Morocco Destination Guide
Boumalne Dades
Gateway to the Dades GorgeThe Road of
A Thousand Kasbahs
Boumalne Dades is a small market town at the mouth of the Dades gorge, roughly halfway along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs between Ouarzazate and the Sahara. Almost every Morocco itinerary that reaches the desert passes through it, and most spend a night here.
The reason to stop is the gorge itself. The road climbs north from the town through red canyon walls, past the eroded rock towers locals call Monkey Fingers, and finally up a set of hairpin bends so tight and so photographed that they have become one of the recognisable images of Morocco.
It is also the base for the Valley of Roses, a few kilometres west, where damask roses have been grown for rose water since the tenth century and the harvest each May fills the valley with the smell of them.
Boumalne Dades Quick Facts
What to See
and Do in Boumalne Dades
Five things within half an hour of the town, all of them worth the stop.
The Dades Hairpins
Around 25 km up the gorge, a set of switchbacks stacked so tightly they look drawn rather than built. There is a cafe terrace directly above them.
The Monkey Fingers
Eroded sandstone towers rising straight from the valley floor, at their most striking in late afternoon light.
The Valley of Roses
Damask roses grown in hedgerows between the fields at Kelaat M Gouna. Harvested by hand in May and distilled locally into rose water.
The Kasbahs of the Valley
Ait Youl, Ait Arbi and half a dozen more earthen kasbahs stand along the first ten kilometres of the gorge road.
The Village Walks
An easy two hours from most gorge hotels, through irrigated gardens, walnut trees and villages where the road ends.
The Sky Above the Gorge
At 1,600 metres with no towns nearby, Boumalne Dades has some of the clearest night skies on the whole Marrakech to Sahara route.
How to Use
Your Night Here
Most travellers arrive at six and leave at eight the next morning. Four ways to do better.
Sleep Inside the Gorge, Not in Town
Boumalne Dades itself is a functional market town. The hotels 15 to 25 km up the gorge sit under the canyon walls and are far better.
Drive the Hairpins at Sunset
The canyon walls turn deep red in the last hour of light and the road is almost empty once the day traffic has gone.
Walk Before Breakfast
The gorge is coldest and clearest at dawn, and the villages are awake early. An hour on foot beats an extra hour in the car.
Time It for the Rose Harvest
If you are travelling in May, build a morning into the Valley of Roses. The harvest is done by hand at dawn and the festival is truly local.
When to Visit
Boumalne Dades
The gorge sits at over 1,500 metres and has a honest winter. Spring is the clear best season.
April to June. Green valley floor, snowmelt in the river, and the rose harvest through May.
July and August exceed 38C in the valley, though the gorge itself stays cooler than Ouarzazate or the desert.
September and October. Warm days, cold nights, walnut harvest and the clearest air of the year.
December to February. Days can be beautiful and clear but nights fall below zero. Check that your hotel heats the rooms.
Journeys That
Include the Dades
Boumalne Dades sits on the main route between Marrakech and the Sahara and features on most of our desert journeys.
8 DaysSignature Luxury Morocco
Five star riads in Marrakech, a private 4×4 over the Atlas and two nights in a luxury camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi.
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8 DaysMorocco for Women
Eight days for eight women at most, led by Moroccan women throughout, from a Marrakech riad to two nights in the dunes.
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12 DaysUltra Luxury Morocco
Palace hotels in Marrakech and Fes, a private kasbah in Skoura and the most exclusive camp in the Sahara.
View JourneyThey Travelled With Us
Many thanks to our wonderful guide Mohamed and all his team for this wonderful week. We will have wonderful memories for a long time thanks to their warm welcome, their dedicated commitment and their kindness.
Magnificent yoga trek in the Valley of Roses guided by Mohamed, a guide always in a good mood and passionate about his wonderful country. Thank you for your kindness, I will keep a fantastic memory of this trip!
My 2nd trek with Authentic Travel Tour [now Afsou Travels Morocco] and with Mohamed, this time at Toubkal. Mohamed is a great guide, kind, very professional and attentive to all. Everything is perfectly organized and the scenery is beautiful. I recommend 100%.
Break the Drive
Somewhere Worth Stopping
We put our travellers in gorge hotels rather than in town, and we time the hairpins for the last hour of light. Tell us your dates and we will build the route.