Two things to buy in Zagora: dates and Berber rugs. The dates are at their best at the Wednesday souk, where local growers bring in the deep, chewy Mejhoul and the smaller honey-coloured Boufeggous. Even outside market day, the shops along Boulevard Mohammed V stock vacuum-packed boxes that travel well.
The rugs are a different proposition. The weaving tradition belongs to the Berber tribes of the Atlas and the Draa, and the geometric designs are tribal — each cooperative repeats a vocabulary of motifs particular to its people. Several shops on Mohammed V are honest about provenance and price; the silver workshops in the Mellah of Amezrou, across the river, are a calmer alternative to the hard sell of the centre. Negotiate, but do it with mint tea and patience — half a day is not unusual for a serious purchase.