Where is Draa Valley Palmeraie located?

Draa Valley Palmeraie is located in draa-valley, Morocco.

Draa Valley Palmeraie

The great palm grove of the Draa Valley stretches for over 200 kilometres from Agdz to Mhamid — the longest oasis in Morocco and one of the longest in the world. Two million date palms, irrigated by a system of khettara channels that has functioned since the 11th century. The dates from the Draa Valley — particularly the Medjool variety grown around Zagora — are among the finest in the world.

The Draa is the longest river in Morocco — 1,100 kilometres from the High Atlas to the Atlantic (though it rarely reaches the sea, losing itself in the sand east of Tan-Tan). The palmeraie that lines its banks through the Draa Valley is one of the great landscapes of southern Morocco: date palms, kasbahs, irrigated fields, and the sharp brown mountains on either side.

The valley runs roughly from Agdz to Mhamid, about 200 kilometres. The road follows the river, passing through Zagora, Tamegroute, and a string of smaller oasis villages. Each village has its kasbah, its palmeraie, and its irrigation system — the khettara channels that distribute water from the river to the fields.

The dates are the economy. The Draa produces some of Morocco's finest dates — the Medjool variety, large and caramel-sweet, harvested in October. The date harvest season transforms the valley: the palms are climbed, the fruit is collected in baskets, and the roadside stalls sell fresh dates by the kilogram.

The best time to drive the valley is autumn (for the harvest and the light) or spring (for the wildflowers in the mountains above). Summer is dangerously hot — 45°C in the shade, and there is very little shade.