Ouarzazate

At the doors of the Great Moroccan South, Ouarzazate is a magnificent mix of oasis, kasbahs and green valleys. It is a vast desert plateau where the fresh shade of palm trees follows the unlimited rocky landscapes. Ouarzazate is regularly swept by the winds of Sahara. With temperatures reaching 40°C in summer, the contrast with the summits of the Atlas covered with snow is striking.


This variety of landscapes is one of the reasons why Ouarzazate was chosen since the 1970s as the location for shooting numerous movies. Its studios are renowned worldwide and Ouarzazate welcomes regularly numerous movie stars.Its striking landscapes also entice many painters, writers or businessmen in search for tranquillity and natural beauty.

Aït Benhaddou is 30 kilometres from the town. Just imagine a fabulous sand castle transported, as if by magic, to stand in the middle of a field of flowering almond trees. So beautiful and playing so artfully with the light that it has oftenbeen used as a setting for films such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Un Thé au Sahara". Indeed, this kasbah is so exceptional that UNESCO bas given it world heritage status.

The point of departure for the road to the oases, Ouarzazate is also the destination for a wealth of produce and craftwork. Every Sunday, in the souk, can be found an abundance of henna, roses, cumin and distilled wormwood together with Berber pottery, carved stone abjects, blankets and the bille and golden yellow motifs of the famous Ouzguita carpets.
An ideal place to have a break during your journey, Ouarzazate offers splendid hotel accommodation in which to relax. Generous, welcoming and amazingly different, it serves as a gent le introduction to the powerful emotions that lie ahead in the desert.