Todra Gorges and Dadès

The Todra and Dadès Gorges are probably the most spectacular motorcycling destination in the whole of Morocco and one of the great classics of adventure motorcycling worldwide. The Todra is a 300-metre-high vertical canyon with limestone walls that narrow to just 10 metres at their narrowest point: walking (or riding) along the bottom of the gorge with those towering walls on either side is one of the most awe-inspiring sensory experiences you can have on two wheels.

The Dadès Gorge, the longest and most varied, is famous for a stretch of road that motorcyclists from all over the world know as ‘the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs’: a succession of hairpin bends winding through rock formations in every colour imaginable, with adobe kasbahs (fortified citadels made of dried mud) peeking out from every promontory. The R704, which runs through the gorge, features a legendary stretch with more than 30 consecutive hairpin bends in just 5 km – probably the tightest and most technical route in the whole of North Africa.

The landscape of the gorges is pre-Saharan: date palms at the bottom of the valleys (the famous Dadès and Todra oases), rocks in colours ranging from deep red to ochre, from coppery green to basaltic black, and a perpetually blue sky that contrasts with the parched earth. It is a landscape that looks as though it has been taken straight from an adventure film and which, in fact, has served as a location for dozens of Hollywood productions (Ouarzazate, the region’s base town, is known as ‘the Hollywood of Africa’).

The mud-brick kasbahs are the most fascinating architectural feature of the area. Built by Berber tribes as fortified dwellings, they are adobe structures (sun-dried earth, straw and water) that can rise several storeys high and blend seamlessly into the region’s earthy landscape. The most famous is the Kasbah of Aït Benhaddou (UNESCO), on the outskirts of Ouarzazate, which has served as a filming location for *Gladiator*, *Game of Thrones* and *Lawrence of Arabia*.

Motorcycling tips: the gorges require a motorbike with some off-road capability if you want to explore the most interesting side tracks. The main road (the N10 between Ouarzazate and Tinghir) is in good condition, but the tracks leading to the inner gorges are unpaved and stony. Avoid the summer: temperatures of 45°C are common. Petrol stations can be found in Ouarzazate, Boumalne-Dadès and Tinghir. For accommodation, the auberges (inns) within the gorges are cheap (€15–30 per night including dinner) and offer incredible views from their adobe terraces. And a word of advice: take plenty of water, sun cream and a dust filter for your motorbike. The desert is unforgiving.