Ouarzazate Favorites

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Favorite thing: Ouarzazate is not an old town... it was built by the French, for the legion etrangères - and then it was conquered by Hollywood. Obviously not because it is a pretty town. Nevertheless is not an ugly one either. What makes this town special is the amazing landscape that surrounds it: high snow-covered mountain, arid deserts and palm-filled oasis, enchanting casbahs (including a little one in town).

Fondest memory: Did you know that the first one to discover this town and surrounding area as a movie location was Joseph von Sternberg? And did you know that his protagonist was Marlène Dietrich? Well, these were the beginnings, before Hollywood took it over... Most films, but not all, are historical, in some way. Here are just some of the most famous titles: Lawrence of Arabia, the Mummy, Gladiator, the Jewel of the Nile, Alexander, Jesus of Nazareth. The ironic part is that in Ouarzazate there is no movie theatre.

Favorite thing: HOTELS AND ALTERNATIVES
Ouarzazate has plenty of hotels, covering all price ranges. And even better, this must be the one place in Morocco where booking ahead is completely unnecessary. There is an disproportionate number of top-end hotels here, but while these never are full, they seldom cut their prices.
During the winter season, remember to ask for extra blankets, as temperatures fall quickly after sunset.

RESTAURANTS AND ALTERNATIVES
Outside the hotels, Ouarzazate offers little in terms of restaurants, and what there is is quite uninspired. For anyone who have already discovered how great Moroccan fast food can be, look out for food stalls in the town market.

SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES
Ouarzazate has a public swimming pool which summer tourists will have good use from. In Ouarzazate you can also hire bikes, such as mountain bikes.

NIGHTLIFE
If there are enough tourists in Ouarzazate some of the better hotels can offer some night life. If there are too few, all that is offered are drinks in the bar.

CHANGE MONEY
All necessary banks, most better hotels change money too.

TRANSPORT
Excellent connections with every possible destination with either bus or taxi. Ouarzazate has also an airport, which has flights (2-3 per week) for Agadir, Casablanca, Marrakech as well as Paris in France.