When is the saffron harvest?

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Saffron Fields of Taliouine

Hours

Cooperative: Mon–Sat 9am–5pm. Museum: 9am–5pm.

Entry

Museum: 20 MAD. Cooperative visits free.

Duration

45 minutes

Location

Taliouine, Taroudant Province, Souss-Massa

The saffron capital of Morocco. 150 flowers per gram, picked by hand at dawn.

The Red Gold

Taliouine is the saffron capital of Morocco — and, by volume, one of the largest saffron-producing areas in the world. The crocus fields bloom in late October, carpeting the stony hillsides in purple for about two weeks. Each flower produces three stigmas. Each stigma is hand-picked at dawn. It takes 150,000 flowers to produce one kilogram of dried saffron, which sells for up to €10,000 per kilo.

The Fields

Purple crocus against brown earth and grey stone. The saffron cooperative in Taliouine is the main visitor stop — they explain the cultivation, the harvest, and the economics. The cooperative also sells saffron at fair prices.

Visiting

Taliouine is on the N10 between Ouarzazate and Taroudant. The saffron harvest is in late October — that is the window. Outside harvest, the cooperative is still worth a stop. The town itself is a transit point, not a destination.

Best Time to Visit

Late October for the saffron harvest.

Getting There

On the N10 between Ouarzazate and Taroudant.

Local Tip

Morocco produces 3 tonnes of saffron per year — nearly all of it from this valley. Harvest is late October to early November, three weeks only. The cooperative Souktana gives tours and sells directly. Outside harvest, the saffron museum explains the process. One gram of saffron requires 150 flowers, each picked by hand at dawn before the sun opens them.

Common Questions

Late October, for about two weeks. The purple crocus bloom is brief and stunning.

The saffron harvest in late October is a journey we time precisely. Three weeks of purple crocus fields — and the cooperative sells the real thing at honest prices.

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