Looking for a road trip in Morocco without the crowds? The drive through Tafraoute and the Anti-Atlas could be your perfect escape. You’ll pass pink granite cliffs, rocky hills, and quiet Berber villages along the way. Italian travelers can enjoy cool mountain air, stop in small towns, and explore a side of Morocco that most tourists never reach. With a rental car, you’re free to explore as you go. Keep reading to discover what makes the Tafraoute and the Anti-Atlas route worth taking.
This road trip is worth taking if you want to see the local side of Morocco. If you have rented a car from Agadir, it gives you the shortest route to Tafraoute at around 160 kilometers, with a drive time of about 3 to 4 hours. If you begin in Casablanca or Rabat, expect a longer journey of 570 to 620 kilometers, taking 9 to 11 hours by car. Spread the trip over 2 to 3 days to enjoy the views without rushing, stopping in places like Agadir, Taroudant, or even Essaouira if you want a coastal detour.
Before renting a car in Morocco, Italian travelers should carry their Italian driver’s license and an International Driving Permit (IDP). Choose full insurance and unlimited mileage limits. Ask for an automatic if you’re not used to driving manual cars in mountain areas.
Choose a compact SUV for this route. The roads to Tafraoute include winding mountain passes, steep climbs, and occasional rough patches, especially in the Anti-Atlas. A compact SUV can handle these curves better than smaller cars. It also offers higher ground clearance, which helps when driving over uneven surfaces or rocky stretches.
Tafraoute sits in a valley carved into the Anti-Atlas Mountains, surrounded by pink granite boulders that glow at sunrise and sunset. It is not easy to reach without a car. Public buses are rare, and taxis don’t go far into the mountains. Here’s how to explore Tafraroute before reaching the Anti-Atlas Mountains:
From Tafraoute, drive south on Aguerd Oudad Street. After passing the "Napoleon's Hat" rock formation, take a right onto a dirt road leading to the Painted Rocks. The Painted Rocks is a unique art installation by Belgian artist Jean Vérame. In 1984, he transformed massive granite boulders into an open-air gallery by painting them in bold blues, pinks, and purples. This psychedelic display stands out against the desert backdrop and is easily accessible by car. Visitors often enjoy hiking among the rocks and capturing photographs of this surreal landscape.
Every Wednesday, the Tafraoute town center becomes busy with vendors selling goods, food, and handmade crafts. The souks are one of the best places in southern Morocco to see daily life and shop for items made by local people. You’ll find soft leather Berber slippers, called babouches, in bright colors with hand-stitched designs. Women’s cooperatives also make bottles of argan oil. This oil is used for cooking, skin care, and hair treatments. Amazigh (Berber) artisans make many pieces of silver jewelry using old methods passed down in their families. Woven rugs, spices, and other handmade products also fill the stalls.
Tafraoute offers a peaceful retreat with its traditional riads and guesthouses. These accommodations often feature rooftop terraces surrounding the granite cliffs.
One notable option is Maison Tigmi Ozro. This guesthouse offers mountain views, a restaurant, and a 24-hour front desk. Another choice is DAR AMGHAR, which features comfortable rooms, a traditional Moroccan courtyard, a rooftop terrace, and free bikes. Auberge Kasbah Chez Amaliya is another popular guesthouse, offering an outdoor swimming pool, garden, shared lounge, and terrace. There is a restaurant serving Moroccan cuisine, and free private parking is available.
Tafraoute is a great base for hikes with rocky views and desert scenery. One of the most popular hikes is to the Painted Rocks. This trail is around 2 kilometers long and takes about 30 minutes each way. The elevation gain is about 100 meters. Once you arrive, you’ll see giant granite boulders painted in bright blue, pink, and purple.
Another favorite is the Lion’s Face rock, shaped like a lion’s head. It’s a 1.5-kilometer walk from Tafraoute’s center. The viewpoint is best visited at sunset when golden light hits the stone surface. The rock stands over 20 meters tall and is part of a small ridge above the village. For a more scenic and longer trail, try hiking through the Ameln Valley. The walk can range from 3 to 8 kilometers, depending on your chosen route. Along the way, you’ll pass terraced fields, palm trees, and small Amazigh villages backed by cliffs.
There’s also a moderate hike to Surf Rock, named for its wave-like shape. The trail is roughly 4 kilometers roundtrip with an elevation gain of 150 meters. Some parts involve scrambling over boulders, but the views across the valley make it worthwhile.
Oumesnat is a small village about 6 kilometers north of Tafraoute in the Ameln Valley. It sits at the base of the Jbel el Kest mountains. The village is known for its traditional Berber houses, which were built from clay and stone. Many of these homes are empty, but some families still live there. A highlight is La Maison Traditionnelle, a small museum inside an old house.
Tazoulait is another village near Tafraoute. It is known for its oasis, where locals grow almond trees and palm trees. The community works to keep the oasis healthy by planting new trees and using solar-powered irrigation. This helps the village stay green and supports local farming.
A Tafraoute road trip isn't complete without a scenic drive through the Anti-Atlas Mountains. This region offers one of Morocco’s most underrated road networks, full of hairpin curves, winding passes, and views that stretch across rocky valleys and jagged peaks.
Start your drive on the R105 road linking Tafraoute to Tiznit or head northeast toward Anezi and Ait Baha. Both routes are paved but narrow, so go slow and watch for livestock or cyclists. The roads snake through remote Berber villages, argan tree groves, and cliffside plateaus.
The drive to Aït Mansour Gorges from Tafraoute takes about 50 minutes. As you descend into the gorge, you’ll pass through barren mountain landscapes before arriving at a lush palm-filled valley. This oasis is framed by tall canyon walls and dotted with small villages built from stone and mud. Seasonal streams cut through the dry riverbeds, creating narrow walking paths and shaded picnic spots. It’s a perfect detour for those looking to stretch their legs and explore.
The Tizourgane Kasbah is a 13th-century fortified village in the Anti-Atlas Mountains of southern Morocco, built on a granite hill near Aït Baha. It once protected traders moving between the Souss Valley and the Atlantic coast. The Kasbah is one of the best-preserved in the Anti-Atlas and has been carefully restored with traditional stone, clay, and wood. You can walk through its narrow alleys, which contain original granaries, stone homes, and defensive towers.
A small museum on-site displays pottery, tools, and other objects from local Berber life. Some restored rooms now serve as guest accommodations. Sunset is the best time to visit. The kasbah faces southwest, and the golden light brings out the reddish tones in the stone. Local caretakers often offer guided tours, sharing stories of the kasbah’s trading past and its unique mountain setting overlooking the Ameln Valley.
Oumesnat is a small Berber village tucked into the lower slopes of the Jbel Lekst mountain range. The village is known for its dry-stone architecture, where houses are built directly into the hillside using local granite, without cement or mortar. This construction stle helps insulate homes against heat and cold, which blends with the rocky landscape of the Anti-Atlas.
The Maison Traditionnelle is a family-run museum located inside a preserved Amazigh home. The layout reflects daily life from earlier generations, with separate rooms for food storage, grinding grain, and preparing tea. You can see original clay jars, woven baskets, wood-burning stoves, and low seating areas arranged around open hearths.
The Idikel Pass, also known locally as Tizi n’Idikel, reaches about 1,200 meters and connects the Ameln Valley to the plateaus beyond Tafraoute. Guardrails are limited, but the road is generally in good condition and passable year-round.
From the top of the pass, travelers are treated to wide, unobstructed views of the Ameln Valley, with its checkerboard of terraced fields, pink granite peaks, and clusters of Amazigh villages built into the mountainside. Photographers often stop here in February and March, when almond trees bloom and the hills take on a mix of green grass and white blossoms. The pass is also a great place to pause and spot wildlife such as eagles or mountain goats, common in this part of the Anti-Atlas.
Tucked near the village of Aday, the Blue Spring is a natural water source that flows through a narrow rocky ravine surrounded by fig trees and oleanders. The spring itself gets its name from the color of the water in certain seasons, when mineral reflections and the light give it a pale turquoise tint. You need to take the 1.5 km hike to reach the spring. It’s especially atmospheric in spring when the surrounding vegetation is lush and the air carries the scent of flowering trees.
The Granaries of Amtoudi are tucked deeper into the southern edge of the Anti-Atlas. It is known locally as Agadir Id Aïssa, one of Morocco’s oldest and most impressive fortified granaries.
The granary is reached via a 1.5 km uphill trail. Built over 900 years ago on a rocky ridge, the structure was made from stone and earth, with dozens of small storage rooms around inner courtyards. Some rooms are still intact and can be entered during guided visits by local custodians. A 4x4 vehicle is recommended to reach the base of the hike, especially if visiting after rains, when parts of the road may be washed out.
The Anti-Atlas isn’t about big cities and busy streets. It’s about seeing another side of Morocco that is slower and quieter. This Morocco road trip for Italians can be rough, but the views are rewarding. Small villages, open valleys, and places like Tizourgane or Oumesnat give you a real look at how people live here. It’s a solid option if you want something different and more down-to-earth.
If you're ready to hit the road, consider renting a car with Finalrentals. You won’t have to stress about limits. We offer unlimited mileage so you can explore as far as you want. With pick-up locations in Rabat, Agadir, and Casablanca, getting started is easy whether you're flying in or already in the city.
