High Atlas canyon near Tinghir, where red limestone walls narrow around the Todra riverbed.
The Todra Gorge cuts through the eastern edge of the High Atlas mountains near the town of Tinghir, its walls rising nearly 300 metres above a narrow river bed. At the tightest point the canyon is only ten metres wide, with sheer red and orange limestone faces pressing in on either side. It's one of the most dramatic landscapes in Morocco, and deservedly popular.
Most visitors stay at one of the small hotels clustered at the mouth of the gorge — there are plenty of options ranging from basic to comfortable, with a handful of restaurants nearby. If you're a rock climber, Todra is one of the best spots in North Africa: the walls are studded with pre-anchored routes at all grades, and the setting is extraordinary. Even non-climbers will enjoy walking the road through the canyon, watching the light shift across the rock faces as the day progresses.
The gorge is best experienced at dawn or dusk, when the coaches are gone and the light falls almost horizontally across the limestone, turning it deep amber. Below the gorge, the vast Tinghir Oasis — one of the largest palm oases in Morocco — rewards a half-day wander through date palms and irrigation channels. Rock climbing is the other great draw, with over 450 bolted routes on some of the best limestone in Africa.
Guide
Getting There
The Todra Gorge is accessed from Tinghir, which lies on the main N10 road between Ouarzazate and Er Rachidia. Buses and shared grands taxis connect Tinghir with both towns, as well as with Boumalne Dadès to the west (for the Dadès Gorge). From Tinghir, petit taxis and shared minibuses run the 14 km up to the gorge entrance — bargain the price before you get in.
The nearest airports are Ouarzazate (about 150 km west) and Errachidia (about 130 km northeast). Many visitors reach Tinghir as part of a longer circuit of the southern Moroccan valleys, using Marrakech or Agadir as their entry point.
Guide
When to Go
The best time to visit Todra Gorge is spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). Temperatures in the gorge are pleasantly warm during the day and cool at night, and the light on the canyon walls is at its most spectacular. Summer is extremely hot — July and August see midday temperatures above 40°C on the plateau, though the gorge itself is a few degrees cooler thanks to the shade and the river.
Winter brings cold nights and occasionally snow on the surrounding mountains, but the gorge walls glow in the low winter sun in a way that many photographers prefer. Rock climbers particularly favour the October–April season, when the stone is cool and friction is good.
Flash floods are possible in the gorge after heavy rain in the mountains. If the sky is stormy to the north, ask locals whether it is safe to be in the canyon.
