MUSEUMlocal agency hires out small cars for Dh500/400 per day for one/seven days.
Taxi
Grands taxis gather at the bus station outside Bab Zorgane.
Agad (Dh27) Infrequently.
Inezgane (Dh23) Change here for frequent services to Agadir.
Marrakesh (Dh100) To travel via the Tizi n’Test, you will need to hire the entire taxi (Dh700).
Getting Around
Taroudannt is a good place to cycle; bikes can be rented at Brahim Bikes Offline map Google map
(Place al-Alaouyine; per hr/day Dh10/50) , next to Hôtel Taroudannt. Petits taxis charge Dh7
per trip (Dh10 at night).
Taliouine
The straggling village of Taliouine, halfway between Taroudannt and Ouarzazate, is dominated
by hills and the impressive Glaoui kasbah.
Taliouine is the African centre of l’or rouge (red gold) – saffron, the world’s most expensive
spice. You can buy it here for about Dh40 per gram. The purple crocus sativus flower, from
which the spice comes, grows only above 1200m. It flowers between mid-October and mid-
November, when a festival is held to celebrate the harvest and you can see locals picking the
flowers around villages 12km east of Taliouine.
A maison safran (saffron centre) is set to open here, with a market for the spice and a lab
where you can check your purchase is the real deal.
Sights & Activities
Activities can be arranged through Yallahtrek ( 0667 39 80 78; www.yallah.ch) , near
Coopérative Souktana du Safran, as well as through the hotels. The Swiss-Moroccan company
specialises in trekking activities, but it also offers saffron tours, programs for families, climbing,
mountain biking, skiing, 4WD excursions, and dance and drumming workshops. Longer
packages are available.
Coopérative Souktana du Safran
( 0528 53 44 52; 8.30am-6pm) Founded in 1979, the oldest of Taliouine’s 14 saffron
cooperatives has 154 members (153 are men). The centre is well worth visiting for the small
museum and informative employees. They can explain saffron production, give you a tasting
and sell you the spice, plus related products including chocolates, bonbons and calligraphy ink.
SAFFRON FACT FILE
» » The flowers are harvested before sunrise, as sunlight depletes the saffron’s taste and vitamin content.