With two seasonal rivers, Skoura oasis maintains its greenery, making it a great place to relax. The palm grove is a wonderful place to go for a walk, bike ride, or horseback ride, or even to visit the Kasbah of Amridil!
Skoura is a breathtaking oasis with 4500 hectares of palm trees. It was the transit for camel caravans connecting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean to Sub-Saharian Africa long before the Almohad Sultan Yacoub El Mansour’s reign (1160-1199).
You can learn about the oasis’s traditional irrigation system when you visit Skoura, Called the Khettara, a true underground aqueduct dug coming from the Atlas Mountains. The Persians were the first to use this technique. The technique was first introduced during the Roman Empire in Tunisia, then in Spain and Morocco. This old method drains the water needed for oasis irrigation underground, with wells drilled regularly to ensure sufficient water flow, which is essential for the gardens of this magnificent palm grove to grow.
Along the way, you will pass through villages, abandoned houses, and sun-dried bricks, as well as cultivated gardens with almond, fig, olive, and date palm trees. You will be able to hear over a hundred different bird species twittering, chirping, cooing, croaking, and chattering.
Biking, donkey rides, and horseback riding are all fun activities to try. Walking tours of the palm grove are also available.
Skoura is the first stop between Ouarzazate and Tafilalet. It’s the first stopover into the Dades Valley. The snow-covered Atlas in the background makes a charming view in the spring.
In addition to the Amridil Kasbah, you may want to visit Dar Ait Sidi el-Mati authentic Kasbah, which is not regularly visited and appears to be abandoned. The facades of the building are really beautiful, especially with the gorgeous motifs on the top. Other Kasbahs, including Kasbah el-Kabbaba and Kasbah Ait Ben Moro (both built in the 18th century), have been restored and converted into hotels. The Kasbah of Dar Lahsoune and the Kasbah of Ait Ben Abou are located further north in the palm grove. After Amridil Kasbah, Kasbah Ait Ben Abou is the second largest Kasbah in Skoura.
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