Tafraout

Tafraout

Tafraout sits in a valley of pink granite in the Anti-Atlas, surrounded by enormous boulders that the Belgian artist Jean Vérame painted blue, red, and purple in 1984. The paint has mostly faded. The granite has not.

The valley is the heartland of the Ammeln tribe — Amazigh people whose villages cling to the cliff faces above Tafraout in defiance of gravity and common sense. The almond trees bloom in February, turning the valley white and pink for two weeks. The almond blossom festival draws visitors from across Morocco.

Tafraout is a market town — clean, quiet, and unhurried. The shops sell argan oil, amlou (an argan and almond paste), and the embroidered leather babouches for which the region is known. The Thursday souk is lively.

The rock formations around Tafraout — Napoleon's Hat, the painted boulders, the Chapeau de Napoleon — are the main attraction for day visitors. But the real draw is the light. The pink granite absorbs the sunset and holds it. For half an hour every evening, the valley looks like it is on fire.

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