Tata-Akka

Arrive in Ouarzazate, dinner and overnight accommodation in the hotel.

Transfer by car to Tata, approx. 4 h. The horses wait for us in the palm gardens of Tata. In the afternoon start the first stage of the journey during a 2-3 hours ride to familiarize you with your horse. Ride along the Kasbah villages and enjoy long gallops across the white sand. A black mountain range rises before you, almost disappearing under the Sahara sand. At a river course under palms, oleander and tamarisk trees set up camp for the night.

A white sand plain stretches before you and invites long gallops. Later the white sand changes to fine black stones. Isolated acacia trees grow here and you arrive into a broad valley framed by black, serrated mountains. At noon, enjoy a picnic under a group of palms. Follow the valley in the afternoon, dotted with lonely palm trees. Ride along the mountains towards pale plains. Long gallops lead you to the only well in the desert. Here the camp lies under a group of palms.

Riding toward Akka, the path becomes rockier. Enter the town through its extended palm gardens. If there’s space to tie the horses, have lunch at a restaurant. Akka is a newer town, with an important military presence.
Camp next to the river Adaka that runs through the palm tree gardens.

Ride a short way along the edge of the palm tree gardens. Behind them lies a more yellowish plain, completely eroded, and riddled with thousand small ravines and valleys. Riding here is like riding in a maze, but soon you can gallop again through a flat, sandy desert valley. Climb over a stony pass with beautiful views into the infinite valleys beyond. Picnic by the roadside. Towards evening ride along a brown mountain range before camping near the village of Imitek.

Cross the village of  Imitek, then ride on donkey paths to skirt a mountain range that reflects the sunlight in many different colors from pink to ocher, brown or yellow , depending on the position of the sun. Behind it granite mountains rise high. Hidden in a valley close to the village Agoulouz, find a small romantic waterfall. Here there will be a short picnic, because the afternoon ride promises to be a long one. Narrow mule paths lead across the mountain range. Finally you reach the edge of Tata. A last long canter brings you to the hotel in Tata. Dinner and overnight accommodation in the hotel.

Today the horses have time to rest and you can explore this beautiful desert oasis town. Tata is the largest of the Bani oases. The population is very friendly and the place is calm. Dinner and overnight accommodation in the hotel.

Today rejoin the horses and ride over a large plain where acacia trees grow. The ground is covered partly with stones, partly with fine flints and you will advance through a long valley framed by slanted, black-brown mountains. Midday rest is in the middle of green slate mountains. In the afternoon you’ll pass between the mountains to come into the valley of Akka Iguern. Today the camp lies in an empty riverbed in the proximity of the village.

Ride over a stony, black plain to pale brown pyramid-shaped mountains. Ride through valleys and over hills until you reach the midday camp. In the afternoon cross a last mountain range and finally reach an endless sand plain. Long canters bring the group to the green palm gardens of Kasbah. Camp under the palms.

Today you will gallop over the wide white sands to isolated palms and reach a caved-in black mountain range. Later ride over a plateau with thousands of small eroded canyons. Your guide will lead you out of this maze onto the white high plain. After a long gallop descend down to the river valley where palm trees grow. Follow the river course, it has clear, blue water. By a ravine we reach the waterfalls of Atiq. At the large natural pool with clear bluish green water have your midday rest. Here it is even possible to bathe. The water is slightly salty and very cool. In the afternoon continue the ride in the palm gardens of Tissint. Suddenly a large, white sand plain framed by black rock stretches before you. After, long canters await. Soon you will reach the river course again, with bushes and isolated palms. The salty river continues, its water can be drunk by the animals. Over a black plateau you ride to the palm gardens of Mghirima, where the camp is.

Today you will ride through a dry artificial lake that now almost never holds water. Cpntinue following the drained river course. Despite the absence of flowing water shrubs and bushes still grow here. Soon many small sand dunes accumulate, and you will have a lot of fun riding over them! In the background black, folded mountains half sunk in red sand stretch away. Now a black pebbled plain extends itself before you. Isolated acacias grow here, between them rise small mountains, which are nearly covered with red Sahara sand. Here you’ll find a place to picnic. In the afternoon ride far in the direction of a tajine-shaped mountain. Towards the evening we enter the broad valley that leads to nomads’ land. The ground here is ideally suited to long gallops. In the distance a line of mountains rise like shark fins. Camp is at a lonely palm oasis with springs.

Ride over the large plain towards the shark fin mountains. Other strange mountain forms developed here, like teeth, skake-head or the tajine mountain. Ride between them and have a picnic at a desert spring with isolated palms, at the foot of the Tajine mountain. The nomads bring their camels here to drink. In the afternoon gallops over big sandy plains brings you back to the camp.

The last riding day leads you across a sandy plain with small bushes. More and more acacia trees grow here. Stony surfaces alternate with sandy oueds. Finally we reach the palm garden of Foum Zguid. The horses are stabled next to the hotel and everyone can enjoy a good shower. Overnight accommodation in the hotel.

Today you can sleep in. After a leisurely breakfast discover the little town Foum Zguid, the gate to the desert. But except for some small cafés, there is hardly anything to see. In the afternoon return to Ouarzazate. Dinner and overnight accommodation in the hotel.

Transfer independently to the Ouarzazate airport or continue onward travel.