Get in
[edit]
There are direct buses from Marrakech (approx 8 hours). From Ouarzazate CTM[dead link] has three buses a day (55 dirham) at 05:35, 16:00 and 16:30, taking 3-3¼ hr (Mar 2017). There are also collective taxis (~2 hr once the taxi is filled, 50-70 dirham (2008)). A bus route between Tantan and Zagora mostly following the N12 gives a view of the Anti-Atlas.
Get around
[edit]The town is maybe 5 km long and 1 km wide at the widest point. There are numerous petit taxis (3 dirham per person if you share).
See
[edit]Jebel Zagora is said to be worth climbing. There are pleasant walks along the river and in the irrigated areas around. The Zagora «Palmeraie» is the 2nd largest palm grove in the world. 8 km north of the city, in Ksar Tissergate, there is a museum for art and tradition in the Draa valley. 18 km south, Tamegroute has a famous ancient library.
- 1 Tombouctou 52 jours. There is a famous sign showing road to Timbuktu, and how long it take riding a camel. It's easy to find just few meters from the roundabout where the road splits left to Mhamid and right to the airport.
- Tamegroute Green Pottery (Poterie Verte de Tamegroute) (ask around for "la poterie verte"). One small section of town is full of pottery workers making Tamegroute's famous green pottery. Kilns are very rustic. They have several rustic sort of underground showrooms where they sell the work at reasonable prices. Free to visit.
Do
[edit]Go on a camel trek; not necessarily to the dunes, which are hard on the legs.
Buy
[edit]Dates and spices in the market (Wednesday and Sunday).
Eat
[edit]There are plenty of small café/restaurants, as well as juice and milk shops along the main drag in town. Expect to pay between 80 and 100 dirham for a lunch for two people. Here are some sample prices:
- Salade marocaine (tomatoes, onions and peppers) 15 dirham
- Tajine kefta (meatball tajine) 40 dirham
- Mint tea 10 dirham
- Orange juice 6 - 10 dirham
For a nice dinner, go to one of the hotels just outside town in Amzrou. La Fibule du Draa and Kasbah Asmaa both have full service restaurants in the evening.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- Hotel la Palmeraie Oasis (opposite the central bus station, the «Gare routiere de Zagora). Offers rooms with WC and shower. 100 dirham.
- Auberge Restaurant Chez Ali (on the way to the river) is worth looking at for its remarkable garden.
- La Fibule du Draa, Amzrou, ☏ +212 524 847318. A cozy, kasbah-style hotel just outside Zagora in the Amzrou date palm oasis. Rooms offered with breakfast or half-board, prices starting around 500 dirham per night. Relaxing garden with pool area; serves alcohol. The hotel also organizes excursions to the desert (via camel or SUV), overnight or just for the day. Double 440 dirham.
- Riad Lamane (Riad Lamane), Amezrou, ☏ +212 524 848 388. Riad Lamane is a spacious and lovely place at the edge of a palm grove. The staff is helpful and friendly. Dinner is served in the dining room and has many good choices. At nightfall you'll sleep in typical African-style bungalows made of heat-blocking adobe blocks. Buildings here all have incised Moroccan patterns. There is A/C in rooms but we didn't need it in October. The riad has many places to hang out such as seats in the bar and lounge chairs on some rooftops.
- 1 Hôtel le Tinsouline, Avenue Hassan II, ☏ +212 524 84 72 52, [email protected].
Go next
[edit]- M'Hamid – The "end of the road" after Zagora.