafts including the famous carpet "Ouzguita."

Aït Benhaddou22 miles northwest of Ouarzazate recently declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, ksours of Ait Ben Haddou is one of the most beautiful in Morocco. Largely uninhabited, this fortified town is a model of earthen architecture (crenellated towers and decorated with diamond-shaped patterns). The walk to the dungeon of the old casbah can enjoy a breathtaking view with the foreground, the surrounding arid, and in the background, the silhouette of the Atlas.

Casbah Tifoultoute

(8 km west of Ouarzazate), Jadis, the old fortress belonged to the family of Glaoui (Pasha of Marrakech). Built on a rocky promontory,

it reigns supreme over the valley of Oued Ouarzazate. Converted into a hotel and restaurant there giving nightly performances of traditional dances.

Dades Gorges Todra

The rugged landscape of the Dades Gorge (east of town) with its deep and winding canyon is dazzling. Legend has it that he who ventured into these grooves, it escaped the robbers who controlled the pass, thank you stayed at formidable Atlas lions,

the last was killed in 1905 after the village of Msemrir, the territory of the Ait Atta, a track leads Agoudal then Imilchil which is held in September the famous "Moussem Betrothed" in which the young women in the region are looking for a husband. Another avenue starting from Agoudal leads to Todra Gorge. The road of Todra commits along a lush palm grove bordering the river. The most impressive sight is still a narrow corridor of about ten meters dominated by two tall cliffs 300 meters.

Dades Valley

Nicknamed "Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs", the Dades Valley is a popular area for tourists. One can only deplore the state of degradation of many kasbahs. Fortunately, some sites such as the palm of Ouarzazate have stood the test of time. Founded in the twelfth century by Yacoub el-Mansour, known for growing roses and production of rose water, the park is home to beautiful mansions; the "Amerhidil casbah" with its delicately carved outer walls is a major component. As for the capital of the rose, the fortified village of El Gouna Kelaa, its ruined kasbah still have beautiful ornaments.

Draa Valley

This valley runs along the Wadi Draa about 200 km from Ouarzazate to Zagora (the "gateway to the desert").

Its course through a multitude of palm groves and lush villages. Grand classic Moroccan tourism, this trip allows especially to discover beautiful ksours sleek. The brave traveler can go to Zagora and hamid to admire the first big dunes of the Sahara Desert.