NATURAL SCENERYKASBAHCULTURAL CENTREWalking the Skoura Oasis, feet naturally fall into rhythm with the bossa-nova sway of stately palms. But they’re not here for
looks: palms have work to do in the oasis, providing dates, shade and fronds to be woven into roofing material, floor coverings
and fencing to contain grumpy donkeys.
Palms are plentiful in this ‘Oasis of 1000 Palms’, but not one of them can be taken for granted. One concern is Bayoud
disease, a fungus that passes from palm to palm. Unesco is taking steps to protect palm oases from Aït Benhaddou to Figuig,
declaring the oases a biosphere reserve, and the Moroccan government is planting palms believed to be Bayoud-resistant.
But Skoura’s majestic palms face another danger, reports Mohamed Elkasbaoui, director of the Skoura Cultural Centre’s
palm preservation initiative. ‘The biggest threat to our palms isn’t actually Bayoud: it’s poverty,’ he says. ‘When crops fail, to
support their families, some people illegally sell palms to decorate big-city resorts.’
To address this problem, the centre recently opened an oasis arts showcase on the eastern edge of town. Here Skoura
residents sell items made with palm fronds, sustainably harvested without harming the trees. For travellers who’ve admired
Morocco’s majestic palm groves, these sun hats, breadbaskets, mats and glass-lined lanterns make meaningful mementos –
and purchases support the centre’s palm preservation efforts.
‘The showcase provides income to people between crop harvests, when there is the greatest need,’ Elkasbaoui explains.
‘It’s a small showcase, but it represents a big idea: if we take care of these trees, they’ll provide for us, our children, and our
children’s children.’Sights & Activities
Palm Groves
Skoura’s defining features remain its mudbrick kasbahs and vast Unesco-protected palm
groves, earning the moniker ‘Oasis of 1000 Palms’. Under this green canopy, a 15-mile
patchwork of carefully tended garden plots are watered by an ingenious, centuries-old khattara
system of locks, levers and canals. Plump birds twitter away in the trees; more than 100 bird
species flourish here. To experience Skoura’s splendours from the inside out, stay overnight in a
pisé’ guesthouse and explore the palmeraie on foot or bicycle (most guesthouses arrange
rentals).
Kasbah Amridil
(unguided/guided visit Dh10/50) Morocco’s most coveted kasbah is this 17th-century wonder,
which appears on Morocco’s 50-dirham note. Signposted just a few hundred metres from the
main road, this living museum shows that traditional kasbah life hasn’t changed much over the
centuries, with hand-carved door locks, an olive-oil press, still-functioning bread ovens, and
goats bleating in the courtyard.
Skoura Cultural Centre
( 0524 85 23 92; N10; 9am-noon & 2.30-5.30pm Sun-Thu) An enterprising NGO,
showcasing local ingenuity at its crafts showcase on weekdays and offering Sunday tours by
bicycle or on foot (five-day advance booking required) for a sliding-scale donation (Dh200 to
Dh500 per person). Proceeds support the centre’s water-conservation, literacy and palm-
preservation programs (Click here ). It’s 300m on the left after the Skoura crossroads.
Sleeping & Eating
Note that there is no ATM in Skoura, and since most local guesthouses don’t accept credit
cards, you’ll need to stop for cash in Ouarzazate.