Things to do · Taroudant
Often called 'little Marrakech', Taroudant is a walled market town in the fertile Souss Valley. Its earthen ramparts encircle bustling souks, palm-shaded squares and artisan workshops, with the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas rising on either side.
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Taroudant's most striking feature is its largely intact circuit of crenellated pisé (rammed-earth) walls, stretching roughly six kilometres around the old town. Dating mainly from the 18th century under the Alaouite sultans, they glow ochre and pink in changing light.
A horse-drawn calèche circuit follows the outside of the ramparts, passing the historic gates such as Bab el Kasbah and Bab Targhount. The unhurried loop is one of the easiest ways to take in the full sweep of the fortifications.
The covered Souk Arabe near Place Assarag is the town's main market for spices, slippers, leather, lanterns and household goods. Its shaded lanes channel everyday Souss life rather than the heavy tourist crowds of larger cities.
The Souk Berbère, set around its own square, leans toward rugs, jewellery, pottery and Amazigh crafts brought in from surrounding villages. It is busiest when rural traders arrive to buy and sell produce and handmade wares.
Also written Place al-Alaouyine, this is Taroudant's central square and social heart, ringed by cafes, arcades and entrances to the souks. It is the natural place to pause over a mint tea and watch the town go about its day.
Just outside the walls near Bab Targhount, Taroudant's tanneries process goat and sheep hides using traditional methods. Smaller and calmer than those of Fez, they supply the leather worked by the town's slipper makers and bag artisans.
Built into the ramparts, the Palais Salam occupies a 19th-century pasha's residence laid out around lush courtyard gardens of bougainvillea and citrus. Even non-guests can admire the way the historic walls frame the planted patios.
Taroudant has a long reputation for metalwork, and small workshops in the souks turn out engraved brass trays, lamps and Berber silver jewellery. Watching craftsmen hammer and chase the metal by hand is part of the appeal.
About 35 kilometres east, the palm oasis of Tiout spreads below a hilltop kasbah with views over the gardens and the Anti-Atlas foothills. The lush palmeraie famously served as a backdrop for the 1954 film Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
The Souss region is the heartland of the argan tree, and women's co-operatives around Taroudant press the kernels into oil for cooking and cosmetics. Visits show each step, from cracking the nuts to grinding and decanting the golden oil.
Taroudant's weekly souk swells on market days, drawing farmers and herders from across the Souss plain. Stalls overflow with seasonal produce, livestock, household goods and crafts, offering an authentic slice of regional rural commerce.
As the sun drops, the rammed-earth walls deepen from gold to rose and red, with the Atlas peaks often catching the last light behind them. Walking or riding the perimeter in the late afternoon is the most atmospheric time to see the town.
Taroudant sits amid one of Morocco's most productive farming regions, where irrigated orchards of oranges, lemons and olives stretch toward the mountains. Drives through the surrounding countryside reveal the agricultural wealth behind the town's prosperity.
The nickname comes from its complete circuit of red-ochre ramparts and its lively souks, which echo Marrakech on a smaller, gentler scale. Taroudant is far quieter and more relaxed, making it easy to explore the markets and walls without big-city crowds.
One to two days covers the ramparts, both souks, Place Assarag and the tanneries at a comfortable pace. A second day allows a day trip to the Tiout oasis and kasbah or visits to argan co-operatives in the surrounding Souss Valley.
Taroudant lies in the Souss Valley inland from Agadir, the nearest city with an international airport, roughly 80 kilometres to the west. Many travellers reach it by road from Agadir or as a stop between the coast and the Anti-Atlas.
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