Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Deep South, will take you to the vast arid expanses of the Moroccan desert. At the confluence of the Drâa and Dadès rivers, not far from the Ziz, the landscapes transform into a realm of palm groves, orchards and gardens, but also of regs and ergs. Ouarzazate is a town south of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, known as the gateway to the Sahara Desert. Its enormous Kasbah of Taourirt, home to a 19th-century palace, offers views of the rocky landscape of the surrounding area.

Perched above the valleys and at the gateway to the desert, Ouarzazate sits at 1,160 metres on the high plateaus of the Atlas Mountains. The town thus enjoys an exceptional climate for the region: winters are mild (around 15°C), whilst in summer temperatures can exceed 35°C! A trip not to be missed under any circumstances!

In the heart of the Saharan world, a former garrison town during the French Protectorate, Ouarzazate lies on the caravan route between Marrakech and the Sahara. A crossroads of civilisations and peoples, the region has enjoyed great prosperity for centuries, with particularly flourishing trade and craftsmanship.

Set off on the Oasis Route to discover the adobe kasbahs, guardians of the history and legends of the far south. Ouarzazate is also the starting point for numerous excursions to the oases and vast dunes of southern Morocco.