Get to know Skoura, one of the biggest palm grooves and kasbah concentration areas in Morocco; and also be won over with berber hospitality in the tinny Sidi Flah, a small village still unspoiled by tourism. Viver a Viagem went there and share the experience with you.

After a life changing trip to the desert of Erg Chigaga I knew I would go through the road bordering Dades river. This regions is known as part of the route of the thousand kasbahs – a kasbah is anpalacete or fortress made of mud, clay and straw, with at least four towers.

Read also Ait BenHaddou – a Moroccan treasure and get to know one of the most well-kept kasbahs in the whole country.

In red, route of the thousand kasbahs^[1]

I said to myself I had to stop by a city on the route and sleep in a kasbah!

Most people go through this road on the way to Erg Chebbi desert. However, only few of them do stop along the way and get to explore the surrounding area. I have heard a lot of good things about berber hospitality and wanted to try it. After all, that is the route of thousand kasbahs!

I decided to book two nights at Dar Essalam, a 200-year-old kasbah in Skoura.

Skoura

Overshadowed by Ouarzazate as a hub to the desert, and yet not too far from Merzouga – the door to the desert – Skoura usually is bypassed.

Take a look on the map. Each square represents a kasbah^[2]. You just need to get into the palm groove to find them all.

As soon as I got to Skoura I met Lahcine and Tarik, two cousins that restored a 200-year-old family kasbah and turned it into the Dar Essalam hotel.

Lahcine on the left, and Tarik on the right

The ruins of the kasbah before being restored

Lahcine and Tarik in front of Dar Essalam

The restoration used traditional materials only. Mud, clay, straw and a sort of bamboo

Skoura is a special place. As just as you get into the palm groom – over 25 square quilometres – you start spotting kasbahs in different preservation status. Many are crumbling down but still serving as dwellings. The palm groom is split into two by a river, which makes the area fertile for agriculture.

See the photo? Multiply it for a couple more and you get a glimpse of how the small city looks like. It seems you are walking into a movie set, but the thing is… it is real and waiting to be discovered.

Fresh snow coating the Atlas range

Sunset from the rooftop

Chicken and vegetables couscous

There are many people living from agriculture. It is quite common to spot men and women harvesting whatever the seasonal crop is. There are plenty of date, olive and pomegranate trees.

In Skoura I received the most naive and curious glance at a tourist that was falling head over heels with everything.

On the following day Lahcine suggested us heading to Sidi Flah and visiting Dades’ gorges.

It was not far from Skoura and we might have the chance to experience the truly berber hospitality. The small village is so unspoiled that electricity arrived in 2001 and the first Coca Cola in 2009 only.

He looked at our puzzled face, giggled and decided to take us there.

Sidi Flah

Talking to him I found out he was born there. It is quite a privilege to visit his hometown and see it through his eyes.

On the way we did a quick stop at an oasis by Dades river filled with crops. Lahcine told us nomads have stablished Sidi Flah a couple of centuries ago after a long period roaming. They had finally found a constant water source (the Dades river).

Following the riverbed we get to a point where he told us he spent most of his childhood playing around that area. Climbing boulders equipped with camera and tripod tested our balance and courage. Lahcine seems to be familiar with every inch of the surrounding area. We had to focus to keep up the climbing. There were times I felt a little danger and the imminence to fall down. But all went smooth.

We did a loop, starting at the oasis, going to the river and coming back. On our way back, we spotted a mound full of goats being herded. The closer we got, Lahcine told us the shepherd was his uncle! Nat Geo time!

His uncle could drag the attention of each specific goat by talking to them in a different pitch. That was really interesting.

A scene from centuries ago unfolded in front of me.

Goats are valuable to nomads. They are used as currency, dowry and food.

Speaking of food, lunch had already passed by and we were starving. Lahcine then took us to the village, were we get to know her mother, Fatima.

It is very common for Moroccan women to have both hands dyed in shades of orange and brown. Saffron is largely used for cooking and dying fabric and wool.

His mother was no exception and her hands carried decades of cooking hours. Her dyed fingers gently prepared us some mint tea and a delicious berber omelet, which we ate with bread like locals do. Lunch was also accompanied by a k7 tape of Koran.

Fatima told us that berber houses have an inner yard where family and friends get together. In this room is also where the well is placed. They get the water from the it and store within amphoras for daily usage.

After lunch, she was happy to show us the barn with rabbits and hens.

Go off the grid where travel guides won’t show. Don’t be afraid of talking to people. Memories, stories, new friends and unique moments are the best souvenir you might get from your next destination.

No matter where you go, places are all about connecting to people

Stay at Dar Essalam

Check Dar Essalam website for further information.

Or book through Booking.com.

Get there

The easiest way to get to Skoura is staring in Ouarzazate. Check Ait BenHaddou – a Moroccan treasure and learn how to get there.

By car

From Ouarzazate get the N10 road bound to Tinghir. You will reach Skoura in 40 minutes.

If you hired a driver I suggest stopping by and spending a couple of days there. I had a wonderful experience with Wild Morocco exlporing Erg Chigaga desert – check it out at Erg Chigaga – expedition into the desert. On the last day Yahya, our driver/friend/translator/guide took us straight to Dar Essalam at Skoura.

By bus

From Ouarzazate, hop on a CTM bus bound to Tinghir and hop off at Skoura.

Grand taxi

Grand taxis are shared cars that travel between cities. They are generally parked in a certain square and all you have to do is to get there and start looking for the right car. You either pay for a place and wait until it’s full, or you pay for all the seats depart right away. A grand taxi may take up to six people plus driver. It might feel a little claustrophobic, but if you are on a budget it might come in handy. Sometimes grand taxis are the only option to get from on place to another.