Posts Tagged ‘Tarodaunt Day Tour’

Taroudant, Mini-Marrakech & Walled Berber City, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Tarodaunt Walled City

If you want a relaxing stay in an authentic walled Berber town look no further than the medieval town of Taroudant. It lies beside the High Atlas mountains in the Sous Valley in the southern part of Morocco and it has retained its authentic Berber character and roots. Taroudant is well placed as a base for exploring the region  to the east of  Agadir  and its beaches, it is on the road to Ouarzazate and the Sahara desert and adrive over the dramatic Tizi n’Test pass to Marrakech.

It is said to resemble a smaller version of Marrakech with its walls and ramparts surrounding the city. For a very short time Tarodaunt was indeed the capital of the Saadian dynasty  used as a base for attacking the Portuguese in Agadir. The Saadians then moved to Marrakech. Taroudant saw its golden age during the reign of Mohammed ash-Sheikh who constructed the city walls and built the great mosque and its minaret in 1528. Taroudant unlike the imperial cities of Fes, Marrakech and Meknes does not have a ville nouvelle, a modern part of town, which greatly adds to its authentic ancient atmosphere and charm. It has a population of around 70,000 but retains its small market town character.

Taroudant remains a traditional Berber fortified  town enclosed by its ramparts which are the best preserved in Morocco, nearly 6 kilometres long with bastions and nine gates that still remain intact. A perfect way to see the town walls is to take a horse drawn caleche or hire a bicycle. It was an important staging and trading post on the ancient camel trading route and there is still a small tannery outside the ramparts selling products made from camel hide such as leather bags,sandals and belts. The town is well known for its quality leather products.

Its souks are welcoming and relaxed and excellent value for discerning shoppers, especially for local crafts and Berber and Tuareg jewellery, for which it is renowned. Prices here are significantly less than in the big cities like Marrakec and Fes. There are souks near each of the two main squares, Assarag and Talmoklate.

There is also a weekly souk outside the city walls, near the new university district. Taroudant has always benefited from the diverse agricultural produce from the Souss  and remains a local market town  .The Berber market, called Jnane al-Jaami, sells spices and dried fruits but mostly clothes and household goods. The Arab souk, however, specialises in handicrafts such as terracotta, wrought iron, pottery, brass and copper, leather and carpets, rugs and jewellery. It is a place to gain a real insight into Morocco’s everyday culture and environment.

It has a very equitable climate in winter and in summer it is cooled by the current from the Canaries. It is therefore no surprise that Taroudant is home to some of the best hotels in the south of Morocco; they include the the exclusive haunt of the rich and famous, the Hotel Gazelle D’Or, which began as hunting lodge for a French baron in the 1920’s and was converted into a hotel after the  Second World War, it has superb grounds. Other well known hotels include the Dar Zitoun and the Hotel Palais Salam and there is a full range of hotel accommodation in town. The Riad al Hossoun also comes highly recommended and has a superb garden and views of the Atlas Mountains.

Activities outside Taroudant include visiting Berber villages in the foot hills of the High Atlas and Anti Atlas mountains and the Oases and experiencing the wild life and birds in the Souss Massa National Park The village of Tioute 36 kms from Taroudant has a Kasbah on a hill which has been partly converted into a restaurant area with a pool which is alluring in the summer heat. The ancient fortified village of Freija is 11 km from Taroudant also has a Kasbah, now the Riad Freija.

For More Information on a Tarodaunt Tour 

Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate
Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Tarodaunt Tour From Agadir, Your Morocco Tour Guide

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

Tarodaunt Walled City

Taroudant is a Moroccan city located in the Sous Valley in the southern part of the country. It is situated east from Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south from Marrakech. Tarodaunt can be easily visited as a day tour  from Agadir. Tarodaunt is called the “Grandmother of Marrakech” because it is a scaled down, slowed down town that resembles Marakech with its orange colored surrounding ramparts. Since Agadir is only one hour from  Tarodaunt a Tarodaunt Tour is the perfect way to spend an afternoon when arriving from a cruise ship at the Agadir Port.

Tarodaunt Souk

Tarodaunt has the feel of a small fortified market town on a caravan route and is known for its local crafts like like jewelry and carpet. On a Tarodaunt Tour from Agadir the city can be explored fully as a result of it’s intimate size. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant contains almost the whole city within its ancient walls. Recently, however, a new area is being developed outside the city walls around the huge campus of a faculty of the Ibn Zohr university of Agadir.  Tarodaunt was occupied by the Almoravides in 1506. On a Tour of Tarodaunt you can explore the sites and sounds of this charming old city.

 Tarodaunt Tour from Agadir – Day Trip Itinerary

► Pick up at your Hotel or the Port in Agadir.

► By the roadside you will see Argan Trees, with their gnarled and twisted trunks. This tree is typical of south-west Morocco and produces nuts that are the source of a rich and tasty oil.

►See goats clambering along the knotted tree trunks and branches to feed on the leaves and fruit, and your vehicle will stop to let you take photos. Continue on to the beautiful walled city of Taroudant, former capital of the Saadian dynasty. Stop for photographs by the ramparts and then visit the Jnane Soussia restaurant for a refreshing cup of mint tea or a glass of soda.

► Visit an Argan Cooperative whereby you can see how Argan nuts, oil and butter are made from the Argan Tree.

► Afterwards explore the medina (the maze of narrow streets near the town center) and visit the excellent souks. The Berber market in Taroudant sells vegetables and spices and also clothes and household goods, while the Arab souk specializes in handicrafts such as terracotta, wrought iron, pottery, brass and copper, leather, carpets and rugs, and jewellery

►Visit the ancient walls of Tarodaunt that extend around the entire city and Place al Alouvine which is a large, central square and the heart of the medina. It plays host to a mini Djemaa El Fna most evenings. Storytellers and musicians are there.

►Have lunch at a charming cafe in the old city or at the Riad Zitoune restaurant with an interior palmary and gardens or Restaurant La Valla. If time allows stop in a Berber Village just outside of Tarodaunt for tea with a Berber family.

► Return to your Hotel or the Port in Agadir.

For more information about a Tarodaunt  Tours

For More Information About Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate
Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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