Dades Gorge

The Dades runs parallel to the Todra, but the experience differs. This is the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs — and the number isn't hyperbole. Ruined fortresses line the valley, built by the Glaoui and their rivals to control trade routes. The famous switchbacks — the "road of a thousand turns" — climb out of the valley toward Msemrir. The hairpin curves, stacked against the cliff face, are the photograph everyone takes. The engineering is French; the vertigo is universal. The valley below holds villages, almond orchards, and more kasbahs in various states of decay. Some have become guesthouses; others are collapsing into the fields. The valley's charm is cumulative — each bend reveals another ruin, another grove, another view. Best time: Late afternoon (light on the kasbahs) Allow: Half day (drive through) or overnight Combine with: Todra Gorge and Rose Valley