ART & CRAFTMAISON D’HÔTESMAISON D’HÔTESshops and a Sunday souq .
About 2km beyond Aït Oudinar the road takes a turn for the harrowing, with hairpin bends.
When the road flattens out again, you might take that as your cue to turn around: you’ve
covered the best gorge scenery you can see without 4WD or good hiking shoes. There’s a
good trekking trail heading northwest, beginning just across the river, 28km from Boumalne du
Dadès.
The road is sealed all the way to Msemrir (63km), but you’ll need a 4WD beyond that –
especially for the piste that leads southeast into Todra Gorge. If you’re up for a challenge, you
could travel north from Msemrir over the High Atlas to Imilchil. Market day in Msemrir is
Saturday.
Sights
Aït Oudinar Women’s Weaving Cooperative
( 0666 39 69 49, 0677909670; 24km Aït Oudinar; 9am-noon Mon-Thu, to 3pm Sat &
Sun) Tufted carpets are made at this village association-run cooperative, but soft kilim blankets
made with undyed, extra-fluffy lambswool are signature pieces. The women are introducing
non-chemical dyes made from local walnuts shells (brown), onion skins (yellow) and poppies
(black). Items are sold at fixed prices and the weaver is paid directly, with a small percentage
to fund cooperative initiatives – including renovating an abandoned mosque to house the
growing cooperative. To support their efforts, visitors are welcome to make sliding-scale
donations (Dh100 to Dh300). From the roadside sign, follow arrows to the western bank to find
the converted stable currently housing the cooperative.
Activities
Most hotels in the gorge and Boumalne du Dadès can arrange hiking guides (Dh180 to Dh250
per day), 4WD trips to the Todra Gorge and bicycle hire (Dh75 to Dh100).
Sleeping
Most accommodation listed below is within 28km of Boumalne du Dadès, and the kilometre
markings refer to the distance from Boumalne. Most will let you sleep in the salon or on the
terrace (even in summer you may need a sleeping bag) for around Dh30, or camp by the river
for Dh10 to Dh30.
Kasbah de Mimi $$
( 0524 83 05 05; [email protected]; 12km, Aït Ibrine; per person incl half-
board Dh500; ) Save yourself the trouble of cultivating friends with fabulous country
houses, and book a weekend at one of four rooms in Kasbah de Mimi. At this painstakingly
restored cliffside getaway, everything is in excellent taste: Berber baraka painted on living-room
walls, pâté hors d’ouevres, water-conserving terrace gardens and a grand piano in the fully
stocked library. The cliffhanger of a driveway is harrowing, but village kids will cheer your
arrival.