What is the Anti-Atlas region like (Tafraoute)?

The Anti-Atlas is the lower, older, drier mountain range that runs southwest of the High Atlas, and it is one of my personal favourite corners of Morocco precisely because so few foreign visitors make it down here. The landscape around Tafraoute is unlike anywhere else in the country — vast rounded boulders of pink and amber granite, glowing almost neon at sunset, scattered across valleys of almond and argan trees.

Tafraoute itself is a laid-back Chleuh Berber town. The big quirky attraction is the Painted Rocks (Les Pierres Bleues) just outside town, a field of granite boulders that the Belgian artist Jean Vérame painted blue and red in the 1980s — faded now, but still striking and a fun short drive. Beyond that the appeal is the walking: trails through the Ameln Valley past palm-fringed villages clinging to the slopes, and the photogenic "Napoleon's Hat" rock formation.

February is the magic window, when the almond blossom carpets the valleys white and pink and the town holds an almond festival. The light here is extraordinary year-round, but spring is when photographers lose their minds. It's also a serious destination for rock climbers and bouldering enthusiasts thanks to all that granite.

Honestly, the Anti-Atlas is a detour, not a stop on the standard loop — it's a few hours' drive inland from Agadir or Taroudant, on good but winding roads. I recommend it to travellers who already know Morocco a little and want depth: artists, hikers, climbers, and anyone who wants Berber mountain life without another soul holding a selfie stick.