Feb 28 2009
Morocco: Tafraoute and Tiznit
On a day trip from Agadir, one can visit both Tafroute, a city deep in the dark red interior of the Anti-Atlas mountains, and Tiznit, a small town founded in 1881 by Sultan Hassan I.
The 12-hour tourist day trip that visits both towns spends a lot of the time on the road, but the views of the rising dark red rocks with patches of bushes and farmland spotting the countryside were well worth it, particularly since it’s so different from the coastal views of Agadir and Essaouria and the bustle of Marrakesh.
Tafroute is a typical Moroccan country town with many women and children because the men are off making money in the larger cities and abroad. Off the beaten path, the town could serve as a quite retreat with palm-filled oases and a popular rock formation known as “Napolean’s Hat” towering above. The town clearly has a Berber influence—the Berbers are a native North African tribe that have had a significant influence on Morocco’s history and culture. It’s a good location for those looking for a more active vacation—walking, hiking, and biking can all be done in very close proximity. As it is off the beaten path, however, accommodation choices are slim and restaurant choices may be limited.
Tiznit is a smaller Moroccan town South of Agadir. The city is known for its silver jewelry and there are many options for those looking for unique creations—that don’t cost very much. Again, as a smaller town, food and accommodation choices are limited, but probably a bit more authentic than some of the other popular tourist spots like Agadir and Marrakesh.
In February, the almond blossom trees of the area are in bloom, so the white blossoms against the red rocks are striking, but don’t expect anything like a festival as some tourism information sites label it—locals didn’t know what we were talking about.
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The square, bordered by the Koutoubia Mosque, is one of the busiest in Africa—filled with orange juice stands and women offering henna art for tourists during the day and storytellers, dancing boys, and magicians at night.
Arrival: Marrakesh has a major airport with daily flights from numerous cities. 
Food: Again, your food choices are numerous.
Just North of 
Essaouira first became a port in the 7th century when it was discovered by the Phoenicians and continued as an important location for importing and exporting under various powers including Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and, of course, France (cannons purchased by those powers still surround the town). Although the city lost some of its status when the French chose to focus on using Casablanca as its port, the city regained fame with the filming of Othello by Orson Welles in the 1950s and visits from Cat Stevens and Jimi Hendrix in the 60s and 70s.
