Draa Valley Road

The road from Ouarzazate to Zagora follows the Drâa Valley through the Anti-Atlas into the edge of the Sahara. It crosses a mountain pass, then runs alongside a ribbon of date palms and mud-brick kasbahs and ksour that has looked much the same for centuries.

It is one of Morocco's most cinematic rides — film crews have used this landscape for decades — and it ends where the road gives way to dunes.

Highlights

• Ouarzazate and the nearby kasbah of Aït Benhaddou
• The Tizi n'Tinififft pass and the first view of the valley
• The palm groves and kasbahs around Agdz and Tamnougalt
• Zagora and its traditional "52 days to Timbuktu" sign
• Continuing to M'Hamid, the end of the asphalt before the dunes

Best time to ride

October to April. Summer temperatures in the valley are extreme; winter nights in the desert are cold.

The road

Mostly good asphalt with some narrow and broken sections, sand drifts near the desert end, and slow traffic through villages.

Riding tips

• Carry water and plan fuel stops; fill up in Ouarzazate, Agdz and Zagora.
• Watch for children, donkeys and livestock in villages.
• Dress respectfully off the bike when you stop in small towns.