"Agdz - (ag-a-dez)" Agdz by suvanki

Agdz is a small town, - ( a military town, which used to have a sizeable Jewish population, who were predominant in agriculture, commerce and metalworking) with a few shops, restaurants and hotels. Apparently there are a few carpet shops here!

Situated about halfway between Ouarzazate and Zagora, this town is utilised as a base for visiting the Draa Valley, or as a refreshment stop. There is a market held here too.

I visited this town (or rather passed through) twice as part of my tour, both times stopping for lunch at the Hotel Restaurant Draa.

The photogenic Jebel (Arabic for hill/mountain) Kissane is also known as Mount Tagine, due to its resemblence to the characteristic piling up of ingredients in this national dish!

From my photo you can see the palm grove (palmeraie), many of which can be seen before arriving in Agdz. The green foliage is an indication of the relatively good irrigation of the valley in this area. Dates, olives, almonds and citrus fruit are grown here. The most fertile area is the 100km stretch of road from Agdz to Zagora

The Draa River is one of the longest rivers in Morocco. Originating in the High Atlas Mountains, it's waters used to wind through the mountains and deserts, until they poured out into the Atlantic Ocean. However, nowadays, even after the snow in the mountains has melted, the force of water usually only makes it as far as the desert sands. (The last recorded flow of the full course was in 1989, when flash floods occured)

• Pros:Where else would you see a Tagine Mountain?
• Cons:Wasn't here long enough to find any
• In a nutshell:A good base for exploring the Draa Valley