Driving the Dades Valley to the M’semrir Souk, Morocco
Driving the spectacular Dades Gorge
A visit to the M’semrir Souk via the spectacular Dades Valley. Until 1933 it was accessed by an ancient caravan route trod only by nomads and Berbers with mules and camels.
M’semrir lies at 2,300m at the top of the Dades valley
We’d heard about the market (souk) at M’semrir (at the far end of the Dades Valley) but despite much Googling were unable to find out much about it at all, other than that there’s a market on Saturdays and it’s a lovely drive up there. So we set off with some trepidation – keen to get off the beaten path (not that we were on it anyway to be honest) but also not wanting to waste a morning of our precious travel time.
We discovered that M'semrir is most definitely not a waste of anyone’s time, and we recommend it wholeheartedly – it’s rare nowadays to be able to join an old tradition and to witness true rural life in the mountains that has barely changed for centuries. We were the only tourists there – fantastic.
Driving the Dades Gorge
M’semrir lies at 2,300m at the top of the Dades valley – the road stops there and was only tarmacked in 1933. Before then it was an ancient caravan route – trod only by nomads and Berbers with mules and camels. It is still narrow and often has steep drops to the side but is quiet and passes through absolutely awe-inspiring scenery – truly unbelievable.
The Dades Gorges are a series of rugged limestone river canyons (or wadis), with vertical cliffs plummeting down to the narrow Dades River snaking its way down. I’ve not been to the Grand Canyon but suspect it’s a smaller version of that. (Subsequent research has found that the Dades Gorge is indeed often referred to as Morocco’s Grand Canyon).
When we visited in December 2022 there’d hardly been any rain in the area for at least 2-3 years and so the river was much smaller and shallower than it normally would be – indeed in parts it had disappeared completely and all the precious vegetation around it lay parched.
Everyone who drives through the Dades Gorges seems to take the same photo of the hairpins in the road but that to me somehow seems to miss the point – the road is one small manmade feature in what is a truly exceptional natural landscape.
A small nomad boy with an equally small camel had placed himself on one of the bends – showing great business prowess as he really added to both the view and our photos in return for a few dirhams. His even smaller sister was on the other side of the pass with a few baby goats – normally we’d be suspicious of being ripped off but they seemed really sweet and genuine and so we happily parted with our coins for the photo opp.
Amazigh nomadic tribes have lived in the valley since at least 2000BC – living in and moving between caves which can be seen throughout the area, as well as using their tents made of wool and animal skin.
The river was (and still is) a vital resource – providing not only drinking water for people and their animals but also the cultivation of crops as the nomads travelled less and less. Climate change (and the accompanying lack of snow and rain) is now threatening the future of the nomadic tribes as they face ever more intense droughts – they simply cannot survive without water.
Amazigh nomads tending to stay within a relatively small area whilst the Tuareg (mainly found in the Sahara) travel for long distances, including between countries. They in turn are also now threatened by border controls eg with Algeria, which prevent them travelling on their historic trade routes. Many Amazigh nomads have now permanently settled, and their gardens can be seen everywhere – they are passed down through the generations and used to grow grass (for the animals), wheat and vegetables – along with fruit trees (walnuts, apples and fig). Reeds are also grown and used in the construction of the mud houses – being spread across rafters to form ceilings.
Amazigh are generally known as Berbers but it’s a term they find offensive as it was originally used by the Romans and comes from the Latin for ‘barbaric’. Given their sense of hospitality, sense of family and tradition, and innate respect for animals, one can fully understand why.
M’semrir Souk
The souk (market) at M’semrir takes place on Saturday mornings. Throngs of people from all around the region descend to buy vital foodstuffs and provisions – often travelling by mule or on foot. I noted that women shop together in groups and so do men – but never couples. Our guide, Daoud, explained that they simply wouldn't do so – they only go to the market if they need something and so they don't both have to go. True destination shopping, with purchases borne out of necessity rather than being the leisure pursuit that it generally is in the UK.
Couples in Morocco don't seem to be seen together outside the home (or not that we saw other than on mopeds) and public displays of affection are forbidden – something to bear in mind. You should also not photograph people without asking for their permission, especially women, who generally will refuse and their right to do so must be respected.
It was very cold in M’semrir when we visited (about 3°C) and unusually cloudy, and so the men were all wrapped up in their djellabas – the traditional Moroccan garment made of warm wool, with long sleeves and a pointed hood. The women were also often wearing fleece blankets or hand-loomed Handira over their winter coats and kaftans – which sometimes contained a sleeping baby looking warm and cosy. Small groups of men clustered around fires in metal drums – we were invited to join one group and enjoyed chatting in French about the World Cup while warming our cold hands.
The weekly souk is an important social event for the local community and people gather together to drink tea, chat, laugh and exchange news.
The quality of the fruit and veg was stunning and we happily bought ingredients for a veggie soup we had in mind. We weren’t brave enough to buy any meat and especially not the severed cows, sheep and goats heads that were on sale – in their entirety and complete with fur 🤢 Apparently though, they (and associated feet) are delicacies and are often steamed in a pressure cooker after being initially completely charred over coals to remove the fur. They are especially popular after Eid-al-Adha when meat is more plentiful following the sacrificial slaughter of the family’s sheep, goat, cow or camel, and eaten as part of the festivities.
A Berber omelette shared with our guide Daoud
We were also struck by the stalls selling (very) used shoes and clothing – truly sustainable but also indicative of a way of life far removed from our own. We saw stalls selling rock salt in its raw form (literally piles of rocks) and traditional nomadic footwear made from old car tyres. We bought two loaves of bread and several pastries for the princely sum of £1.50 – all delicious.
After an hour wandering around the market, we went for coffee and breakfast in one of the cafes – breakfast consisted of a Berber omelette flavoured with cumin, peppers, tomatoes and onion – it was absolutely scrumptious and sizzling when delivered to our table.
The standard rate for an excellent café au lait seems to be around 80p at the time of writing. We enjoyed sitting people watching and absorbing the atmosphere before the cold forced us back to the warm car.
Imagine how you’d expect Mars to look
Finally, let’s get onto the scenery. I’ve left it to last because I don't really know how to describe it. Imagine how you’d expect Mars to look – massive mountains of clearly defined sedimentary sandstone and limestone sculpted into incredible shapes and formations before plunging down into impossibly deep valleys.
Vertical cliffs and rock of every shade of orange/amber/russet/ochre, with naturally formed caves in which man has lived for thousands of years – one of the most ancient civilisations on earth. A landscape full of fossils and the skeletons of the dinosaurs that once roamed through it. Completely timeless, raw, elemental beauty. Awesome in the word’s truest sense.
Should you visit the Dades Gorge?
This article doesn't even vaguely do M’semrir and the Dades Gorge justice, so you’ll just have to go and travel through it yourself!