Taroudant is a Moroccan city located in the Sous Valley in the southern part of the country. It is situated east from Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south from Marrakech. Tarodaunt can be easily visited as a day tour from Agadir. Tarodaunt is called the “Grandmother of Marrakech” because it is a scaled down, slowed down town that resembles Marakech with its orange colored surrounding ramparts. Since Agadir is only one hour from Tarodaunt a Tarodaunt Tour is the perfect way to spend an afternoon when arriving from a cruise ship at the Agadir Port.
Tarodaunt has the feel of a small fortified market town on a caravan route and is known for its local crafts like like jewelry and carpet. On a Tarodaunt Tour from Agadir the city can be explored fully as a result of it’s intimate size. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant contains almost the whole city within its ancient walls. Recently, however, a new area is being developed outside the city walls around the huge campus of a faculty of the Ibn Zohr university of Agadir. Tarodaunt was occupied by the Almoravides in 1506. On a Tour of Tarodaunt you can explore the sites and sounds of this charming old city.
Tarodaunt Tour from Agadir – Day Trip Itinerary
► Pick up at your Hotel or the Port in Agadir.
► By the roadside you will see Argan Trees, with their gnarled and twisted trunks. This tree is typical of south-west Morocco and produces nuts that are the source of a rich and tasty oil.
►See goats clambering along the knotted tree trunks and branches to feed on the leaves and fruit, and your vehicle will stop to let you take photos. Continue on to the beautiful walled city of Taroudant, former capital of the Saadian dynasty. Stop for photographs by the ramparts and then visit the Jnane Soussia restaurant for a refreshing cup of mint tea or a glass of soda.
► Visit an Argan Cooperative whereby you can see how Argan nuts, oil and butter are made from the Argan Tree.
► Afterwards explore the medina (the maze of narrow streets near the town center) and visit the excellent souks. The Berber market in Taroudant sells vegetables and spices and also clothes and household goods, while the Arab souk specializes in handicrafts such as terracotta, wrought iron, pottery, brass and copper, leather, carpets and rugs, and jewellery
►Visit the ancient walls of Tarodaunt that extend around the entire city and Place al Alouvine which is a large, central square and the heart of the medina. It plays host to a mini Djemaa El Fna most evenings. Storytellers and musicians are there.
►Have lunch at a charming cafe in the old city or at the Riad Zitoune restaurant with an interior palmary and gardens or Restaurant La Valla. If time allows stop in a Berber Village just outside of Tarodaunt for tea with a Berber family.
► Return to your Hotel or the Port in Agadir.
For more information about a Tarodaunt Tours
