Is Taroudant the authentic alternative to Marrakesh, Morocco?
Taroudant is a Berber market town with the best preserved town walls in Morocco and a backdrop of the High and Anti Atlas Mountains.
Morocco: a mystical land of towering mountains, fragrant bustling souks, cool riads, steaming tagines, exotic oases, russet sand dunes, nomadic herdsmen and traditions stretching back thousands of years. A land of spices, camels and mystery. A land where the sun shines in indigo skies, even in winter.
Discover the real Morocco in Taroudant
But all those enticing images may come crashing down when you first arrive in Marrakesh; when you’re set upon by insistent stall holders doing the hard sell on products of doubtful provenance (often China, rather than the claimed artisans in the Atlas Mountains); when you’re tucking into a rather tasteless bowl of couscous and when you’re hijacked into visiting the foul-smelling tanneries where donkeys with hollow eyes and backs haul wooden carts piled high with still steaming (and sometimes still bleeding) animal skins.
Don't get me wrong, lots of people love Marrakesh and it does have many charms, but it takes both time and effort to hunt them down.
Which is why, when I and my school friend Kerry decided on a girls’ trip to Morocco, we decided to go somewhere else: somewhere that promised welcome sunshine in February, genuine bustling souks, ancient rammed-earth ramparts and friendly people. We chose Taroudant. Taroudant is a relatively easy drive of about 45 minutes from Agadir airport, with the main hazard presented by the hordes of cyclists and moped riders without any form of light or helmet – beware if you arrive at night.
Agadir airport itself isn’t huge and doesn't present any major problems although we did arrive at a bad time (late afternoon, along with several other flights) and had to queue for an hour to get through customs. There is a Fast Track option but it’s very expensive (60 euros)
We were lucky enough to stay at Riad Tania Mozaik
Riad Tania Mozaik, which has an exceptional rating of 9.8 on Booking.com and thereby sits among the very best-rated riads in Taroudant. Probably THE best-rated. An airport transfer organised by the riad is 45 euros each way and absolutely delicious three course-dinners are 20 euros (2025 prices). You can also buy scrumptious delicious Moroccan wine. The riad is beautiful – furnished and designed with real love and flair by Tania herself – each piece carefully selected from the local souks.
Don’t expect total luxury, but you will receive a genuine, warm welcome, personal attention and a relaxing, authentic Moroccan experience, including the option for wellness treatments (eg hammam, massage and facials). Tania heads a small team of lovely women, and they completely looked after us – we felt we left as friends. The only exception to this female solidarity was Mohammed; our wonderful, safe, funny and endearing young driver and guide. We miss everyone already!
Taroudant is often billed as ‘the little Marrakesh’
But I don’t think this does it justice. To me, it’s everything that Marrakesh isn’t; it’s way better. It has two bustling souks: the Arab souk and the Berber souk. Each is bustling with locals rather than with tourists, and the stalls sell products that are handcrafter by skilled artisans within the stall itself – it is easy to get something made to order if you can’t find exactly what you want. Shopping at its absolute pinnacle in terms of authenticity and complete lack of the middlemen. And lack of China. And websites. And warehouses.
Particularly special finds are likely to include:
jewellery (handmade by both Touareg and Berber jewellers and hallmarked)
rugs and cushion covers (made by Berber ladies in the Atlas and ante-Atlas mountains and who receive 50% of the sale value rather than the 10% that’s common in Marrakesh)
leather goods (if you can bear to go to the tannery that lies outside the city walls)
beautiful handcrafted Moroccan babouche slippers in all the colours of the rainbow
fragrant herbs and spices – all grown and collected by hand
genuine organic argan oil
stunning made to measure silk kaftans and warm wool djellabas – the traditional hooded winter robe worn by Berbers
You can find all sorts of treasures and will find the stallholders friendly, humorous and entertaining. If you’re not interested just make a polite excuse and move on with a smile – they’re just trying to eke out a living!
People gather at Place Assareg – a much, much smaller and friendlier version of Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakesh. You’ll still find guys with snakes, but they're entertaining groups of local men rather than tourists. There are a few ATMs and cafes around the square and it’s a lovely place to while away a couple of hours absorbing the smells, sounds and sights of this busy, friendly Berber town. We were told that Taroudant is also very safe; there are three types of police, including plain-clothed.
Ancient rammed-earth ramparts encircle the city – stretching for 7.5 km and dating back to the 16th century.
They are especially magical when lit by the sitting sun, when their honey hues change to ochre. Taroudant was badly hit by the 2023 earthquake and parts still lie in ruins – including sections of the ramparts.
Other places to visit while you’re in Taroudant:
Palais Claudio Bravo: a rather unusual combination of museum, art gallery and hotel, where you’re shown around (for 200 dirhams) by a guide for a couple of hours. We really enjoyed it: the artwork is sensational, the grounds gorgeous and scenes of true artistic beauty present themselves at every turn. Our guide, Ibrahim, was very entertaining and full of knowledge and humour – a true professional.
Oasis Tiout: provides cool respite from the arid surroundings, with swaying palm trees and verdant growth
Walk in the Vallee des Cedrats: a stunning walk in the mountains, firstly following irrigation channels, then through a canyon before reaching the area where the cedrats (sort of large, mild lemons) grow. Allow 2-3 hours.
Finally, a note of caution
Taroudant is magical and will always hold a special place in my heart. It is also however very ‘real’ – you will see much poverty, and the surrounding plains and mountains lie parched given the acute water shortage that Morocco is currently facing. You will see skeletal stray dogs, and hollow-eyed mules, horses and donkeys pulling ramshackle carts laden down with all manner of goods and objects. You will see ruins that were homes before the 2023 earthquake struck. You will see families still living in tin sheds because the government has failed to help them rebuild their lives.
All this can be challenging, and a trip to Taroudant should be undertaken in the spirit of travel and exploration rather than simply a ‘holiday’.
Those that do so will be rewarded with memories that last a lifetime. Memories of smiling, friendly Berber people, towering misty mountains on both horizons, a myriad of bright colours, and crumbling terracotta walls set against an azure sky. Magical memories of a magical place. Taroudant.
How to get there
Taroudant is a small market town in the Sous in southwestern Morocco. It is situated east of Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south of Marrakesh.
Agadir Al Massia airport is located 25 kilometres from the Agadir city center. The airport can also be easily reached from Taroudant.
Agadir is a is a major city in mid-southern Morocco. Located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, it's a good starting point to visit sea and mountain regions. Berber and french languages are spoken.