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The High Atlas Mountains The Draa Valley |
The Dadés Valley Moulay Idriss |
The Rif Mountains Volubilis |
Image © www.istockphoto.com/COffe72
The river Draa is the longest in Morocco, flowing south east from the man-made lake of Barrage el Mansour Eddahbi, near Ouarzazate, beyond Zagora, before heading due west towards the Atlantic near Tan-Tan. A distance of around 1100Km in total though for much of the year, the last section heading west (a distance of around 500Km) will be dry.
The interesting and well known part of the Draa Valley starts from Agdz, approximately 50 Km
south east of Ouarzazate, for the next 100Km odd to Zagora.
The area has been inhabited for thousands of years, evidensed by the ancient cave drawings
that have been found.
Today the Draa Valley has been called the date basket of North Africa due to this stretch of
river being lined with terraces of date palms and other crops watered by the river water through a sophisticated system of channels.
Along this section of the river you will find numerous fortified villages, occupied by
villages who work on the land and live a life that will not have seen much change.
Although Ouarzazate has an airport, it will be difficult ot find international flights there -
Marrakech 200 Km north or Agadir 300 Km west being the other alternatives