Figuig Travel Guide

If you are the adventurous type, the desert trip from Er-Rachidia to Figuig will blow your mind. It is a 6 hour journey through the isolated lands of Morocco, dominated by spectacular red mountains. While peering out the window of your bus, you’ll notice there is very little human presence in the arid landscape, only a couple mining villages and military outposts. You’ll probably have to change buses at Bouarfa , a lovely place with a couple of hotels, if you need to rest.

Figuig is a great medieval desert town situated in a date palm oasis. Figuig is the largest date palm oasis in the country with over 200,000 trees. There are many ksour off the main road, each one within its own palm oasis and enclosed with walls. Each ksour was fiercely independent, fighting each other over limited water and other family feuds, until the 20th century. For the best panoramic view, go to the platform above the Zenaga ksar where you can see most of the palm oasis and the surrounding mountains. The prettiest ksour is called Zénaga. Until 1960, there was a large Jewish population. Now, the population is predominately Berber.

If the border is open, you can continue on to Algeria. However, the border is closed currently and I would not recommend a trip to Algeria for safety reasons.

The area is good for long hikes. Accommodation is easy. One hotel, many houses for tourists at low prices, four bus a day, that sums it up. But it's great to get a feel of a desert border town.

External link

http://en.zousfana.com