Todra and Dades Gorges: How Much Walking, and What You See

The Todra Gorge

The Todra Gorge is a narrow canyon near Tinghir, where limestone walls rise steeply on both sides of a small river. The famous part is short and flat, so anyone can walk it. If you enjoy walking, we can linger there, take a side path or climb a little for the view, without committing to the full loop hike over the top. On the way we walk through the Tinghir palm grove, one of the longest in the south.

The Dades Gorge and the Monkey Fingers

The Dades Valley road winds up between rock formations and old kasbahs, with the famous hairpin bends higher up. The Monkey Fingers are rounded rock shapes that you can see from the road and a short walk, or reach on a longer loop of several hours that goes between them. Active guests love the loop. Others prefer the viewpoints and a tea on a terrace above the river. Both are a good day.

Do the kasbahs start to look the same?

It is a fair question. The road through the south is called the road of a thousand kasbahs, and I choose only the ones that each tell a different story: Ait Ben Haddou as a fortified village, Telouet for the decorated rooms of the Glaoui family, Taourirt in Ouarzazate, and Amridil in Skoura. I prefer to show you a few well, with time inside, than many from the car window.

The Tizi n Tichka pass

The road between Marrakech and the south crosses the High Atlas at the Tizi n Tichka pass, at 2,260 metres. We stop at the top and at viewpoints on the way for photographs and short walks. When the weather is calm, we can walk a little further on the mountain.

The road of the roses

Between Skoura and Boumalne Dades, the valley around Kelaat Mgouna is known for the Damask rose. In May the hedges bloom and families pick the petals at dawn for rose water and oil, and the town holds its Rose Festival. Outside the season you can still buy rose water and creams from the local cooperatives.

Practical tips for the gorges

• The Todra Gorge is best in the morning, when the sun lights the walls and the tour groups have not arrived.
• Wear shoes with a good grip, because the river crossings and side paths are rocky.
• Bring a light layer: the gorges are cool in the shade even on warm days.
• In winter and after storms, the Dades road above the hairpins can close for a short time.
• Climbers come from all over the world for the limestone walls of the Todra.

How to fit the gorges into a trip

The gorges sit between the Sahara and Ouarzazate, so they fit naturally after a night in the desert. I usually plan a night in the Dades Valley, with the Todra Gorge on the way in and the Dades walk the next morning. See Fez to Merzouga and our tours and itineraries.