4 Best Sights in Agdz, The Great Oasis Valleys

Look for the turnoff to the Cascades du Drâa (also known as the Cascades de Tizgui) on the left, 30 km (19 miles) south of Ouarzazate and 10 km (6 miles) before Agdz. Over thousands of years, the water has carved out natural pools that are ideal for a refreshing dip. The waterfalls are not huge—not on the scale of Ouzoud—but if you want to see palm trees, figs, and oleander flowers springing from the rocks, and dip your toes (or all of you) in cold water, they are still worth a detour.

The truncated pyramidal towers and bastions of the Ksar Igdâoun are visible 15 km (9 miles) past the turnoff onto Route 6956/R108 to Tazzarine. There used to be three gates to the ksar: one for Jews; one for other people who lived nearby; and one for the local governor.

This outcropping is one of the most prominent natural features in Agdz. The name itself means "glasses" in Arabic, referring to the shape of Moroccan tea glasses. There are paths that can be walked to the summit. The real show comes at sunset when the face of the mountain changes with shades of yellow, orange, purple, and pink.  

Lining virtually the entire Drâa Valley from Agdz to Zagora are some two dozen ksour and kasbahs on both sides of the river. Perhaps the most amazing ksour in this region are at Tamnougalt, 6 km (4 miles) south of Agdz—the second group of red-pisé fortifications on the left. The resident Amazigh tribe, the Mezguita, governed its own independent republic from here until the late 18th century; the crenellated battlements and bastions were a necessary defense against desert nomads. For a deeper understanding of the tribe’s traditional way of life, peruse the displays of farming and household implements in Tamnougalt’s Kasbah des Caids du Mezguita museum. Occupying a restored 16th-century edifice, it is run by Hassan Aït el Caid (a descendant of the original caids who controlled the trade caravans passing through the region). Hassan can also take you on a walking tour through the village and the oasis, and explain the local Amazigh tribes and their origins en route. Donkey treks and picnics can be arranged as well.