The Dadès Gorge is one of the most photographed landscapes in southern Morocco, where the Dadès river has carved a deep, twisting canyon through the eastern flank of the High Atlas.
The route runs north from the market town of Boumalne Dadès, climbing past palm groves, oasis villages and red-and-ochre rock walls that rise several hundred metres above the valley floor. Along the way you pass the famous tangle of switchback hairpins, the strange eroded pillars known as the "monkey fingers," and dozens of earthen kasbahs that give this stretch its nickname, the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs. To the west, the Dadès valley broadens into the celebrated Valley of Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna. Set on the kasbah road between Ouarzazate and Tinghir, it pairs naturally with nearby Todra Gorge.
Key facts
- Gateway town
- Boumalne Dadès, on the main kasbah road between Ouarzazate and Tinghir.
- Scenic drive
- Roughly 45 km of paved road runs north up the gorge before the surface roughens.
- Monkey fingers
- Eroded conglomerate rock pillars near Tamellalt, just up the valley from Boumalne.
- Valley of Roses
- Rose-growing area west around Kelaat M'Gouna; rosewater and oil are produced here.
- Rose harvest
- Spring, typically around May, with an annual rose festival in late April to mid-May.
- Nearby gorge
- Todra Gorge lies about 50 km east near Tinghir; the two are easily combined.
The serpentine switchback road
The signature image of the Dadès is the serpentine road, a series of tight hairpin bends that climb steeply out of the gorge a short way up the valley from Boumalne Dadès. From the viewpoints and café terraces perched above the bends, you look straight down onto the ribbon of tarmac coiling back on itself against the rock.
It is a popular photo stop and an easy place to pause on the drive, with several guesthouses and small cafés built to take in the view. The road continues north through the narrowest part of the gorge before reaching the higher villages of Aït Oudinar and, eventually, M'semrir, beyond which the surface becomes rougher and quieter.
The "monkey fingers" rock formations
One of the gorge's geological curiosities is a wall of weathered rock pillars widely known as the "monkey fingers" or "monkey paws." The eroded columns of conglomerate rise from the valley near the village of Tamellalt, a short distance up the road from Boumalne Dadès, and resemble knuckled fingers reaching up from the riverbed.
They sit right beside the road, so it is easy to stop for a closer look, and they also make a natural starting point for short walks. Trails lead up among the formations and into the surrounding hills, where local guesthouses can point you toward the better viewpoints and footpaths.
Kasbahs and ksour of the valley
The Dadès forms part of Morocco's Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, and the valley is lined with traditional fortified homes (kasbahs) and walled villages (ksour) built from rammed earth and mud-brick. Many sit among irrigated palm and fruit groves fed by the river, their towers and crenellations the same colour as the cliffs behind them.
Some of the older kasbahs have been restored and converted into guesthouses and restaurants, so you can stay overnight inside one. Driving slowly through the lower valley, you pass a steady succession of these earthen settlements, with the dark, lunar ridges of the Jebel Sarhro rising to the south.
The Valley of Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna
West of Boumalne Dadès, the river valley opens into the Valley of Roses, centred on the town of Kelaat M'Gouna. Pink Damask roses are grown here in long hedgerows between fields and orchards, and the spring blooms are harvested by hand to produce rosewater and rose oil used in cooking, cosmetics and perfume.
The harvest falls in spring, typically around May, when the air carries the scent of roses and shops sell rose-based soaps, creams, jams and dried petals. The town hosts an annual rose festival, usually held between late April and mid-May, with music, parades and craft stalls; exact dates depend on the harvest and are set close to the time.
Hiking and scenic drives
Beyond the drive itself, the Dadès rewards anyone willing to walk. Short hikes lead from the gorge floor up into side canyons, among the monkey-finger pillars and along the river through oasis gardens. Longer treks climb toward the higher villages and the plateaux behind the gorge, and the area is a gateway for multi-day routes into the High Atlas.
The classic outing is simply the scenic drive up the gorge and back, allowing time for the switchback viewpoint, a mint tea on a café terrace and a stroll among the rocks. Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable conditions; the upper valley can be cold and snowbound in winter.
Pairing with Todra Gorge
The Dadès is most often combined with the deeper, narrower Todra Gorge, which lies roughly 50 km east near the town of Tinghir. Where the Dadès is broad and winding, with its switchbacks and kasbahs, the Todra is a sheer cleft with rock walls towering over a clear stream, popular with climbers.
Visiting both on the same trip is straightforward, and many travellers see them back to back as part of a longer route between Ouarzazate and the Sahara. They sit on the natural overland path toward Erfoud, Rissani and the dunes of Merzouga, making them an easy add-on to Sahara desert tours.