Taroudant - Walled City of the South

With its majestic gold, pink, and orange tinted circuit of high walls, Taroudant, half fortress and half oasis is a town of great charm thanks to its ruddy, clay houses, minarets and groves of oranges and pomegranates. The walls, the Souks, and the stark backdrop of the High Atlas are the town's main attractions. 

Located 80 km east of Agadir, at the heart of the Souss Valley and formerly on caravan routes towards the Sahara Desert, Taroudant is famous for its city wall, much of which has been preserved and which is widely believed to date from the Saadian period (early 16th century). 

In its history Taroudant experienced a succession of troubled episodes that reflect a quasi-permanent struggle between the tribes and the makhzen (the State). Taroudant was established under the Saadi Dynasty and knew its golden age under the reign of Mohammed ash-Sheik, who constructed the city walls and built the great mosque and its beautiful minaret in 1528. 

Nearby attractions include the magnificent Glaoui Kasbah at Taliouine; the Anti-Atlas Mountains; the oasis town of Tata; fantastic surf beaches at Sidi Moussa; the walled town of Tiznit; the natural wonders of Tafraout and spectacular passes in the High Atlas. 

Taroudant has no shortage of restaurants, craft and coffee shops to while away some time in.