Motorcycle Touring in Morocco

The N9 over Tizi n'Tichka is Morocco's most celebrated mountain road and the primary artery between Marrakech and the south. The ascent from Marrakech begins at 450 m and climbs through cedar forests, past roadside fossil sellers, to the 2,260 m summit in about 90 minutes of continuous riding. The hairpin section between Taddart and the summit is tight enough to feel technical but wide enough for coaches — you will have space to lean. Descent into Ouarzazate drops through a drier, more barren landscape where the ochre tones of the earth signal the start of the pre-Saharan zone. The road surface is generally excellent with predictable patching in shoulder sections. Watch for loaded trucks taking wide lines on hairpins, and for sheep crossing with no warning.

Tizi n'Test is the mountain pass that serious riders seek out when they discover Tizi n'Tichka has become busy with tourist buses. The road follows the Nfiss River valley before climbing steeply to the 2,093 m summit via a series of tight hairpins with genuine cliff drops. The carriageway is narrower than the N9 — some sections barely accommodate two vehicles side by side. That same narrowness is the appeal: the road demands your full attention and rewards careful riders with long stretches of uninterrupted flow. The descent into the Souss Valley is steep and sustained. The historic Tin Mal Mosque sits above the valley floor and can be visited as a 30-minute stop — one of the few surviving monuments of the Almohad dynasty. Fuel planning is critical; the gap between Asni and Taroudant has a single small station at Ijoukak that is not always open.

The N10 east from Ouarzazate follows the Draa and Dades river valleys — a route that concentrates more mud-brick kasbah architecture per kilometre than anywhere else in the country. The riding itself is straightforward: good tarmac, consistent gradient, manageable corners. The scenery does the work. At Boumalne Dades the R704 turns north and ascends into the Dades Gorge — 25 km of increasingly dramatic canyon, culminating in a switchback section that doubles back on itself. Most riders go up, photograph the view, and return to the valley rather than attempting the rough piste north to Msemrir. Continuing east on the N10 reaches Tinerhir, the entry point for Todra Gorge. The gorge road is a 15-km out-and-back into a slot canyon. At peak season there are pedestrians on the road floor — ride slowly. Completing the loop back to Ouarzazate via the same N10 is the standard route. Riders with more time and a dual-sport bike can explore piste connections across the plateau.

The Atlantic coast route is Morocco's grand touring road — long, straight, comfortable, and endlessly varied. Riders who want distance and ease take the A1 motorway toll road (fast but featureless). Riders who want scenery use the N1 coastal route, which winds closer to the ocean through fishing villages, salt flats, and argan tree groves. The northern section from Tangier to Casablanca passes the port towns of Asilah and Larache, then the flatter agricultural coast south of Kenitra. South of Casablanca the coast becomes more rugged and the N1 begins to feel genuinely scenic. Essaouira is the natural end point for most riders — a walled medina with ocean wind and a strong surf culture. The road to Agadir continues south through increasingly arid coastal scrubland before Agadir's modern resort strip. The entire route has no technical challenges — it is an endurance tour rather than a mountain adventure, suited to large touring bikes or riders who want to cover distance with manageable daily stages.

The Anti-Atlas is Morocco's forgotten mountain range — older, more eroded, and far less visited than the High Atlas to the north. The circuit begins at Taroudant and climbs south through the western Anti-Atlas to Tiznit, then turns inland to Tafraoute — a dramatic valley of pink granite formations that look improbably placed among the Berber almond orchards. The road from Tafraoute east to Igherm is one of the circuit's best stretches: narrow, well-surfaced, winding through a succession of gorges. The southern section from Igherm to Tata drops into a pre-Saharan landscape of eroded ridges and palm oasis valleys. Tata itself is a quiet oasis town with basic accommodation and a camel market on Mondays. The return north via the N12 to Taroudant is fast and straightforward. Riders with dual-sport bikes can add piste excursions into the desert plateaux south of Tata. The entire circuit receives a fraction of the motorcycle traffic of the Atlas passes — days without seeing another touring bike are common.