© Lonely Planet Publications 290 Marrakesh & Central Morocco ﻣﺮﺍﻛﺶ ﻭ ﻭﺳﻂ ﻣﺮﺍﻛﺶ Through no fault of their own, maps can’t do central Morocco justice. On a city plan, Mar- rakesh’s walled medina looks like a neat bundle of streets, and the legendary Djemaa el- Fna like a glorified parking lot – but even the best satellite technology can’t capture the meanderings of covered souqs and the mayhem of backflipping Gnawa musicians. Towering Jebel Toubkal pops up to the south, but there’s no telling how those distant snowcapped High Atlas mountain ranges on both sides of Marrakesh cool the brain on a scorching summer’s day. Only on trails between these peaks can you appreciate the treks kids walk to get to school in the isolated Zat Valley, or the tenacity of red-stone villages wedged into rocky crevices in the Aït Bougomez Valley. Most of all, it seems impossible that so much life should exist so close to the expanse of desert just over the Tizi n’Tichka pass. What you can’t guess from longitude coordinates is the burbling river interrupting the stony-faced Todra Gorge, or the rocks melting like wax candles into the green carpet of the Dadès Gorge. Just when all signs of vegetation seem to have dried up in the Ziz and Draâ river valleys, water seeps through fissures and erupts into oases until the landscape is taken over by the Saharan sand dunes of Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) and Erg Chigaga (M’Hamid). Mileage suggests you can return from the Sahara to Marrakesh in one day flat, but central Morocco is the place to put down the map, get lost and live a little. HIGHLIGHTS Catch a command performance of the show that’s played for 1000 years, and never gets old: Unesco-acclaimed street theatre in the Djemaa el-Fna ( p298 ) Find next season’s trends made with medieval tools by the crafty artisans in Marrakesh souqs ( p321 ) Rediscover long-lost social graces behind austere pink walls at an authentic Marrakshi riad Walk through Morocco’s Shangri-la, the stunning Aït Bougomez Valley ( p329 ) Follow caravan routes on a camel and camp out in the rolling dunes at Erg Chigaga ( p351 ) MARRAKESH & MARRAKESH & Spot red-rock villages balancing atop crags CENTRAL MOROCCO and extreme geological formations ooz- ing into palm oases in the Dadès Gorge Aït Bougomez ( p357 ) Valley Marrakesh Dadès Gorge Witness the original monsters of rock: 300m sheer stone cliffs at Todra Gorge Todra Gorge ( p360 ) Erg Chebbi Hear the shifting sands sing in the magnifi- cent rose-pink dunes of Erg Chebbi ( p370 ) near Merzouga Erg Chigaga lonelyplanet.com MARRAKESH & CENTRAL MOROCCO •• History 291 HISTORY Spring and autumn are the best times to If Dr Who were to muck about with local explore, with temperatures averaging 20°C timelines, there would be a gaping hole in to 25°C. April is traditionally sandstorm our time-space continuum. On a map Cen- season in the desert, when wind speeds tral Morocco appears isolated by moun- of only 10km/h pick up the fine sand and tains and desert on three sides, but it has dust, and whisk it across the plains. Storms made African, Arab and European history often last three to four days, during which as the final leg of legendary trans-Saharan desert travel is inadvisable. If travelling in trade routes. Trading contacts with south- the desert in sandstorm season, allow a few ern Morocco may have helped inspire extra days to ensure you get to see the dunes Portugal’s naval exploration of Africa’s rather than just gritty brown haze. riches – voyages that kickstarted the age of exploration and later European colonialism. LANGUAGE Without the Almoravids’ power base here In the High Atlas the main language is to expand their empire into Europe, there the Berber dialect of Tashelhit (with some may never have been Muslims in Spain, let pockets of Tamazight). Elsewhere Darija alone Moorish architecture. Without the (Moroccan Arabic) and French are univer- sensational Saadian sugar-dealers and Jew- sally spoken. ish salt-traders here, European meals might have remained medievally bland, and world GETTING THERE & AWAY history would certainly be a lot less spicy. Marrakesh is the transport hub of the re- Marrakesh is often at the centre of this gion, well supplied by train, bus and air historical action, having served as the capi- links. Direct flights from London to Mar- tal to three separate dynasties – more than rakesh’s Menara airport are now offered by the imperial cities of Fez and Meknès. But low-cost airlines such as Easyjet, RyanAir other regional players have had historical and AtlasBlue, and frequent flight and train importance far out of proportion to their services from Casablanca further expands size or location. In the snowy High Atlas, travel options. Royal Air Maroc (RAM) also climbers may stub their toes on petroglyphs runs daily flights to Ouarzazate (via Casa- showing signs of human civilisation from blanca) as well as Marrakesh. However, 1500 years ago. Songs and stories repeated you could consider flying Paris–Ouarzazate in Berber village moussems (festivals) and directly on one of several flights weekly. the Unesco-recognised Djemaa el-Fna em- Marrakesh–Ouarzazate flights go rather bellish histories of triumphant local heroes nonsensically via Casablanca – it’s faster CENTRAL MOROCCO and tragic love affairs. In their day, mud- to drive. MARRAKESH & MARRAKESH & brick ksour (castles) and watchtowers along A direct three-hour rail service to/from the Drâa Valley were more reliable than Casablanca links Marrakesh to the major tracking numbers to make sure precious cities in the north. Supratours bus services caravan cargo reached its destination. Tiny continue on to Essaouira, Agadir and right Glaoui mountain strongholds played huge down south to Laâyoune and Dakhla. Simi- roles in the history of French colonialism in lar services are offered by CTM and other Africa, and also in agitating for independ- local bus companies, although these tend to ence. Today the area is the centre of atten- be more crowded and less comfortable. tion as Morocco’s big draw for visitors and a multicultural Mid-Eastern milieu that’s true GETTING AROUND to its history and promising for its future. Except for the line from Casablanca to Mar- rakesh, there are no rail links in Central CLIMATE Morocco. Buses are still the cheapest way With geography ranging from desert dunes to get around Central Morocco, but they’re and rocky plains to mountains rising more becoming more expensive to operate as the than 4000m above sea level, the climate of price of petrol soars – according to bus Central Morocco is one of extremes. Bitterly company officials, all prices may be ex- cold High Atlas winters start in September pected to rise from those quoted through- and last into June, and sweltering deserts out this chapter, so pad your budget if your will leave you panting for water by May. plans include bus travel. MARRAKESH & CENTRAL MOROCCO Central Central Morocco 292 0 50 km 0 30 miles CENTRAL MOROCCO ••CentralMorocco &CENTRALMOROCCO MARRAKESH To Safi Youssoufia To Casablanca To Khenifra El-Ksiba Midelt (20km) Benguérir (135km) (70km) Jebel Ali- Sebt-des- ou-Rbeddou N1 Gzoula Beni Mellal (2793m) Afourer (2778m) P12 El-Kalaâ- Bzou Cascades Ouaouizarht des-Sraghna Imilchil Rich N9 d'Ouzoud (2662m) Oulad-Brahim Bin- Bin N8 el-Ouidane el-Ouidane (3207m) To Bouarfa (220km); Azilal (3233m) Agoudal Figuig (330km) N7 Tamelelt Tilougguite Reserve Naturelle Cathédrale To Essaouira de Tamga Tizi-Tirherhouzine Boudnib (75km) Aït Mohammed des Rochers Er-Rachidia Oued Tensitt Tizi Oudaya Sidi- Demnate Tizi 'Tirghist Zaouiat (3140m) Source Bleue Rahal Ahansal e n'Uguent Imi-n-Ifri g de Meski Chichaoua z r Zegsaoun Aït Haini Sidi- N8 Oued e Msemrir o Moktar Aït-bou-Riah Marrakesh Aït-Ourir Oued om Tabant G Lac des Jebel Ghat ug Tamtattouchte Aufous o ey Goulmima Nfiss N9 Aït-Aadel Agouti B l s (3825m) ït l Aït (Aoufouss) A Va è Todra S501 Za Aït-Barka Irhil Oudinar d Gorge t Val Tamda Aït Bououli a Guemassa ley Tirdouine Tessaout M'Goun D S513 Ourika Lakes (4071m) Aït Arbi Tinerhir Tinejdad 3451 Tahanaoute Valley Amezri Taddert (3283m) Aït Youl Boumalne Telouet Tighza S Bou Taghrar du Dadès N10 Erfoud Imi-n- Asni Setti Tizi LA Bou-Laouane n'Tichka T Vallée Imiter Palmeraie Tanoute Mizane Fatma H A Vallée des Ouirgane Anmiter H I G des Roses (2964m) Tarhia de Tizimi Valley Oukaïmeden (2031m) El-Hart Oiseaux Adassil El-Kelaâ M'Gouna Jebel Imlil Agouim Achahoud Tagdilt Tafilalt Jebel Aït Igdet y Ikniouln Rissani Toubkal N9 Tamdaght Souss Dadès l e Jebel (3616m) (4167m) Tidrheste N10 a l Irara Tichka Ijoukak Amerzgane Aït Oued s V (2559m) (2712m) Maidir Erg Chebbi Tin Mal Mosque Benhaddou Skoura a d è Ziz Valley (3350m) D l Sa r h r o Basin Alnif be r Souk Tnine- Tizi n'Test Asif Je e Iriri Ouarzazate Imi-n'Sit f Tigouda (2092m) Oued a O Merzouga Tachokchte Taourirt G Oued u u Ej-Jemima Drâa N'Kob o e Aoufour N9 Jebel B d Khamlia Kissane Z Jebel Anezal i Askaoun D Rheris z Aoulouz Tizi n'Tinififft (1531m) r Siroua Agdz â Oulad Berhil (3304m) Timiderte a Tazzarine Taroudannt Zaouïa-Tafetchna Taliouine V Tamnougalt a Taouz Tazenakht l l Ouled Atman ey To Agadir Agoult (63km) Algou Aït Hamane Tinzouline Jebel Tassetift N9 Zagora Asaka Zagora Asarrakh Amezrou Tinfou Dunes Igherm (2002m) Tamegroute lonelyplanet.com Tisfrioudine Foum Zguid Erg Tagounite Lehoudi A L G E R I A Tata Iriki Oasis Pistes: Impassable M'Hamid Ouled Driss in bad weather Erg Chigaga lonelyplanet.com MARRAKESH 293 CTM provides adequate service, but Su- Marrakesh is predictability and all sense pratours and other private companies are of direction.