An Unexpected Quarantine in Taroudant: When Plans Go Pear-Shaped
After the stunning vistas of Agadir and a breathtaking walk through Paradise Valley, our Moroccan adventure was meant to continue seamlessly in the historic city of Taroudant. Little did we know, our meticulously laid plans were about to be completely rewritten by a nationwide COVID lockdown in Morocco.
In a first for us, we found ourselves facing a mandatory two-week quarantine! The silver lining? We had initially booked three nights at a beautiful (and admittedly rather expensive) guesthouse a few miles from Taroudant’s centre. What was meant to be a short stay turned into our unexpected home for nearly a fortnight.
And what a home it was! Our quarantine haven offered full board, prepared by a talented local Moroccan chef. With a French host at the helm, we were treated to an incredible fusion of traditional Moroccan flavours and classic French cuisine, including French wines. The property was an absolute dream: a large, inviting pool in the backyard, a lush garden inhabited by wandering turtles and strutting peacocks, and spacious, beautifully appointed living quarters. Evenings were spent on our covered outdoor terrace, enjoying drinks with dinner whenever we pleased. While the self-isolation was an unplanned expense, we chose to embrace it as a completely separate, luxurious holiday in its own right.
The Perilous Journey to Taroudant
Our journey to get there, however, was anything but seamless. After leaving our hotel near Paradise Valley, we faithfully followed Google Maps – and promptly found ourselves in a spot of bother. The app, quite uncharacteristically, directed us down a disastrous route. What began as a questionable road quickly devolved into a rocky, unpaved track. We nervously crossed a broken bridge, but with each passing mile, the ‘road’ became progressively worse.
Just as we were beginning to lose all hope, a local man waved us down. Despite a significant language barrier (our conversation was nowhere close to English!), we understood his urgent message: this path was a dead end for Taroudant. With no other choice, we embarked on a long backtrack to Agadir, before finally turning east towards our destination. We arrived at the guesthouse late in the afternoon, just in time to settle in for a wonderfully welcoming dinner.
A Glimpse of Taroudant: Morocco’s Hidden Little Gem
Once our quarantine ended, we finally saw the town we had come to visit. Taroudant is a world away from the tourist-centric buzz of Agadir or Marrakech. You won’t find any bars, clubs, or international fast-food chains here. Instead, this is an authentic Berber market town, pulsating with local life.
Nestled in a fertile valley, Taroudant offers spectacular views of the mighty High Atlas Mountains. But its most awe-inspiring feature is undoubtedly the magnificent city walls. Stretching for an impressive seven and a half kilometres, these grand, earth-coloured ramparts are lined with bastions and towers and pierced by nine historic gates. The city has a rich history, having even served as the capital for a Saadian ruler in the sixteenth century.
A Magical Farewell and a New Direction
The major reason we had visited Taroudant was to immerse ourselves in its traditional Moroccan atmosphere. Although our experience was cut short, we did manage a quick look at the centre. While much of it was still closed to visitors, we experienced one magical moment: the sheer awe of entering the ancient medina through its colossal, towering gates.
That, more or less, was the entirety of our Taroudant experience. With our host’s incredibly kind assistance, we secured a special permit from the local authorities to continue our travels. We made the decision to push on to our next planned destination – the small town of Tafraout, nestled in the Anti-Atlas Mountains even further south.
The only difference? We were now well behind our initial schedule. But in a world where all flights from Morocco were indefinitely suspended, schedules had lost all meaning. We simply needed to find a place we could call home until we could return to the UK. As it turned out, that search would lead us to call Tafraout home for over two months… but that, as they say, is a story for another time.
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