Morocco day 14. Thousand Kasbahs Route, Todra Gorge and Merzouga

Submitted by maria on Fri, 20/09/2024 - 11:06

Dawn in Tinerhir, rain will accompany us most of the day.

Tinerhir

Today is our last stage on the route of the Thousand Kasbahs. First stop Todra Gorge.

Todra Gorge

From Tinerhir we take the N12 road to the beginning of the gorge. The Todra Gorges are famous for being one of the most spectacular rocky canyons in Morocco, a magnet for climbers but also for tourists.

The gorge has vertical walls on both sides of the road a hundred meters high. In the gorge you can do climbing, there is a via ferrata enabled at the end of the canyon and you can also make a circular route of about 8 kilometers with 500 meters of slope that crosses and surrounds the gorge. We did part of the route, but we had to turn back, as it started to rain heavily and did not stop all day.

It is difficult to visit it alone, there are usually hundreds of tourists even on rainy days.

Todra Gorge

We return to the car to return to Tinerhir and take the N10 road to Tinejdad where we stop for lunch. We eat at the cafe-restaurant Omega, two pizzas, rice and omelet for 175 dh the four. The food was very tasty and economical.

Todra Gorge

We continue our way along the R702 road to Merzouga.

After passing through the palm grove of Jorf and its khettaras we arrive in Erfoud, capital of fossils and minerals of Morocco where you can find several museums and excursions in search of minerals.

Signal

The khettaras are subway galleries with a slight slope to reach an aquifer and thanks to gravity the water flows to the exit. What we see are the wells that act as ventilation chimneys that help the irrigation system, in Merzouga, next to the palm grove, you can also see them.

We arrive in Merzouga, it seems to have stopped raining. In the last two weeks it has rained so much that the lagoon has overflowed flooding the road and the river has returned to flow. A very rare sensation to see rain in the desert. But the local people are happy, it has been 20 years since they had water in the river.

Merzouga

Merzouga is one of the most popular destinations in Morocco to visit the Sahara desert thanks to its accessibility to the Erg Chebbi dunes that surround the city. In fact most of the accommodations are located at the foot of the dunes. The dunes in this area have a pinkish or reddish color that contrasts with the dark stone.

We are told that the sand of Merzouga is famous for its therapeutic properties against certain rheumatic diseases. During the months of July and August there are many visits from patients with such diseases who come looking for these beneficial sand baths, an ancient Berber treatment against these ailments.

Merzouga is one of the last cities closest to the border with Algeria where you can make all kinds of experiences in the desert, 4x4, quad biking, sandboarding, camel riding ... everywhere will offer you some kind of activity.

Our accommodation

In Merzouga there are many options for accommodation, riads, hostels, hotels or desert camps. We decided to stay in a riad as we had already had the experience of camping in Erg Chegaga.

We stayed at Aubergine Riad Oasis next to the river, facing the palm grove and the dunes. The views are spectacular and the accommodation is very nice. We are welcomed with tea and nuts.

Once we are settled we go for a walk around Merzouga to buy something for dinner. The main activity is around a square they call a shopping centre where there are several grocery shops.

Night falls and it starts to rain again.