Bunches of ripe dates hanging from a palm tree in Erfoud

What to see in Erfoud

Erfoud is the last town before the desert on the route from Fes and Errachidia. Almost every tour passes through here, and it’s worth a stop.

The town of fossils

Around Erfoud the rock is full of marine fossils: hundreds of millions of years ago, this was a sea. Ammonites, orthoceras and trilobites appear in the black rocks of the desert, and in town there are workshops where they are cut and polished, from small pieces to whole washbasins and tables.

Visiting one of these workshops is the usual stop in Erfoud: you see how the stone is worked and you can buy something. Always ask whether a piece is a real fossil or a reproduction.

The Tafilalet palm grove

Erfoud lies in the Tafilalet, the great oasis of the Ziz valley and one of the largest palm groves in Morocco. Its dates are famous throughout the country, and in autumn the town holds its date festival, with a market, music and parades.

On the way to Merzouga

From Erfoud the road continues south through Rissani to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes. If you’re coming from Fes or Errachidia, it’s the last stop before the desert.

You may also like

Message us