Zagora is mostly about what's around it. The palm groves of Amezrou, just across the river, are the most accessible outing — walk or cycle through the kasbahs and old Jewish quarter, where silversmiths still work. The hike up Jebel Zagora to the ruined Almoravid fort gives a spectacular view over the Draa valley, best at sunset.
Most visitors use Zagora as a jumping-off point for camel treks into the Sahara. Options range from overnight trips to the dunes at Tinfou (45 minutes south) to week-long caravans to Erg Chigaga near M'Hamid. The village of Tamegroute, 18km south, has a famous 17th-century library of illuminated manuscripts attached to its Zawiya Naciri, and a distinctive green-glazed pottery tradition.