The Dades Gorge cuts through the eastern High Atlas in Morocco, carving a dramatic valley between the town of Boumalne Dades and the mountains to the north. The lower valley is wide and colourful — green riverbed vegetation set against red, scarlet, and ochre rock — before the gorge narrows dramatically at Ait Oudinar, where the road twists through a series of hairpin bends beneath towering cliff walls.
About 14km up the road, the Kasbah of the Rocks (marked by the Café Meguirne) is a landscape of dark red eroded volcanic formations that change shape as you shift perspective. The kasbahs of the Ait Atta tribe below are built from the same red earth and blend almost seamlessly into the rock.
The gorge is a good place to pause for a day or two. Several small guesthouses operate along the road, and the atmosphere is relaxed. Walking, sketching, or simply sitting and watching the light change on the rocks is the main activity. The Dades is often visited as part of a loop through the Todra Gorge and the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs.