A very small city of less than 10.000 inhabitants, Erfoud has nothing to be noticed, but its situation if the heart of the Tafilalet, and its moussem of the Dates, in October.
Born in 1917, from a French army camp, like many other cities in the South, Erfoud is pleasant, but its medina cannot keep long your attention. Nevertheless, the Borj (fortified tower) over the village offers a splendid view on the palm grove and the desert.

Erfoud is a city for gastronomes, and the Dates’ moussem, celebrating the end of the harvest, offered the opportunity to savour different sorts of dates and many specialities, like the kahlia, tagine of minced lamb with eggs, tomatoes, onions, pepperonis and 44 different spices !

Or the meftouna, a kind of “en-cas” of bread stuffed with eggs, onions and several spices, served at the arrival of the camel race that finished the moussem.

This race took place in the Merzouga dunes, near the Timbuktu Inn, and is an extraordinary show, out of time. You could believe you’re transported back at the time of the huge Berber caravans, with the Masters of salt, gold, slaves and ivory traders.

Unfortunatly, the moussem transformed in 2006 into an "international fair of the dattes", happening earlier, mid-spetember. According to the wording of the authority "the social aspects of the moussem were abandonned to concentrate on the commercial orientation".

Erfoud remains a convenient starting point for a tour in the South, specially in the desert. It offers a good quality lodging, with several categories. You can also visit a marble workshop, in the outskirts of the city, where a black marble, full of fossils (particularly goniatits) is transformed into table tops, basins….