Detour #10: Dades Gorge, Morocco
Want to feel like you’re starring in your own car commercial? Then head to the Dades Gorge near Ouarzazate in Morocco. For telegenic twists and turns this road is hard to beat.
The action begins in Tamellalt and, if you’ve come from Marrakesh you’ll already have had quite the adventure over the Atlas Mountains to get to the desert. You’ll also have driven passed Ouarzazate and its famous film Atlas film studios where countless scenes from Gladiator to Game of Thrones have all been shot.
As you climb up the R704, hugging the craggy sandstone cliffs the road zigs and zags with as much enthusiasm as the best European passes, albeit with a distinctly different colour palette. Here the grey of the asphalt cuts through a rich ochre world of sheer rock.
That’s not the only challenge, however. One minute you’ll be bathed in glorious sunlight, the next plunged into shadow and peering into the gloom to spot the next apex.
You’re sure to find fellow adventurers on two and four-wheels, but also locals in inappropriately large trucks which you’ll need to make room for. It’s certainly a road where you’ll need to keep your wits about you.
Unless you do happen to have a film crew closing the road for you, then it’s best to take a gentle pace – the drops are enormous and the paltry brickwork of the barriers wouldn’t stop an errant 2CV, let alone a briskly-driven sports car.
Detour’s advice is to slow things down, make a pit stop at one of the many kasbahs for a sweet mint tea and soak in the view.
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Tom Salt @seesaltwork
Roadbook
Class: Gorge
Name: Dades Gorge, R704
Route: Tamellalt to Agoudal
Country: Morocco
Distance: 80 miles