Todra Gorge is a slot in the High Atlas where the Todgha River has cut through red limestone, leaving walls that rise sheer, close to three hundred metres, on either side of a gap just wide enough for the road and the stream. The narrowest part is only a few paces across, and in the morning the walls glow orange while the bottom stays cool and shaded. Tinghir, a town of nearly forty thousand people, lies at the mouth of the valley, and it is the place for fuel, food and a bed.
The ride from Tinghir is short and spectacular. The road follows the river through a long palm oasis, a strip of green with date palms, fig trees and mud-brick villages in the middle of rocky desert, before climbing into the gorge. The tarmac is good, the bends are gentle, and the traffic consists of tour buses, taxis and goats. The best time to visit is early morning, before the crowds and when the light is lowest, or late afternoon. In summer, the heat in the valley can be fierce, while in winter the gorge can be cold and, occasionally, flooded after storms. Beyond the gorge, a rough track continues over the mountains to the Dades valley, and adventure riders sometimes attempt it, but check conditions locally.
The valley has long been a home of Amazigh, or Berber, communities who farmed the oasis, herded sheep and goats on the high pastures and traded along caravan routes. Their mud-brick kasbahs, with towers and decorated walls, stand along the road, and some are open as guesthouses. The oasis irrigation system, a network of small channels dating back centuries, is still maintained by the villagers, and you can see the water running between plots of barley, alfalfa and vegetables. Nomads sometimes camp near the gorge with their flocks.
Nature here is dramatic and dry. The cliffs are popular with rock climbers, who have developed hundreds of routes, and swifts and other birds nest in the crevices. The river runs clear and cold, and a walk along it, with the walls looming overhead, is memorable. The air smells of wet stone, mint and woodsmoke.
Bring sun protection, water and a light jacket. Buy fuel in Tinghir, and be patient with traffic, because buses and taxis often stop in the narrowest section.