Things to do
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Atlas Studios
Plaster temples, an Egyptian palace and a Tibetan monastery stand in the desert lot west of town, built for productions shot here since the 1980s. Guided tours run through the backlots on a fixed loop and last under an hour. Sets are often half dismantled or being rebuilt for a new shoot, and some areas close while cameras roll.
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Dar Ahlam
Hidden down a track in the palmery, a restored kasbah and a scatter of garden suites make up one of the most secluded hotels in the south. Meals move around the estate, served on a roof one night and in an orchard the next. Staff arrange trips into the desert and the Atlas. Book well ahead.
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Fint Oasis
Palm groves and a small Berber village fill a green fold in bare rock south west of town, reached by a rough track that suits a four wheel drive or a local driver. Footpaths follow irrigation channels between gardens of wheat, figs and dates. Morning is cooler for walking, and the village has no shops or fuel.
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Kasbah Ait Ben Moro
Corner towers and thick earth walls of an old family kasbah now hold a small hotel on the main road, a short walk from Kasbah Amridil. Rooms open onto an inner courtyard, and the roof terrace looks out over the palm gardens. Walks into the oasis start at the back gate. Rooms fill early in April and May, so book ahead.
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Kasbah Amridil
Towers with carved geometric brickwork rise at the corners of this seventeenth century kasbah, still owned by the family that built it and opened as a small museum. Rooms show grain stores, an olive press and household tools across several floors. Entry is ticketed and a family member often guides. The building once appeared on a Moroccan banknote.
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Kasbah of Tifoultoute
Weathered earth towers of this Glaoui kasbah stand on a rise west of town, looking across palm gardens toward the High Atlas. Access to the interior varies, and the setting and the exterior reward the short trip on their own. Grand taxis cover the road from the centre, and the light turns the walls red toward sunset.
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Kasbah Taourirt
Rooms of the Glaoui family's former stronghold open around small courtyards in the restored core, with painted cedar ceilings and carved plaster in the reception halls. Much of the larger complex beyond stays inhabited, its lanes part of the town. Entry is ticketed and the visit is self guided. Late afternoon light suits the earth facade seen from the main road.
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Mansour Eddahbi Dam
East of town, a dam across the Draa holds back a broad reservoir framed by stony hills. Tracks off the Skoura road reach the shore, where egrets and other waterbirds feed in the shallows. Water levels drop sharply in drought years. Sunset turns the High Atlas pink behind the water.
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Musée du Cinéma
Props, painted backdrops and old cameras from productions shot in the region fill this small museum across the road from Kasbah Taourirt. Several rooms are standing sets that can be walked through. Entry is ticketed, and a visit pairs easily with the kasbah.
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Skoura Palm Grove
Date palms shade olive, fig and pomegranate orchards across the oasis, divided by mud walls and irrigation channels. Earth kasbahs, some lived in and some crumbling, rise between the trees. Paths are unmarked and fork constantly, so a local guide or a bicycle with clear directions from a guesthouse helps. Mornings from March to May are the best time to walk it.
