The
Oasis in Mezgarne is 10 km away from the centre of Tazzarine,
an ideal place to start your discovery of the Deep South, at a
crossroad between :
- Ouarzazate,
186 km away (2 hours by road, 3 hours by the trac kat the bottom
of the Draa valley). City founded by the French Foreign Legion
in 1929 near an old medina, and a kasbah belonging at that time
to the Glaoui (Kasbah of Taourirt), it does not really have
a flair, but it is a easy departure point, with its airport
daily served by Royal Air Maroc and companies like British Airways,
Nouvelles Frontières….
- Zagora,
152 km away (around 2h30 by road or track, via Tizi n’Tafilalt),
Zagora, also named “the door to the desert) was in former
times the starting place of the caravans that reached Timbuktu
after 52 days. In the outskirts, an awesome palm grove.
- Rissani,
162 km away (3 hours by road), which was the first imperial
city in Morocco, founded by the Alaouite dynasty, last city
before the dunes of Merzouga, and a large commercial centre.
- Erfoud,
180 km away (less than 3h30 by road), former military station
of the French army, guarding the Tafilalet valley, the city
has kept of its military past only its square plan. It is
now very quiet, and a starting point to erg Chebbi.
- Errachidia,
260 km away (4 hours by road)
And the tracks to Todra
gorges (Tineghir), Dades
valley, Merzouga
dunes (200 km away through the Hamada
of Guir), valley
of Roses through Jebel
Sahro, along the Draa
valley.
You can reach the Oasis with any type of vehicle, by a regularly
maintained and clearly indicated track. 4-wheel drives can arrive
in front of the door. Normal cars will have to park a little bit
farer away, the last 100 metres are too sandy
.
- When arriving from Erfoud, or Rissani, via
Alnif, you’ll find on your left, 7 km before Tazzarine
(direction N’Kob / Zagora / Ouarzazate) the
shield showing the start of the track to the Oasis. (GPS
: N30 46.869 W5 31.403)
- When arriving from Zagora or Ouarzazate via
N’Kob and Tazzarine, the shield will be on your right,
7 km after Tazzarine.
Once on the track, which is bordered by white stones, you’ll
drive along a hill on your right, and cross a small dried river
(the passage was recently stoned again). After, the track divides
in two branches, take the right one, and pass by a second hill
(this time on your left), with a little house. A little bit farer
you’ll arrive above the Oasis. (When taking the left branch,
you’ll have to drive around the hill to find the Oasis).
If you feel totally lost, come back to Tazzarine, at the tank-station,
and call us, we shall pick you up !
You can also download
waypoints and tracks for Garmin. |
