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  Hôtel ErrachidiaHOTEL€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 57 04 53; 31 Rue Ibn Battuta; s/d/tr incl breakfast Dh250/300/350; aW)

  Don’t be fooled by the setting behind the bus station: inside are 21 simple but clean rooms with en suites and half with air-con. There's also a cafe downstairs.

  Hotel le RiadHOTEL€€€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 79 10 06; www.hotelleriad.com; Rte de Goulmima; s/d incl breakfast from Dh600/700; paiWs)

  Er-Rachidia's best business-class hotel has 27 sprawling guest suites with marble bathtubs, a huge pool, a spa and conference facilities. It's rather expensive for what it is, especially the Dh100 breakfast. You'll find it on your right along the N10 as you drive into town from Goulmima.

  Zerda ZMP RestaurantCAFE€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Moulay Ali Cherif; mains around Dh30; h9am-10pm)

  On the main road through town, a short stroll from the bus station, this buzzing open-sided eatery is one of the best spots in town for a quick, inexpensive meal of sandwiches, grilled meats and, the speciality, rotisserie chicken.

  Restaurant ImilchilMOROCCAN€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0661 60 92 64; Ave Moulay Ali Cherif; mains around Dh35; h7am-11pm)

  Pop by for a good tajine served on a big terrace or to watch the sports on TV. There's a scruffy garden in back. It's on the main road, a 10-minute walk from the bus station.

  8Information

  Banque Populaire and Attajariwafa ATM are on Ave Mohamed V, as is the post office.

  8Getting There & Away

  Air

  Er-Rachidia's Moulay Ali Cherif airport is located about 4km northeast of the city centre. Royal Air Maroc (www.royalairmaroc.com) flies three times a week to/from Casablanca.

  Bus

  Buses operate out of the central bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ; Rue M’Daghra). CTM (%0535 57 20 24) has one service daily to Marrakesh (Dh165, 10½ hours) and Meknès (Dh120, six hours) and an overnight service to Fez (Dh130, 7½ hours).

  Private buses run to Ouarzazate (Dh75, six hours, three daily), Marrakesh (Dh150, 11 hours, three daily), Fez (Dh95 to Dh110, five daily), and Rissani (Dh25, two hours, nine daily) via Erfoud (Dh20).

  Taxi

  Grands taxis depart three blocks northeast of the main bus station. Destinations include Erfoud (Dh30, one hour), Meknès (Dh120, five hours), Fez (Dh130, five hours), Tinerhir (Dh60, 1½ hours), Rissani (Dh30, 1½ hours), and Merzouga via Rissani (Dh35, 1½ hours).

  Around Er-Rachidia

  Driving south to Erfoud you pass the origins of the Oued Ziz at Meski, 17km south of Er-Rachidia. From here the road crests a desert plateau to a striking viewpoint over the Ziz palmeraie before descending to the town of Aufous, 40km south of Er-Rachidia and midway to Erfoud. Formidable ksour line the route, peeking above the palm tops, and Aufous has some stunning pisé buildings and an impressive kasbah ruin as well as useful services such as petrol, coffee and phones.

  1Sights

  Source Bleue de MeskiSPRING

  The origins of the Oued Ziz can be found in Meski, where warm, natural springs bubble to the surface beneath the picturesque ruins of the Ksar Meski. The French Foreign Legion extended the main pool and added steps forming a pleasant swimming pool much used by weekending locals. Beside it is a well-shaded campsite, and if you walk downstream and cross over the river, you can hike up to the deserted ksar for fabulous sunset views. The spring is signposted about 1km west of the main road.

  Cooperative Al OuahaCULTURAL CENTRE

  (h9am-noon Tue, Thu & Sat)S

  Seven kinds of date are grown in the Aufous oasis, and you can sample them all here. In the October and November season, the women of this cooperative in Aufous will walk you through a date tasting (Dh20), and in the off-season on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, they’ll offer you tastes (Dh20) of nutty tahalout (date syrup) and natural energy bars made with dates. The cooperative is signed on the main road past the village mosque on the left, next to the village commune.

  4Sleeping

  oMaison ZoualaGUESTHOUSE€

  (%0672 14 46 33; www.zouala.com; per person incl half-board Dh250-300; W)

  An icon of rural tourism, this welcoming family-run guesthouse has traditional rooms set with pisé walls, Berber tapestries and pottery-like lamps, and it's a great base for exploring the palmeraie. Hamid has a masters degree in history and a wealth of information on the Ziz Valley, its people and culture, and can connect you with village life (including visits to the school and a women's cooperative).

  If you don't stay here, you can still stop in for lunch – but you'll need to call ahead. You can also arrange excursions, from walks, bike rides and mule rides through the oasis, to multiday trips to other villages, overnighting with locals on the way (overnight trips start around Dh400 per person per day including food and accommodation).

  It's located about 47km north of Erfoud. When traveling north, look for a signed turn-off (leading to the left) on the N13.

  Camping TissirtCAMPGROUND€

  (%0662 14 13 78; http://campingtissirtziz.free.fr; N 31°78.535, W 004°23.118; per person/car/tent/caravan Dh15/15/15/30, bungalows Dh130, incl half-board per person Dh150; W)

  At the edge of the palmeraie, 12km north of Aufous, is this friendly, palm-shaded camp with three simple pisé bungalows (shared bathrooms) and meals of local kalia (spiced beef or chicken; Dh60 to Dh70), best finished with dates cooked in olive oil (Dh40). Showers (Dh10) and electricity (Dh25) are extra. Bicycles are also available for hire.

  Maison Vallée de ZizGUESTHOUSE€€

  (%0661 83 51 51, 0535 88 21 76; N 31°45.835, W 004°12.220; per person incl half-board Dh350; aWs)

  Ignore the rather featureless facade of this small roadside hotel and walk through to the poolside terrace for gorgeous valley views above the swaying palms and pomegranate trees. Steps down into the palmeraie allow for frequent morning and evening walks, after which you can collapse in enormous king-sized beds beneath cut-steel lanterns and oil paintings inspired by desert dreams.

  It's also a great place to stop for lunch (Dh80) and a refreshing swim. Mohammed and Said are desert guides, so excursions further afield are easily arranged.

  8Getting There & Away

  Public buses travel from Er-Rachidia to a terminal above the Source Bleue spring (Dh4, 7am to 9pm). Any bus or grand taxi to Erfoud or Aufous can drop you at the turn-off. When leaving, flag down a grand taxi from the main road.

  OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

  FIGUIG

  In the days of cross-border tourism, Figuig (fig-eeg) was popular with travellers. Few people make it here now, which is a shame because it is one of Morocco’s best oasis towns: seven traditional desert villages amid 200,000 date palms fed by artesian wells. Once a historic way station for pilgrims travelling to Mecca, Figuig now sleeps, only waking for the autumn date harvest.

  Figuig has an upper and lower town. The main road, Blvd Hassan II, runs through the upper (new) town, where there are ATMs, a post office and pleasant municipal gardens.

  1Sights

  Where the road passes the Figuig Hotel, it drops downhill towards the lower town – the basin of palms and ksour (fortified mudbrick strongholds) that make up the old part of Figuig. This ridge provides a handy landmark as well as views over the palmeraie (palm grove) and into Algeria: the best views are from Azrou, where the path leads towards Ksar Zenaga, or from the terrace of the Figuig Hotel.

  The seven ksour that make up the town each control an area of palmeraie and its all-important supply of water.

  The crumbling state of many ksour lets you see their clever construction: palm-tree trunks plastered with pisé, and ceilings made of palm fronds. It’s cool and dark and often eerily quiet. It’s easy to get lost; village children will happily guide you for a few dirham.

  Ksar ZenagaCASTLE

  The largest and most rewarding of the town's seven ksour is Ksar Zenaga, south below the ridge splitting the oasis. Take the paths following irrigation channels past palm trees and garden
s, then suddenly you’re among a warren of covered passages. As you tunnel between the houses, look out for some marvellous, ancient wooden doors; and watch out – you may find yourself in someone’s backyard.

  Ksar el-OudahirCASTLE

  Close to the upper part of town, to the west of the main road, Ksar el-Oudahir is home to a lovely octagonal minaret built in the 11th century. It’s known as the sawmann al-hajaria (tower of stone), and its design is quite unlike anything you'll see anywhere else in Morocco, instead echoing the minarets of Mauritania and the Sahel.

  4Sleeping

  Auberge OasisGUESTHOUSE€

  (%0536 89 92 20; www.auberge-oasis.com; Rue Jamaa, Ksar Zenaga; s/d Dh100/170, incl full board Dh300/600; i)

  A family home built of adobe in a ksar, this auberge is the best way to taste traditional Figuigi life. Rooms are traditionally decorated and have en suites. The home-cooked meals are excellent, and you can relax in the rooftop Berber tent.

  8Getting There & Away

  Always check transport options the day before travelling as schedules and availability of services can change. There are several buses a day to Oujda (around Dh100, six hours), including a daily CTM bus (Dh100, 5½ hours). All stop at Bouarfa, where you can change for connections to Er-Rachidia.

  The border with Algeria is closed, but in the unlikely event of it reopening, it’s 3km from Figuig to Moroccan customs, and a further 4km to the Algerian town of Béni Ounif.

  Erfoud ارفود

  Pop 24,000

  Erfoud makes a pleasant pit stop on the journey heading south to Merzouga from Fez or Meknès, with wood-fired madfouna (Berber calzone), fossils dating back hundreds of millions of years and the photogenic ancient Ksar M’Aadid, 5km north of town. The souq at the southern end of Erfoud sells local dates and fresh produce, and in October the town has an increasingly popular date festival, with dancing and music.

  1Sights

  Erfoud lies in the heart of Morocco’s fossil beds, and the Paleozoic strata south of the highway between Erfoud and Alnif are a prime hunting ground for diggers. Kilometers of shallow trenches have been hand-dug by Berber miners in their search for trilobite fossils. Few of them are found in perfect condition so diggers take broken trilobites to 'prep' labs, like Brahim Tahiri's facility, where they are restored.

  Trilobite replicas can be made from plaster, plastic or auto-body putty, and can be hard to distinguish from real fossils.

  Museum of Fossils & MineralsMUSEUM

  (%0535 57 68 74; www.tahirimuseum.com; Rte de Rissani; h8am-7pm)F

  The best place for an introduction to Morocco's fossils is at Brahim Tahiri's Museum of Fossils & Minerals, the only private fossil museum in Morocco, where scientifically important specimens are exhibited beside their lesser cousins for sale in the boutique. Brahim's efforts at raising awareness of Morocco's rich geological heritage have even been recognised internationally with the naming of his very own trilobite, Asteropyge tahiri. You'll find the museum around 5km along the Rissani road – easily spotted by the life-size replicas of dinosaur skeletons out front.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Hotel CannesHOTEL€€

  (%0535 57 86 95; www.hotelrestaurantcannes.com; 85 Ave Hassan II; s/d/tr Dh160/210/270; aW)

  Cheap, clean, central rooms sporting what appear to be swirling, finger-painted walls done in faded pastel colours. Breakfast is an additional Dh25, and the cafe does decent meals. It's within walking distance of the market, CTM and Supratours ticket offices on Ave Mohammed V and the bus stop at Place des FAR.

  Kasbah Xaluca MaadidRESORT€€€

  (%0535 57 84 50; www.xaluca.com; d/ste from Dh900/1800; paWs)

  A flashy pool-party scene straight out of music videos, only with more kids. Junior suites come with fossilised marble bedsteads and mineral lamps; suites are frilly, with chintz dust ruffles on four-poster beds. Desert travellers appreciate the spa, but kids head for the pool and minigolf course. It’s 5km before Erfoud on the right.

  oPizzeria-Restaurant des DunesBERBER, PIZZA€

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0535 57 67 93; www.restaurantdesdunes.com; Ave Moulay Ismail; mains Dh50-70; h9am-10pm; W)

  Authentic wood-fired pizza includes a house special with heart of palm, olives and oregano. For something a bit different, order the stellar madfouna (Berber calzone), a dough pocket stuffed with minced onions and herb-spiked chicken, beef or vegetables, then baked until puffy and golden. There's a pleasant back terrace, where you can dine when the weather cooperates.

  Hotel-Restaurant BenhamaCAFE€

  (%0661 82 64 57; Ave Moulay Ismail; sandwiches Dh20-25; h8am-9pm)

  Serves up a mix of the usual tajines, brochettes and couscous, plus pizza. Meals are served at spiffy sidewalk tables on the main road or inside the pleasant, air-conditioned lobby-restaurant.

  8Information

  Banks, internet cafes, the post office and a small supermarket are all located along Ave Moulay Ismail.

  8Getting There & Away

  Bus

  CTM (%0535 57 68 86; Ave Mohammed V) runs overnight bus service to Meknès (Dh140, 7½ hours) and Fez (Dh150, 8½ hours) via Er-Rachidia (Dh30, 1¼ hours), as well as an early-morning service to Rissani (Dh20, 25 minutes).

  Supratours and other buses depart from Pl des FAR for Tinerhir (Dh70, 3½ hours, daily), Ouarzazate (Dh120, 6½ hours, three daily), Marrakesh (Dh190, 11 hours), Meknès (Dh130, eight hours) and Fez (Dh140, nine hours, three daily).

  Taxi

  Grands taxis and taxi minivans depart Pl des FAR and opposite the post office for Merzouga (Dh35, one hour), Rissani (Dh10, 20 minutes), Er-Rachidia (Dh30, one hour) and Tinerhir (Dh65, five hours).

  Rissani الريصاني

  Pop 21,200

  Rissani is where the Oued Ziz quietly ebbs away, but between the 14th and 18th centuries it was the location of the famed desert capital, Sijilmassa, where fortunes in gold and slaves were traded via caravans crossing the sahel. Rissani was so strategic that the Filali (ancestors of the ruling Alawite dynasty) staged their epic battle here to supplant the Saadians. Today, Rissani is a dusty shadow of its former self. Barely a quarter of the population live in the 17th-century ksar while the modern town constitutes a single street and one square. Still, echoes of the past can still be heard in the epic haggling over birds, sheep and desert jewellery at Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday souqs.

  Rissani & Merzouga

  1Sights

  1Ksar El FidaB1

  2SijilmassaA1

  4Sleeping

  3Auberge Camping SaharaD1

  4Chez JuliaD3

  5Chez YoussefD3

  6Hôtel SijilmassaA1

  7Kasbah Kanz ErremalD1

  8Kasbah MohayutD1

  9Maison MerzougaD1

  10Riad AliD4

  8Information

  11Al Barid BankD3

  Transport

  12CTMA1

  Grands Taxis

  Grands TaxisA1

  13Local Bus StationA1

  SupratoursD3

  1Sights & Activities

  The ruins of Sijilmassa and the Landmark Loop are both signed off the N13 to the west of the town centre. More mudbrick ksour flank the road to Merzouga, including Dar el-Beidha and Ksar Haroun; look for signposts on your left leaving town.

  SijilmassaHISTORIC SITE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP )

  Just before you reach Rissani are the ruins of Sijilmassa, the capital of the first virtually independent Islamic principality in the south. Its foundation is lost in myth, but by the end of the 8th century it was a staging post for trans-Saharan trade. Caravans of up to 20,000 camels departed Sijilmassa for the remote desert salt mines of Taodeni and Tagahaza (in modern-day Mali), then continued to Niger and Ghana, where a pound of Saharan salt was traded for an ounce of African gold.

  By the 12th century, Sudanese gold refined in Sijilmassa had made it to Europe, where it was minted into European coins. The identical quality between European and Moroccan coins attests to the importance
of trade between these regions. But as Berbers say, where there’s gold, there’s trouble. Internal feuding led to the collapse of the city in the 14th century, and although it was rebuilt by Alawite Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 18th century, it was finally destroyed by Aït Atta nomadic warriors in 1818. Sijilmassa has remained a ruin ever since, with only two decorated gateways and other partially standing structures.

  Ksar El FidaCASTLE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; suggested donation Dh10; h8am-7pm)

  This enormous, restored Alawite kasbah (1854–72) served as the palace for the local caïd right up until 1965, after which it housed a museum of archaeology. Now only the son of the former owner remains and is happy to give you a short guided tour in French and Arabic.

  Circuit TouristiqueARCHITECTURAL TOUR

  Dune-bound visitors may be tempted to zoom through Rissani, but photographers, history buffs and architecture aficionados could spend a few days exploring decrepit ksour and artfully crumbling kasbahs on this 21km 'Landmark Loop'. It's best tackled in a clockwise direction from the regal ruins of Ksar Abbar ( GOOGLE MAP ) – a favourite palace in exile for sidelined members of the Alawite dynasty – past half a dozen crumbling ksour to the still-inhabited Ksar Tinheras ( GOOGLE MAP ) situated on a rise offering spectacular views over the Tafilalt.