Things to see and do Ouarzazate & Area

Organisation of visits to southern Morocco, 4 x 4 trekking and camel back, possibility to organize a fisherman.

The entrance to the ruins is 300 m from the city gates, on both sides of the road. We do not know the exact date of the foundation of this fabulous city, that the geographer El Bekri, of the XIth century, makes go back up to the year 140 of the Hégire (792 of our era). From the 9th to the 11th century, Sijilmassa was the capital, the religious center of the Zénètes Berbers and the economic center of an independent kingdom, limited to the north and south by the Atlas Mountains and the desert, to the east and west by the Drâa and the Ziz. An important caravanning center between Morocco, Mali, Sudan and Niger, Sijilmassa ensured the trade of precious commodities, such as salt, dates, cloth, gold and other metals. With a population of 100,000 inhabitants and made up of 600 kasbahs, it is even the direct rival of cities like Fez or Marrakech. But the city aroused a lot of covetousness, and it was conquered by the Almoravids around 1055, who continued the commercial activity. The reasons for the disappearance of Sijilmassa are unknown, but it is known that it was sacked in 1362 by Arab nomads. When Leon the African went there in 1550, all that remained of the city were ruins and vestiges of a past splendor. Replaced by Rissani, it was definitively destroyed and razed in the 19th century. Once on the site, it is hard to imagine that this is the cradle of a civilization whose influence has spread throughout North Africa. A step which will undoubtedly fascinate the amateurs of archaeology and history!

Between Er-Rachidia and Erfoud, a small asphalt road goes on your right and leads to the blue spring of Meski. It originates in a rocky cavity and flows into a basin built by the legionaries under the French protectorate. Its name comes not from its colour, but from the Tuaregs, dressed in blue, who settled here for a while. By foot or by car, access to the source is subject to a charge. We recommend that you leave your car before the descent, unless you wish to sleep on site. You can swim in the pool. The source has, as always, healing properties. Here, it is the fertility that this clear water has decided to promote, advice to amateurs and amateurs! Moreover, on some Fridays, a ritual takes place there: women bathe there with a marabout before making sacrifices in the cave, by candlelight. This idyllic place also houses a basic campsite, appreciated by French pensioners who come to spend some time there in a friendly and family atmosphere. We even play petanque in the shade of the tall trees! Also billiards, table football, souvenir shops and a snack bar, which is only open in season. This is a great place to relax and meet people. The walk along the river is very pleasant and refreshing, in the heart of lush vegetation. Sometimes women do their laundry there. You can also walk between the ruins of Meski's kasbah. Pretty views are revealed on the palm grove.

Slug dos or 4 x 4. Abdou also proposes to take you to bivouac in the surrounding area.

Its summit offers a beautiful panorama of the Draa Valley. On the slopes of the rocky peak remain the remains of a fortress, built in 1056, at the time of the occupation of the Draa Valley by the Berber Abu Bekeur. Be careful, the narrow ledge track that leads to it is quite dangerous. To get there, leave your vehicle in front of the La Fibule hotel, on the road to M'Hamid, after a large bend on the right. Opposite, a staircase carved in the stone marks the beginning of the path that leads to the summit. On foot, it takes about 1 hour.

8 km north of Merzouga, the village of Hassi Labiad, quieter than Merzouga, is home to a beautiful oasis in the middle of the desert, where it's pleasant to stroll in the coolness of the water and palm trees. It's the epitome of a community oasis, with every household owning a cultivable plot. The land is irrigated by an ingenious system that communicates with all the plots. Each household has a set time for watering its plantations each week. Vegetables, fruit and herbs grow here in the middle of the desert!