Morocco is a country that stretches us , taking us to the edge of our comfort zone; for the first time at least. So reaching Tafraoute is where you can get a real taste of the country and where your cultural journey can begin.
So many people ask us where is our favourite place in Morocco. And there are three that come to mind with ease. The desert has to the first, with its raw simplicity and depth. The second is the polar opposite Marrakech with its frenzied energy. And the third, and I don’t even need to draw breath on this one is Tafraoute.
Two hours south east from Agadir and the same from Tiznit in the west, this small community will open your eyes to the magnificence of culture and landscape, where the two collide with grace.
Home to the Babbouche slipper, Tafraoute is hidden in a valley embraced by rose granite mountains. With boulders shaping the earth’s form, their warmth, to us feels like a massive big hug. Nothing feels difficult. It asks us to relax and come home to ourselves. This is why we gravitate back here each and every visit.
Let’s talk practicalities before we sell three reasons you must come.
1. Getting there
There are four main routes you can take to reach Tafraoute and each one as astounding as the next.
- R105 from Agadir
- R104 from Tiznit
- R107 from Icht
- R106 from Taroudant via Irherm
- Route vers Tafraoute – Tata on the back roads
We have done all five routes over our four visits to Morocco and our 2026 choice was a re-run of our virgin trip in 2020, from Agadir on the R105. Despite having seen it before, it still rendered me both speechless and teary eyed with its unfolding beauty.
The mountains change shape, colours and tone. They are home to the Amazigh Berbers. So old Kasbahs can be seen perching high above you, the stone walls having seen better days. Yet life is still sustained. Goats roam the slopes eating their way through the Argan trees and pockets of green plants that look like fennel, pepper the landscape. Terraces layer the mountains evidencing an ancient farming method that to this day still holds true.
On this route there is a must stop at Café du Moulin. Not only is Brahim’s place worthy of a photo stop and a free overnight, his breakfast is amazing. The added bonus is that high above the road is hidden a treasure that really should be UNESCO awarded. Brahim will drive you to the village of his ancestors and take you into its Agadir. Now a lesson for today, as it was for us; Agadir means castle; I never knew that. More impressive than that, is that this Agadir is a 900 year old granary.
With 86 locked rooms built into the walls with granite steps up to each one, you get a real sense of what life must have been like for the villagers storing their Argan nuts and grains here. Watching Brahim scale the walls like a mountain goat gave us an instant impression of Berber life here. We were so glad not to have missed it and it costs just 20dir per person, which is less than £2.
Arriving into Tafraoute is much like coming home. The granite rose boulders start way before the entrance to the town, signalling that something special and unique is about to unfold. Berber villages cling to the foothills of the mountain each with its own newly built mosque. Ruined ancestral homes lay bare, now exposed and victims to the elements as eons of erosion have taken their toll.
The entrance to the Tafraoute is unlike many towns; its fringes are laid with perfect pavements, architecturally designed. Ornate lampposts looking out of place amongst the desert landscape. And a buzz from a place filled with industrious mechanics, vegetable sellers and every business imaginable. People come here for miles around to get rust removed, chips painted over and engines refurbished. Tafraoute is a Mecca for motorhomies. Except there are so many more reasons to come.
2. Three Reasons to visit Tafraoute
This iconic Moroccan destination has much to offer for the curious traveller. Yet I feel compelled to write about the less tangible feel of this place. The reason that we feel so at home.
There’s something about the valley that this town sits in which brings a comfort, a safety and an embracing. The warmth of colour and heat held amongst these impressive pink boulders are incredibly special. We feel held, seen and nurtured here. There’s a peace that is quite hard to describe. There are no BulBuls here, few sounds except for the reverberation of the Call to Prayer as it echoes around the valley. The daily sound from the Patissiere may just puncture the silence as he does his rounds selling macron et pain. The palm trees provide an umbrella of security that is unspoken and the rock formations leave you constantly curious about the latest character that they represent.
So, let’s share our experiences of Tafraoute and what is in store for your next visit.
1. Tafraoute itself is where the Babouche slipper is made and the small stalls of artisans making these colourful shoes is entertainment enough. You can buy two pairs of these exquisite hand-made slippers for just 100dir, that’s just over £4 per pair. So if you are like me, you are going to want to stock up.
There is a tranquility about this place that lasts way beyond the buzz of the traffic moving around its roads. There is energy, there is business being done – yet beneath this is a surprising murmur of peace that is hard to bottle. There are tree-lined cafe’s to hang out at. Wednesday markets where local artisan come from miles to sell you their honey. Restaurants galore where you can feast on their almond Amlou, Omelette Berber and tagines, of course. Butchers will make you up minced beef and sell you fresh chicken breasts for a small price. Small supermarkets offer all your necessary supplies and fruit and veg sellers aplenty. You can even get document photocopied should the need arise.
2. The Rock Formations. The special features of Tafraoute are as visible to the naked eye as its gentle vibration is to your heart.
Whilst you are here, you are tasked with finding the Lion’s Head in the mountain backdrop. The Gazelles in Tazka La Palmerie. The Surf Board is a unique hike and vista point and Napoleon is not to be missed. These natural occurring rocks bring Tafraoute alive with nature playing with our imagination. Whilst their form brings delight, it is the realisation that they are thousands of years old in their creation. That brings a humbling wave through your body when you are sat in their midst.
And you can’t miss the Painted Rocks. You can either walk through the Tazka Valley or cycle; either way it’s an all day affair. If you do a quick search on Google, no doubt you will immediately be presented with images of coloured rocks. They were created in 1986 when a Belgian guy who wanted to demonstrate his love to his fiancée. And they have remained ever since.
They are various shades of primal colours and in 2020 when we saw them first, they were incredibly strong. In 2024, less so. I should imagine it’s like painting the 4th Road Bridge. Once you’ve finished you must start again.
3. Maison Traditionnelle de Berber – Tazka and Oumesnat. Walking through the atmospheric bowl of Tafraoute – Le Palmerie, you are in for such a great treat.
As you head away from the town into the valley you will walk through Tazka, the old Berber village. This is such a traditional community with houses, like many in rural areas, that are crumbling. Other very palatial homes plant their foundations here. The diversity is huge, as always in Morocco.
It is in Tazka that you will find a Maison Traditionelle de Berber that is so worth the time visiting. Ramadan aside (when hours may be uncertain), Mahfouz will guide you around his ancestral home. He will invite you for mint tea and Moroccan sweets at the end and you are simply asked for a donation. It is a humbling experience to tread in the footsteps of a family who called this mud house home, for them and their animals over the centuries.
Walking further through the village you can reach the path for the Surfboard hike and also the route to the Painted Rocks, if your time and energy allow.
The other Maison Traditionnelle that is worth visiting, is a 6 mile cycle away on the other side of town.
In Oumesnat ((29.765245, -8.942974) not only will you find a very different style of Berber house museum, you can also immerse yourself in a village that is over 700 years old. And the ghostly images of the crumbling houses will tell their own tale of life before concrete. For 20Mad pp (you will need the right money as there is no change given) you will be shown around yet another ancestral home that has been preserved for us to learn about life in the mountains. When heritage is held it feels right to support it and feel your own privileged footprints in theirs, for just a little while.
3. Where to stay
Of course if you come here by camper, and most tourists do, then there are so many options. You can have an off grid experience at two spots. One by the Technical College close to town (29.720839, -8.984286). And another which is our favourite at La Palmerie by the Tazka village (29.711606, -8989385).
Both of these spots are served by a multitude of locals selling bread and macrons twice a day, the water man who will sell you as many litres of water as you need and Nadia who offers washing, tangine, couscous and Berber Omelettes. And you are only a short walk from town for all other supplies.
Both sites cost just 15MAD, that’s about £1.30 per night, collected in the evening by the official Guardien. There are black waste options in town too, so you have all bases covered. Don’t be surprised if you stay longer than you planned.
There are campsite options as well, if you don’t mind being a little more intimate with your neighbours. There three in town on the main road from Tiznit.
We loved Tagtout Auberge camping (29.72162, -8.987809), which is a cracking spot set back from the road down an unsealed road for about 1/4 mile. Mahmoud welcomes you to his 15 pitch campsite that has basic services and showers, but no EHU. Best of all there’s a swimming pool, which when that yellow ball of loveliness shines, it priceless. That will cost you 50MAD without use of the pool and 90MAD with. You can also stay here at the Auberge and bookings are taken here.
If you head out of town towards the R105 to Agadir, at the roundabout you have the Tête de Lion Camping. This too is a lovely spot with decent showers, washing machine and services for 110MAD per night with hook up. Washes are charged separately. It’s a long hike into town, although we stayed here two nights whilst a sand storm blew in from the desert, making wild camping more tricky.
Of course if you would prefer the hotel or riad options, there are plenty to choose from through the normal portals. We have none to specifically recommend as we’ve not taken this route, although we hear good reports of the Tagtout Auberge.
Tafraoute has special energy it about that entices you to stay. And each time we have visited over our four trips to Morocco, we stay just a little bit longer. With so much chilling, being and walking to do in the area, we hope you love it too. For more information on Morocco; getting here and getting around you, can either download our eBook for free or watch our videos over on our YouTube Channel.
If you’ve been, we’d love to hear what you thought. And if you haven’t, have we persuaded you?
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