Ouarzazate travel guide

Getting around

Hotels are in the town centre of town or over the causeway in Hayy Tabount. It is a hefty walk from the out-of-town bus station to both of these – best take a petit taxi. Main reference points in the town centre are Avenue Mohamed V and, running parallel, Rue du Marché. As you come down Avenue Mohamed V from the bus station, there are services on or near the large Place du 3 Mars, a large square on your left.

Getting to the spectacular kasbah at Aït Ben Haddou is awkward without your own car. You could club together with other tourists and hire a grand taxi, or you could get a bus going up the N9 Marrakech road, and get off at the turn-off for the kasbah – and walk the rest. A few kilometres out of Ouarzazate, on the bypass, Tiffeltoute, easily reached by grand taxi. Skoura, east along the Boumalne du Dadès N10 road, is easily accessible by local bus. Both Aït Ben Haddou and Skoura have good accommodation options.

Ins and outs

Getting there

Although Ouarzazate is served by charter flights from France, most visitors come in by road. Taourirt airport is 2 km northeast of Ouarzazate. From there get a petit taxi to your hotel. Public transport is a little slow and the distances great but Ouarzazate is well served by buses and grands taxis. By bus, the run from Taroudant takes five hours, from Agadir 7½ hours, from Marrakech, with luck, under five hours. (Remember that in winter, the Tizi-n-Tichka pass can be closed.) By grand taxi, Zagora to Ouarzazate takes three hours, rather longer by bus. The CTM bus terminal is on a square on Avenue Mohammed V. Private line buses arrive at the out of town bus station on the Marrakech exit to the town, and grands taxis on Place Mouahidine.

Ouarzazate

Air

Flights from Taourirt airport, northeast of the city, T024-882348, to Casablanca. International flights to Europe (mainly France) both charters and regular. For internal flights, airport formalities are confusing. Airline offices: RAM Av Mohammed V, T024-885080/885102/882348.

Bus

To Marrakech across the High Atlas via Tizi-n-Tichka. Several services a day to Zagora, east to Boumalne, Tineghir, Er Rachidia, and west to Taroudant and Inezgane. CTM buses, T024-882427, leave from the offices on Av Mohammed V, next to the PTT, private line buses including SATAS from the gare routière outside town. For distant destinations, get your ticket the day before.

Car hire

Budget, Av Mohammed V, near Résidence Ouarda, T024-882892. Hertz, Blvd Mohammed V, T024-882084. Inter-Rent/ Europcar, Pl du 3 Mars, T024 882035. Other agencies around Pl du 3 Mars. For petrol, there is Shell in the centre and service stations at the main exits to the town. Lead-free petrol available – check Afriquia in Marrakech direction.

Taxi

Grand taxi

: 2 departure points: from Pl Al Mouahidine, destinations include Hayy Tabount, Skoura, Boumalne and Zagora; for further afield, head for the gare routière.

Banks

ATMs near the RAM on Av Mohammed V. BMCE, Av Mohammed V, has a bureau de change open Sun. Otherwise try the large hotels to change money.

Medical services

Chemist: Pharmacie de nuit, Av Mohammed V, T024-882491, also on Av al Mouahidine.

Internet

Internet Info-Ouar, on the alley between the hotels Atlas and Amlal, also Cyber-Café Ouarzazate, Av Mohammed V, between supermarket and Amzrou Transporte.

Police

Av Mohammed V, T190.

Post

PTT, Av Mohammed V.

Useful numbers

Fire: T150.