Once upon a time – a few years into our travel journey – we made a pact that we would never revisit a place – the world was too big after all and there would never be enough time. That was in Lazise in northern Italy after a fab six week road trip. Anyway, the following year, a road trip in Germany was aborted midway due to non stop rain (I mean – we’re Irish – do we NEED rain on vacation???) and we crossed the Alps, eventually ending up in Lazise, in the exact same campsite. And the moral is……..
So this time last year, we enjoyed a mini road trip in southern Morocco, including the town of Taroudant where we intended walking the entirety of its spectacular walls. However, we got waylaid in the gardens of our guesthouse (more about that later) and lingered all afternoon, avowing an early rise the following morning to complete the route before moving on. But then, of course, there was the leisurely breakfast to be savoured, another quick dip in the pool to be enjoyed and, before we knew it, we were back on the road, waving bye bye to the walls as we left town.
And, as life works out sometimes, here we were in February, booking cheap Ryanair flights to Morocco with no firm plan beyond arriving in to Agadir.
That’s it! We’ll go back to Taroudant for TWO nights – and then we’ll definitely do the walk!
And that’s what we did!!
With its strategic location between two mountain ranges, you can see why Taroudant was chosen as its capital by the Saadian dynasty in the 16th century. From here, they could attack the invading Spanish and Portuguese armies on the Atlantic coast. To defend their capital, a huge wall was built around the city.
Let’s get the stats out of the way!!!…..
Standing 8-10m in height and up to 4m in thickness, boasting 130 towers, 19 bastions and over 100 crenels, the pentagonal wall stretched some 8 km around the city which was accessed through 5 gates (more were added over the years). It is the oldest wall in Morocco and the third most robust in the world, after the Great Wall of China and the Kumbhalgarh Fort in India!
Today, one’s immediate impression is that of a surprisingly intact structure. Of course, some parts are in better repair than others, and maintenance seems to be restricted to the side of town most frequented by visitors.
They say one should walk the walls later in the day – when the evening light enhances the rich colours…..
….but sure who listens to advice!!!! No – we’re heading off after breakfast, allowing for a few hours walk and back for a leisurely afternoon.
We’ll start around Bab El Kasbah which would have been the main gate – this is where the sultan and dignitaries would have accessed the city through its triple arches…
Last year, we could access a terrace above the gate and admire the immediate city and the Atlas Mountains in the distance. The steps are blocked at the moment ( know the city was damaged during the 6.8 mag earthquake in Sept 2023).
The first few kms, which are closest to the main gate and major access roads, are presented as wide avenues with palm trees, lighting, parks and seating. The walls are well maintained and VERY impressive.
The landscape becomes less refined as we walk along…. (but I liked that)
It’s practically impossible to maintain the whole thing…..
To be fair – there’s only SO much adobe wall one can admire!!!
There are few distractions as we walk along – usually a bit of action around the gates…..
…..and the odd passerby…….
Heat became a major factor and the last km or two were hard going. The terrain is very easy – flat all the way – but there is NO shade and after a couple of hours, with temperatures heading towards the mid 30’s, we were glad to pass through the gate and into the shadowy streets of the enclosed city!
Inside the Walls
Taroudant certainly prospered under the Saadians, trading in sugar, cotton, indigo and rice. As well as their defensive function, the gates served as checkpoints for visitors and traders – taxes would have been collected from those wishing to do business in the city. When the Saadians moved their capital to Marrakech, Taroudant was left to serve as a commercial centre for the surrounding Berber population.
Most of the city is still contained within the walls. This is a market town, catering for a farming community Рthe souks and Kasbah provide for the locals rather than tourists. There are no major sights here but there are a few cafes and eateries in Place Assarag if one chooses not to dine at ones accommodation. The most touristy thing to do is to ride in a cal̩che Рeither in town or around the full walls.
Dar Tourkia
Welcome to Dar Tourkia
You’ll find the rather modest entrance in the Kasbah.
Just wait ’til you see inside!
Then there’s the upper deck…. with lots more shady nooks and great views of the Kasbah walls which are right beside us…
Bedrooms vary is size – some are small but all are lovely. A few have patios opening directly onto the pool..
(Our standard double -room only rate – 690DH / €64 per night)
Parts of the garden are laid out for dining (although you can also eat indoors)
The attention to detail, so evident in the modest sized garden, extends to catering…
The Welcome Mint Tea and Cookies upon arrival….
Breakfast is buffet style service with eggs made to order…..
….while lunch and dinner are ordered in advance ( I don’t know if that’s a Ramadan thing or year round). The website mentions a full board option but it’s not available.
Now you understand why we didn’t bother walking the walls last year – how could you leave this place!!
Delighted to be back!!!
Getting There
I set out to write this as a day trip option from Agadir – It’s just about 80kms in distance and the two cities are linked by bus as well as tour options. But Taroudant is a lovely place in the evening – its nice to wander out to the walls after dinner or go in to Place Assarag for a nightcap.
If, like us, you rent a car, its an easy drive – less than 90 minutes from Agadir – and it can work very well into a road trip in that part of the country.
I love the idea of not revisiting places as the world indeed is big and wide and there never is enough time to see it all. But as I have friends and family living across Europe and I want to see them, I am once again packing my bags to visit them in Edinburgh (it’s going to be my 19th time in the city) and in Amsterdam.
Anyway, I love the walled town of Taroudant and how it is completely encircled by ochre ramparts that cradle good traditional souqs. I too took advantage of cheap Ryanair flights and had my heart set on finally visiting Agadir and surrounding villages. But my friend wanted to join me and the only airport he was able to fly to was Marrakech, so I once more returned to the city I’d already been to.
Ah sure we’re the same with London – don’t even consider it as travel! We try to get over once per year to visit family and friends but now and again I’ve the odd theatre trip there with friends.
We’ve been to Agadir 4 times – not that I love it but because of flights. Having said that – this last visit was the first time we managed both directions with direct flights. It made such a difference…
Enjoy Edinburgh, Aiva – again!!!
Lovely account, thank you. We are going there for a week in Feb & planning 2 or e day trips from the city. Especially looking forward to walking the wall. It will be our 4th time in Morocco.
I love Morocco – but I’ve always been drawn to dusty or stony landscapes as a contrast to all the green around me! It’s great when you’ve been there before – you can avoid the ‘must do’s’ and spend a bit more time on less obvious places. You’ve only a few weeks until your trip – have a great time. XXXMarie
That looks a charming place to stay, I can see why you went back 😀 We used to say the same thing and on the whole we stick to it (apart from Paris, which is so near it barely counts as travelling!) But we’ve been twice to New York, admittedly decades apart, twice to Berlin (pre and post the fall of the Wall) and in September will be back in California for a second visit including some overlaps with our previous one. Sometimes rules, even self-imposed ones, are made to be broken!
These walls are impressive, and they look similar to those of Marrakesh. But i presume these are more substantial / better maintained?
You’ve actually done rather well in avoiding places you’ve already visited. We seem to regularly revisit places but I try to vary the overall trip to some degree (except this last trip to Morocco – we only added a short detour to places we’d visited before!!!). I’m determined to make more of an effort – there are SO many places in Europe alone we’ve yet to see.
How stunning!!! We also try to visit new places, this summer we are returning to the beautiful Nantucket, it’s irresistible.
There is something lovely about the familiarity of a place when you return – We love that about your own home town Lissy – although it’s a few years now since we were in NYC. We always try to see a new part of the city when we visit – and then we can justify going back to the same diner or steakhouse!
Marie we visited there in Morocco. I saw all of these images and saw there Morocco. Anita
It’s a nice place for a day or two isn’t Anita…and a fine stopover on a road trip
Well those walls definitely are impressive. The rest of Taroudant sounds so ….. errrr… Moroccan. You know, it has everything we expect and love about a Moroccan town.
Ha!!! yes -it’s very Moroccan!!!
I stopped off in Taroundant during my road trip in southern Morocco. I arrived at night and left after breakfast, so I didn’t have time to visit the town, which was a shame seeing your pictures.
The town has enough facilities for a stopover – Our guesthouse was quite busy but most – like yourself – seemed to arrive late afternoon or evening and then leave the following morning. The guesthouse owner told us that they are often included in a weeks bus tour of Marrakech/Agadir – a few nights in each and one night in Taroudant in the middle – so she gets a fair bit of business midweek…
We try to not revisit as well, but there are a few places that we can’t resist. I can see your reason for returning to Taroudant, and why you couldn’t complete the walk the first time. I’ll have to keep this spot in mind. Maggie
It’s certainly worth a look Maggie if you’re ever touring that part of the world…
Lovely! Like you I have often been delayed or not done as much as I wanted when a hotel has been too nice to leave – but vacations are about enjoying some time away so going with the flow is important. It’s great you went back to walk the walls, they look amazing, and a lot quieter than many other city walls!
I loved the fact that they weren’t touristy and busy. No one bothered us – just the odd taxi stopped to see if we wanted a lift. It’s great not to have too packed a schedule and to have a bit of leeway – go with the flow as you say Hannah. I find nowadays that I book all accommodation before we leave on any trip – at this stage of my life I need to know where I’m going to sleep! – but it has removed a lot of the spontaneity and flexibility from our travels..
Beautiful!!
Ah thank you! XXXMarie
Oh I thought I was the only one who thought of not revisiting a place because there are always so many more to see 😀. But, I have broken my own rule, to revisit places which I only got a glimpse of on my first time there (and even the second time I couldn’t complete everything on my list 😂). Beautiful shots!
Ha!!! There are plenty of us about! At the moment I’m trying to sort out somewhere in Europe for a short trip in August – and I’m determined to pick somewhere new!
Good luck 😀. I am sure you’ll find a nice place..You can check my other blog – http://reflectionsontheriver.wordpress.com. You might get some ideas there.