The South Of Morocco - Deserts, Date Palms & Kasbahs

A yoga camp in the Sahara, stays in ancient kasbahs, a desert music festival, and visiting local artisans.

While the new collection rugs have been making their way back to Australia these last few weeks - I've been busy making my way around the south of Morocco.

The south has a very different energy to the north and the bigger cities of Morocco, it has a stillness and a calm that's pretty magical. It's all date palms, mountains and desert as far as the eye can see - and the feeling like you could be totally on your own out in the world "somewhere"

While public transport options are becoming more available to travel between the main areas of the south - it's best to explore this region with a small group tour, a guide driver or renting your own car to make it into all the smaller villages and areas that you can only access via road.

Ouarzarzate

The drive from Marrakech down south is a full day of a winding roads and a steep climb up through the Atlas Mountains to Ouarzarzate - the popular tourist town where most will stop to visit the incredible UNESCO site the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou and other ancient sites in the area. Made famous by Hollywood movies over the years like Gladiator and Game of Thrones.

For a less touristy stop then Ben Haddou - I recommend a visit to kasbah Telouet.

A small village with a beautiful mosaic filled kasbah that was a stop over on the old caravan routes and off the main tourist track a bit so you'll need to be in a 4WD to get out there. It has my all time most favourite window in Morocco... it's just beautiful.

Tamnougalt & Draa Valley

On my birthday I woke up in an 18th century kasbah in Tamnougalt in the Draa Valley with the most incredible sunrise over the mountains. 

Kasbah Des Caids and Kasbah Maktob are two popular stops on this trail where you'll be greeted with mint tea and a spectacular view over the valley. Enjoy the music over dinner in the evening for an even more magical stay.

Merzouga & The Sahara

One of my trips down south this year to Merzouga was with a group of women on a yoga retreat hosted by our local Berber guides. A week of exploring mountain villages, kasbahs, camel rides into the sunset and meditation amongst the dunes was a pretty special trip and welcome break from Marrakech.

Berber music around the fire at night, the clearest view of the milky way I've ever seen, some run away camels that led to an impromptu 10km trek on foot across the desert were all part of this wonderful week I'll remember forever. 

And a great way to meet and spend time with some wonderful people from all around the world.

Festival Taragalte

My second trip south was to check out the Taragalte Festival - a desert music festival featuring music acts from all over Africa and Saharan blues bands set amongst the sand dunes under the stars.

In November each year the village of M'hamed on the edge of the Sahara hosts the festival, which is in it's 10th year - for 3 days of nomadic culture and bands, and other world music.

We stayed in near by village Tagounite at the beautiful Kasbah Aitsful and drove in each day which was a great way to do it.

Tamegroute & Artisan Visits

On the way back to Marrakech there's plenty of stop offs to break up the long trip that your driver will have suggestions of with local communities and villages they have relationships with along the way.

One stop is the family pottery workshop in the village of Tamegroute to see how the iconic green of pottery from the south is made. There's womens' cooperatives for the weaving of baskets and boucherouite rugs, jewellery makers, and kasbahs full to the roof of incredible antiques.

Getting out to these regional towns and villages there's so much to see of Morocco's artisan crafts and industry, continuing family trades and traditions. And where all the hard work happens before their wares make it to the souks of the big cities.