Ecolodge Du Draa
Oulad Othmane, Morocco (35 km Agdz, 48km Zagora)
Your Host: Houcin Elatmani
WhatsApp: 00212 697 483058
Your Adventure Begins Here
Trekking Adventures
Whether you want to take trips to the local palmerie, visit local spots like prehistoric rock art, or a camel trek including a stay in the Sahara desert (see sample trips below) - your host Houcin will arrange an unforgettable bespoke experience. We can provide transportation from Marrakech and Ouarzazate. Simply use the 'Contact Us' form to arrange your trip.
Accommodation
We offer a variety of guest rooms (3) with air conditioning) from a large family room, to cozy doubles and singles. All guest rooms are en-suite and situated amidst our beautiful palmerie and botanical garden. We provide free parking and complimentary WIFI and internet access.
Farm to Table Moroccan Cuisine
Enjoy farm to table cuisine including traditional Moroccan breakfast that includes omlettes with fresh bread, dates & olives.
European coffee. Lunch or dinner made to order. Moroccan Tagine, brochettes and salad. Plus fresh Moroccan mint tea. There are many seating options, including a garden view, restaurant area, a sun terrace or a scenic seating area close to your guestroom.
Oasis Botanical Garden
Experience a date palmerie and botanical garden in our rural farm village on the edge of the Sahara Desert that boasts a unique variety of plants and vegetables, including some of the most fascinating heat-tolerant desert plants in the world. Come enjoy an afternoon delight or overnight in our oasis garden paradise - the perfect stop-over en-route to the Sahara Desert.
Trips / Excursions
1. Marrakech to Zagora
2 days / 75 Euros per person - or contact us to custom build your adventure
We will travel from Marrakech to Zagora, via Ouazazarte.
Just before Ouazazarte we will stop at Ait Ben Haddou - an historic Ksar and UNESCO World Heritage site.
On the way we will stop for lunch and dinner.
Night 1 - Zagora Desert
We will arrive at Zagora and spend the night at a desert camp in nearby Boikhal.
The next day after breakfast there will be an opportunity for a camel ride.
Day 2 - Zagora to Marrakech
After breakfast, we depart to return to Marrakech.
We will pass by Ouzazarte and visit the film studio - the world's largest where Game of thrones and Gladiator were filmed!
Lunch and dinner are included.
2. Marrakech to Sahara Desert and Return
2 People / 5 days / 900 Euros - or contact us to custom build your adventure
We will tour the historic and famous sights, sounds and smells of Marrakech, then next day travel to the Draa Valley via Ouarzazarte. Trip includes:
- Jemma El Fnaa Square
- Marrakech souks
- Le Jardin Majorelle (Botanical Garden)
- Aït Benhaddou - an historic Ksar and UNESCO World Heritage site
Day 3 /Draa Valley to Sahara Desert
After breakfast we will tour the Draa Valley Pamerie and nearby villages on the old road between Agdz and Zagora, then return for lunch before setting off for the desert camp with Berber tents. Trip includes:
- Draa Valley artisans cooperative
- Chegaga dunes (the highest in southern Morocco at 300m)
- Camel ride
Days 4 & 5 / Sahara to Marrakech
After breakfast, we depart and continue off road from Chegaga, to pass through Zagora and back to the Ecolodge du Draa. The next morning after breakfast we will travel back to Marrakech via Ouazazarte. Trip includes:
- Zagora Bibliotech Kouranique and local pottery
- Ouarzazarte film studio, the world's largest (Games of Thrones and Gladiator)
3. Draa Valley Day Trip
2 people / 40 Euros - or contact us to custom build your adventure
Next we will stop off at a women's cooperative of weavers, and basket makers to be inspired by their traditional techniques using many local materials.
Finally we will visit the Wadi emerging from the hills to the west of Tinzouline at Foum Chenna which is famous for a dense concentration of rock art on the vertical rock faces lining its ‘entrance’ .
Explore our Draa Valley Ancient History
Paleolithic and Early Holocene Era
We are located in one of the largest and richest oasis belts in the Sahara, in the Tinzouline palmerie zone. The Wadi Draa runs north-west to south-east for nearly 300 km from the Anti-Atlas Mountains to the edge of the Sahara , before turning to run from east to west for a further 600 km to reach the Atlantic. The imposing mountain backdrop of the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas ranges to the north provides sufficient snowmelt and rainfall run-off to make the Wadi Draa the only perennial river that runs into the Sahara from the north. The middle Draa where we are corresponds to the c. 200 km sector where the river flows in a wide valley, with extensive oasis development - hemmed in to the east and west by steep escarpments. The palmerie zones from north-west to south-east are: Mezguita, Tinzouline, Ternata, Fezwata, Ktawa and Mhamid.
Mediaeval Sahara Trade Route
The great Moroccan centre of medieval Saharan trade was some way to the east at Sijilmasa in the Tafilalat oasis belt. The Wadi Draa has historically been an important secondary corridor for caravans coming from the south to access the Atlas passes and reach Marrakesh. We have a mural of the route in our reception area. Stop in to check it out.
Trip 1. Marrakech to Sahara Return 5 days / 450 Euros pp
Days 1 & 2 /Marrakech to Draa Valley
We will tour the historic and famous sights, sounds and smells of Marrakech, then next day travel to the Draa Valley via Ouarzazarte. Trip includes:
- Jemma El Fnaa Square
- Marrakech souks
- Le Jardin Majorelle (Botanical Garden)
- Aït Benhaddou - an historic Ksar and UNESCO World Heritage site)
Day 3 / Draa Valley to Sahara
After breakfast we will tour the Draa Valley Pamerie and nearby villages on the old road between Agdz and Zagora, then return for lunch before setting off for the desert camp with Berber tents. Trip includes:
- Draa Valley artisans cooperative
- Chegaga dunes (the highest in southern Morocco at 300m)
- Camel ride
Days 4 & 5 / Sahara to Marrakech
After breakfast, we depart and continue off road from Chegaga, to pass through Zagora and back to the Ecolodge du Draa. The next morning after breakfast we will travel back to Marrakech via Ouazazarte. Trip includes:
- Zagora Bibliotech Kouranique and local pottery
- Ouarzazarte film studio, the world's largest (Games of Thrones and Gladiator)