Why this ride
A canyon road from Boumalne Dades, Morocco to Msemrir, Morocco, via Ait Oudinar. Key character: red canyon; hairpins; kasbah villages. Surface: paved.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Dades Gorge Road
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 61 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 14
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Dades Gorge Road
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 18 km this is Dades Gorge Road, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 18 km
- Named road
- Dades Gorge Road
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Dades Gorge Road point 1
Boumalne Dades sits at the mouth of the Dades Gorge, a dusty crossroads town on the road between Ouarzazate and Tinghir, and it is the gateway to one of the most scenic valleys in southern Morocco. The town itself is plain, with a long main street, a market, cafes and shops, but its position, with the High Atlas on one side and the Jbel Saghro on the other, makes it a natural base for riders.
Read the complete Dades Gorge Road point 1 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Dades Gorge Road point 1 sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Dades Gorge Road point 2.
2. Dades Gorge Road point 2
Above Boumalne, the Dades Gorge starts to show what it is made of. The road follows the river upstream, squeezed between towering cliffs of red and ochre rock that have been worn into odd shapes, and the valley floor is a ribbon of green, palms, fields and small villages, in contrast to the dry mountains around. Around here lie the rock formations that visitors call monkey fingers, a row of eroded pillars that stand above the road like giant knuckles.
Read the complete Dades Gorge Road point 2 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Dades Gorge Road point 2 comes up 13 km in. Next is Dades Gorge Road point 3.
3. Dades Gorge Road point 3
Higher up the Dades, the gorge pinches in and the road gets its reputation. Here a series of tight hairpins climbs a steep wall of rock, the road folding back on itself in a stack of switchbacks, with the valley dropping away below and the red cliffs closing in above. Riders who have seen photographs of the Dades will recognise this section, and they will also notice that the photographs do not convey the steepness.
Read the complete Dades Gorge Road point 3 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
27 km in you reach Dades Gorge Road point 3. Next is Dades Gorge Road point 4.
4. Near Tilmi
Planning note
Dades Gorge Road point 4, late in the day.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Dades Gorge Road starting at Kelaat Mgouna · 125 km
- Dades Gorge Road from Kelaat Mgouna · 66 km
- Todra Gorge Road from Tinghir · 19 km
- Todra Gorge Road · 42 km