By Paul Bryers

• Day Itinerary: Drive Dades Valley – Ouarzazate – Ait Ben Haddou – Cross High Atlas – Marrakech
• Accommodation:
• Driver: Said

Driver:
So on this last day of my 14 day private road trip, I highly recommend Said as a driver. His primary focus was always safety, while being courteous, helpful, and punctual. Said was provided via Luxury Tours Morocco (contact MaryAm).

Last Day:
Today, we embarked on the final leg of our stunning journey, from the Dades Valley through Morocco’s cinematic landscapes to the vibrant city of Marrakech.

After a lovely Moon rise (or was it set), …..

….we departed from the dramatic Dades Gorges, winding through the High Atlas Mountains and passing traditional Berber villages.

We stopped in Ouarzazate, the “Gateway to the Desert,” famous for its film studios, especially Atlas Studios, and kasbahs.

Ouarzazate is also globally recognized for its Noor Power Station, a solar power complex and auxiliary diesel fuel system.

At 510 MW, it is the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant. The solar tower utilizes thousands of heliostat mirrors to reflect and focus sunlight onto a receiver atop a central tower. Inside the tower, the concentrated solar energy heats molten salt, which is then used to create steam to drive a turbine generator. This process converts light into electricity, and the molten salt storage allows for power generation even after sunset. The plant was completed in four phases and covers an area of over 3,000 hectares (12 sq mi).

Actually, I don’t think it’s a solar complex at all – no, it’s The Eye of Sauron atop Barad-dûr!

Our next stop, Aït Benhaddou, is a historic fortified village (ksar), located along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its stunning mud-brick architecture and as a popular filming location for movies like Gladiator and Game of Thrones. I am done with red mud brick buildings in the heat, so I had a coffee and contemplated my return to chilly Glasgow with its red brick/stone buildings. Mmmmmh…

Next up was re-crossing the High Atlas. I love mountains! The best thing is mountains with wee lochs or tarns.

We ascended to Col du Tichka at 2,260 meters (7,400 feet).

Ouanoukrim, towering close by, has two peaks, with the highest, Timzguida, reaching 4,088 meters (13,415 feet), and the second, Ras Ouanoukrim, standing at 4,083 meters (13,396 feet). These peaks are the second and third highest in the Atlas range in Morocco.

And then down and down …..

….and sometimes the road was alarmingly close to the edge but trusty Said was in full control…

….and down to Marrakech and that’s a wrap for this trip.

Sorry it is over but excited to see my new home in Glasgow!

Thanks for following me. I’ll be back posting trips in April 2026….