What to do in Tafraoute? Which day is the weekly market in Tafraoute? About visiting the Tafraoute Market (and what what to see, do and eat!).
Tafraoute is one of Morocco’s lesser known but well-worth-it destinations in the beautiful Anti-Atlas Mountains. It’s a small town popular with visitors for the stunning scenery, surrounding mountains and unique rock formations. And it also boasts a colourful and bustling weekly market.
So whether you are visiting for hiking, hammam, sightseeing or relaxation, the weekly market in Tafraoute is not to be missed. The liveliness and colours are like each of the Moroccan markets that create such awe and wonder as a tourist. It really does feel like a privilege to visit what is in fact a very regular part of routine life in rural Morocco.
You will find woodwork and leather, silver jewellery, beautifully woven Moroccan rugs, and textiles. There is livestock and clothing, and fresh fruit and vegetables from the surrounding mountains. And overall, just an incredible atmosphere of marketplace bustle that truly accentuates the beauty of Morocco countryside and culture.
Here is everything you need to know to plan a great visit to the weekly market in Tafraoute, Morocco.
- Where is the market in Tafraoute?
- When is the market in Tafraoute?
- Undercover market
- Souvenirs and handicrafts
- What to wear
- Cash or card
Shopping at the weekly Tafraoute market
Under the cover of a shaded marketplace is an entire sprawl of colourful fruit and vegetables stands. There is everything from carrots and artichokes, purple eggplants, and delicious oranges. We stocked up on courgettes and tomatoes for cooking and oranges for the kids.
Even if you are just visiting Tafraoute for a few days and have no need for fresh fruit and vegetables it’s still well worth a visit to this part of the market in Tafraoute. Listen out for the call of vendors proudly advertising their produce fresh from the surrounding farms and mountains.
Don’t forget to bring a bag. Grab the small plastic buckets and add your fruits and vegetables to be weighed. It’s great shopping and truly a great Moroccan experience.
Where exactly is the Tafraoute market?
The weekly market in Tafraoute is held every Wednesday and is in the centre of Tafraoute town.
The location online is listed as:
- Weekly Market Souk, Tafraoute; or,
- Marche de Tafraoute
Once you arrive in the town of Tafraoute you will quickly find the centre of the town and the entrances to the weekly market on a Wednesday.
Honey, Nuts and Argan Oil
As soon as you exit from the vegetable and produce section there are rows of honey jars, honeycomb and argan oil. It’s amazing to see the stalls of honey so beautifully displayed and with enormous jars of sticky honey! We met a very friendly honey vendor with huge pieces of honeycomb also for sale. As soon as we each tried a piece of the honeycomb, we knew we had to buy some! Delicious.
This region of Tafraoute is also famous for almonds. We visited in February and our stay in Tafraoute also coincided with the very lively Annual Festival of Almonds. This is the time of year when all the almond trees in the surrounding valleys are blossoming. A beautiful time of year to visit.
Snacks, restaurants, popcorn, and pastries
Not all of Morocco’s rural markets have snacks and food stalls included. But here in Tafraoute there are not only pastry and popcorn stalls within the central aisle of the market, as well as coffee shops and tea houses and cafes.
Because the market is so close to the centre of the town there are also many small restaurants, butcheries, and coffee shops at the entrance to the marketplace. They serve tagine as well as sardine snacks and freshly made pastries and breads.
Berber shoes, Moroccan rugs, handicrafts and livestock
This part of Morocco is well known for handicrafts, Moroccan rugs and the typical round-ended slippers of Berber origins traditionally worn in the rural regions of Morocco. There are literally rows of stalls selling Babouches, the traditional shoes, and beautiful rugs.
On the opposite side of the road down the line of market stalls there is a small livestock section at Tafraoute market. It isn’t as large as the livestock area at Guelmim or Zagora market. But it is well worth a wander while you are there. There are goats and sheep for sale. And small trucks with stock feed and hay stacked up for sale.
It’s another incredible scene that in many ways looks largely unchanged as it must have been for generations.
Clothes and homewares
Tafraoute market has a huge area of homewares and clothing for sale. There is also a large area of secondhand clothing, toys, shoes, and other household items. Many shaded stalls heading straight out from the vegetable and produce area are lined with bathroom and house robes and traditional djaleba. There are lots of option for bathroom products and homewares (including all the essentials for a trip to the hammam in Tafraoute). And there are beautiful displayed traditional leather shoes that are handmade here in the town.
What to wear to the weekly market in Tafraoute
The marketplace is quite modest as far as dress. Remember, although there are many tourists in town it is a local market. It is respectful to have your shoulders covered and wear long trousers or a skirt.
Interestingly all the local women in town where an entirely black outfit. And for the first time we noticed a large proportion of the women with a niqab and gloves. There are no restrictions on what tourists and especially tourist-women need to wear. Tafraoute is one of Morocco’s popular tourist destinations. But do bear in mind that the weekly market is a local market.
Cash or card?
The entire market is cash only. Bring some smaller notes for fruits and vegetables. And purchasing anything larger do be prepared to negotiate a price that everyone is happy with. There are beautiful handmade and woven rugs that even before negotiations do come at a decent price. Go into it knowing what you are happy to pay and with that amount of money in your hand. (It won’t work as well haggling something small down to 10Dh and then pulling out a 200Dh note to pay with).
And remember the weekly Tafraoute market is just at the entrance to the town. There is no ATM onsite. But there are several ATM machines within walking distance from the market.
Does it feel safe?
It absolutely feels safe walking around the weekly Tafraoute market as a tourist. People are friendly and proud of their wares and produce. Make sure to ask before taking photos of people. There are many tourist shops in town and surrounding the marketplace. The town is a popular tourist destination in Morocco. And even the weekly market in Tafraoute and the weekly souk in Ouarzazate are used to tourists visiting. However, do remember that they are local markets, and these people are here to sell and buy their local produce.
How to get to Tafraoute from Agadir or Taroudant
If you are driving from Agadir to Tafraoute the drive is about 250km up some winding mountain passes. But be assured that once you arrive in the secluded mountain oasis of Tafraoute you will be very pleased you made the effort.
From Taroudant over the mountains to Tafraoute takes just over three hours. But the mountain villages and passes are spectacular. And if you are visiting Tafraoute in February you will get to witness the beautiful almond tree blossoms that brighten all the surrounding valleys.
Where to park in Tafraout
There are lots of parking options just outside of the main town area. We parked in our motorhome in one of Les Palmeries camping areas (15 Dh per night) and the walk from the parking to the Tafraoute market is just less than 1km.
In the centre of town there are various options for guarded parking within a short walk (100-200m) from the market. Look out for the men in the brightly coloured hi-vis vests and they will point you in the direction for a suitable parking spot.
Enjoy your Wednesday morning at the market in Tafraoute
What a great experience! We highly recommend a visit to the bustling weekly market in Tafraoute on a Wednesday morning. Take your bags to stock up on any fresh fruit or vegetables. And if you are just passing through then don’t forget to buy some hot, fresh popcorn, delicious pastries, or a sandwich before you go!
What about other weekly markets in Morocco?
We can’t rate the weekly markets in Morocco highly enough! It is a fascinating way to get a glimpse of traditional, rural and weekly life in Morocco. And obviously a good place to stock up on fruit and vegetables or souvenirs and handicrafts.
There are weekly markets in Morocco that take place all over the country. Here are some more of our favourites:
- Zagora Weekly Market
- Tabounte Weekly Market
- Guelmim Camel Market
- Ouarzazate Weekly Market
- Tamraght Souk
More useful links for your travels in Morocco and beyond…
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have travel insurance before riding those trains in India!
Read more about travel in Morocco
- Taking the vehicle ferry from Spain to Morocco with your motorhome.
- Driving in Morocco: Everything you wanted to ask.
- 12 Best Things to do in Zagora.
- Motorhome services in Morocco: What is it like?
- A guide to campsites in Morocco.
- Tabounte Market in Ouarzazate, Morocco.
- Buying a SIM card in Morocco (and how to get unlimited data!).
