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Tafraoute – Attractions

To the west of Tafraoute, the road along the Ameln Valley crosses an almost imperceptible watershed into a valley. At Ait Omar, a piste heads north to TIRNMATMAT, a welcoming village. Around 200m beyond it, on the north bank of the river, are numerous carvings in the rocks, depicting hunters and animals (some of these may be prehistoric), along with more modern graffiti (including a VW Beetle of clearly recent vintage).

The ridge walk to the south of this village is taken by some trekking parties and is really special, with Bonelli’s eagles circling below, goats climbing the argan trees, and wild boar sniffing around the bushes.

Agard Oudad and the painted rocks

A short but enjoyable walk from Tafraoute is to head south to AGARD OUDAD (3km from Tafraoute), a dramatic-looking village built under a particularly bizarre outcrop of granite. Like many of the rocks in this region, this has been given a name. Most of the others are named after animals – people will point out their shapes to you – but this one is known (in good French colonial tradition) as Le Chapeau de Napoleon (Napoleon’s hat).

Tafraoute Painted Rocks

A stranger sight, however, awaits you in the form of”Les Pierres Bleues” – the Painted Rocks – just southwest of the village. The painting was executed in 1984 by a Belgian artist, Jean Verame, together with a team of Moroccan firemen, who hosed some 18 tons of paint over a large area of rocks; Verame had previously executed a similar project in Sinai. The rocks have lost some of their sharpness of color over the years but they remain weird and wonderful: blue and red hills, clusters of black and purple boulders, mesmerizing in effect. To reach them on foot, walk through the village and follow the flat piste around to the right, behind the Chapeau de Napoleon, then walk parallel to the road – if you’re in doubt a young guide will take you. In a car, you can go partway along a signposted piste off the new road to Tiznit – a longer route with a ten-minute walk at the end. But, unless you prefer a longer route, don’t follow the road sign if you are on foot.

Tazka

Another easy walk from Tafraoute is to TAZKA, about 2km southwest, where there is a prehistoric carving of a gazelle. To get there, follow a path through the palmery. When you emerge, past the remains of an old casbah, you will see on your left the houses of Tazka at the foot of a high granite bluff. Take the lesser path to the right of the bluff and the carvings – a modern one on the rock face and an old one on the tilted surface of a fallen rock – turn on your left after around 200m.

A southern circuit from Tafraoute

A beautiful day-trip from Tafraoute is to drive southeast towards Souk el Hadd Issi, a route that takes in some of the most beautiful country of the Anti-Atlas, including a fabulous gorge and palmery. If you have a sturdy vehicle and a taste for bone-shaking pistes, you can make a loop of it, returning to Tafraoute on the “new road” from Tiznit via Izerbi. Local guide Mohammed Ouhammou Sahnoun lives in Tiouada and offers accommodation in his house, where he has set up the Allbel Saltnoun (048 80 05 47) for anyone interested in using it as a base to explore the local area; space is limited, though, so it’s best to call ahead. Mohammed can also arrange mule treks in the region, and help locate rock carvings.