the way to the Sahara, Zagora is a common stopover. It’s the last major town you’ll encounter on your way to Erg Chigaga, one of Morocco’s two great dunes.
top 7 reasons to visit Zagora, The oasis of Zagora is a destination in its own right, although most travellers don’t spend more than one night there! With few signs of modernisation, it’s a great place to experience traditional Moroccan life in stunning surroundings.
Here are our top 7 reasons to visit Zagora:
The vast palm grove
If you like palms, then you’ve come to the right place! Stretching for miles between the city and the river are family-owned gardens filled with date palms. There are several paths between the gardens. They are ideal for a stroll.
Harvested from September to November, more than 30 varieties of dates grow in the region. The city is famous for the country’s best dates. The hot, dry climate, where temperatures can reach 50°C (120°F) in summer, is responsible for their deliciousness.
Draa River:
At 1,100 kilometres (683 miles), the Draa is Morocco’s longest river. It flows through the Zagora region, although it’s not always full of water. A dam in Ouarzazate stops it from flowing, so when it is opened the water only flows further south.
In summer the river is often full. It’s typical to see children swimming in it, while adults usually flock to its banks in the evenings to sit on a newly built boardwalk.
top 7 reasons to visit Zagora: Timbuktu road painting:
the largest souk in the south:
Zagora is the place to visit if you want to experience a traditional souk (Moroccan market)! Every Sunday and Wednesday, traders throng to the square just outside the town centre to sell their wares. Divided into different sections, the souk is huge. Fruit, vegetables, meat and live animals are sold. Traditional clothing, local handicrafts, toiletries, kitchenware and furniture are also on sale. An adjacent flea market sells second-hand items such as bicycles, tents and clothes. These are usually brought over from Europe. An enormous date market is also held during the autumn date season.
Street Arts:
The colourful streets of Asilah to the north could soon be rivalled in Zagora. Last year, a local association recruited young people to paint the streets. The residential areas near the city centre have been brightened up. Elaborate paintings of the region, often depicting palm trees and traditional kasbahs, now adorn many of the street corners. Walking around is sure to reveal some hidden gems!.
Watermelons:
Zagora is famous for its watermelons, although you might not expect them to grow in the desert. In recent years, previously uncultivated surrounding land has proven to be ideal for growing these melons.
The watermelon season starts early because the climate is warmer than in other regions. Due to the lack of rainfall, extensive irrigation is required. The start of the harvest is in April, the earliest in the country. During April and May, buyers from all over the country flock to the town and gather in the main square to try to negotiate a good deal. An empty square gets filled with lorries waiting to transport. To feed those waiting for a deal, pop-up stalls selling food and drink are open day and night.
Local watermelons should be part of your diet if you visit Zagora in the spring.
How far is it from Zagora to Timbuktu? It’s a mere 52-day camel-riding from Zagora. That’s what the famous sign on the western edge of town says.
For centuries, a procession of camels would travel from Marrakech across the Sahara and on until they reached Timbuktu in Mali, 52 days from Zagora. Zagora was a popular stop on this route through the desert, known as the “road of salt”. These caravans, which carried dates, silver, gold, slaves, handicrafts and, of course, salt, made many a Moroccan sultan rich.
Although the camels and nomads depicted today are historically accurate, the original painting has been replaced by successive copies over the years.
Dinosaur Park:
Away from the main road, just past the centre of the town, two dinosaurs stand tall behind the gates of a small park. Created by local artist Amer Oubani, who wanted to immortalise some of the region’s cultural heritage, the statues are of T. rex and Triceratops. Minerals and fossils abound in Morocco. Morocco is rich in minerals and fossils and has been the site of several important dinosaur fossil discoveries. Click to know more about Desert Morocco
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