Tafraoute
Tafraoute is a city in the Anti Atlas region of Morocco.
Get in
Getting into and out of Tafraoute is time consuming with at least 3 hours per direction to the next large town. But the drives themselves are very worthwhile for the beautiful views. The R104 between Tiznit and Tafraoute is locally known as "the road of the 400 turns" and a motorcyclists' favourite. It takes too long to do a day trip from Agadir or elsewhere on the coast if traveling by bus or shared taxis.
By car
From Agadir the R105 leads to Tafraoute in 3 hours.
From Taroudant, the P1723 leads south to the R106 which gets you onto the R105 to Tafraoute (3 hours).
Coming from Tiznit on the R104, in a small settlement called Jemaa-Ida-Oussemlal, there is a junction with signs both pointing to Tafraoute; One says 40 km and the other 60 km. The 40-km route is the northern fork. The longer route goes via Izerbi and is the newly resurfaced road.
By bus
Buses to Tafraoute leave regularly throughout the day from Tiznit. Takes about 3½ hours. (Look for the green coloured LUX city buses.) There are CTM buses to Agadir leaving from the center of Tafraoute. One leaving Tafraoute at 8:00 arrives in Agadir at around 12:45.
By taxi
Shared taxis go from Tiznit, with the trip taking about 3 hours. You must also factor in some extra time for the other taxi seats to fill up - we waited 30 minutes. I think we were charged 100 MAD for two travelers (updated December 2023). To get to Tiznit, there are shared taxis from Agadir, about 2.5 hour drive and similar price.
Do
Hike out into the desert to Chapeau de Napoléon or Rochers Peints.
- Hiking & Mountainbiking Go to Tafraout Adventure (on main square opposite post office) for maps, trekking tours, or mountain bike rental.
- Go for a stroll If you have 30 min to spare, walk south along the riverbed (that's the side Hotel Salama is on). After a short walk you'll get a good view of the valley and cool rock formations. You can climb onto some of the rocks for a view of the village.If you are walking on to Napoleon's Hat it is best to rejoin the road when you can (marked as Imiyan on OpenStreetMap) as after then the riverbed gets very overgrown.
Eat
In the restaurant of Hotel Tanger, down at the bridge in the city center. They serve cheap but delicious Tajines.
Drink
- Restaurant La Kasbah Previously described as "A tourist oriented restaurant with patio that also serves alcohol. Probably the closest you'll get to a 'drinks' kind of place in this town". As of November 2022 it no longer serves alcohol, but a beer bought elsewhere can be drunk on the premises. It's south of the bridge near the CTM bus office.
Sleep
- Hotel Les Amandiers Tafraoute's premiere tourist hotel, offering 4-star luxury at reasonable rates. Large, clean en-suite rooms, bar, restaurant, outdoor swimming pool. Friendly staff speak good French, English & German.
- Hotel Salama Modern hotel centrally located next to the bridge
- Hotel Tangier a two storey building on the other side of what is the main river bed through the village.
- Hotel Les Amis Located just past the bridge opposite gas station. No lobby area, but nice clean rooms, good internet and ensuite bathrooms. 150 dirhams.
Go next
Ait Mansour Gorge, a beautiful oasis a short distance from Tafraoute. Can be done in a day trip, but there are very few buses. Hitchhiking is a good way to get back to Tafraoute.
Gdourt a picturesque village above an oasis near Ait Mansour.