Kelaat M'Gouna

Kelaat M'Gouna — also written Kalaat Mgouna — sits in the Valley of Roses, a stretch of the upper Dadès where Damascena roses bloom in late April and May. The roses were brought from Damascus — some say by pilgrims returning from Mecca, others say by the French. Either way, the valley now produces thousands of tonnes of rose petals each year, distilled into rosewater and rose oil for the cosmetics industry.

The rose festival — the Moussem des Roses — is held in May. The town fills with visitors, a rose queen is crowned, and the streets smell like perfume. Outside festival season, the rose cooperatives are open to visitors. The distillation process is simple and centuries old.

The town is also the starting point for hikes into the M'Goun Massif — the second-highest peak in Morocco at 4,071 metres. The M'Goun traverse, a multi-day trek through remote Amazigh valleys, begins and ends in the villages around Kelaat M'Gouna.