Erfoud

Erfoud is the main town of the Tafilalet oasis — Morocco's largest oasis and historic heart of the Alaouite dynasty that rules Morocco today. Famous for its black marble filled with marine fossils (trilobites, ammonites), its extraordinary date festival, and as the staging point for Merzouga desert trips.

The Tafilalet oasis is one of Morocco's most historically significant regions — birthplace of the Alaouite dynasty, Morocco's current royal family, who originated here in the 17th century. The ancient city of Sijilmassa, once the terminus of the trans-Saharan gold and salt trade, lies in ruins 12km north of Erfoud.

The Erfoud Date Festival (October) celebrates the harvest of millions of date palms — one of Morocco's most authentic agricultural festivals. Fossil workshops demonstrate the extraction and polishing of trilobites and ammonites from the black marble — the region is a world-class paleontological site.

• ✓Erfoud is a base — Merzouga (45 min south) is the actual destination.
• ✓Buy fossil pieces directly from the workshops — authenticity and price are better.
• ✓The October Date Festival is worth planning a trip around.

CTM buses from Fes (8h), Ouarzazate (5h), Marrakech (9h). Grand taxis to Merzouga (45 min).