NATURAL SCENERYCULTURAL CENTREMAISON D’HÔTEShours) and Meknès (Dh110, seven hours).
Private buses run to Fez (Dh85, five daily), Marrakesh (Dh125, 11 hours, three daily),
Ouarzazate (Dh65, six hours, three daily), and Rissani (Dh25, two hours, nine daily) via Erfoud
(Dh20).
Taxi Offline map Google map Grands taxis depart three blocks northeast of the main bus station.
Destinations include Azrou (Dh90, five hours), Erfoud (Dh20, one hour), Fez (Dh120, five
hours), Meknès (Dh110, five hours), Tinerhir (Dh40, 1½ hours), Rissani (Dh25, 1½ hours) and
Merzouga via Rissani (Dh50, 1½ hours).
Around Er-Rachidia
Diving south to Erfoud you come to the Source Bleue de Meski, then the road turns onto a
desert plateau just north of Aufous, revealing a green gorge below. About 15km after the scenic
overlook, you’ll reach the town of Aufous , which offers useful services – coffee, petrol, phone,
CTM buses and a Supratours office – and has some stunning pisé buildings and an impressive
kasbah ruin above.
Sights
Source Bleue de Meski
This spring-fed swimming pool, the Source Bleue de Meski 17km southeast of Er-Rachidia, is a
weekend draw for heat-struck locals. During the week, it’s not a bad place for a quick dip (Dh5)
and a hike to deserted Ksar Meski on the far side of the oued . The spring is signposted about
1km west of the main road.
Cooperative Al Ouaha
( 0662 22 58 33; 10am-4pm daily Oct-Nov, Tue, Thu & Sat year-round) Visitors who
come through Aufous looking for a date are in luck: there are seven kinds grown in the Aufous
oasis, and you can sample them all here. In the October-to-November date season, the women
of the cooperative will walk you through a date tasting (Dh20), and in the off-season on
Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday souq days, they’ll offer you tastes (Dh20) of nutty tahalout
(date syrup) and natural energy bars made with dates – ‘for athletes, like Luna bars,’ a
cooperative member explains. Product sales and tasting fees help the cooperative extend
microcredit to women to develop new date specialities. The cooperative is signed on the main
road past the village mosque on the left, next to the village commune.
Sleeping & Eating
Maison d’Hôtes Zouala $
( 0555 57 81 82; http://labrisenet.free.fr/mai son_zouala, in French; per person incl
half-board Dh250) A peaceful pisé hideaway with private and shared bathrooms, home cooking
(they bake their own bread) and local touches like embroidered shawls for curtains and jugs as
lamps. Ask about bike rental (half/full day Dh50/80), treks to hidden springs and visits to local
homes during date and olive harvests. A portion of proceeds supports the village association’s