The Riad Sofian is on the outskirts of Zagora, in the village of Amezrou* (famous for its historic ‘ksar’), and makes for a unique night’s stay to/from the Sahara desert. With just 10 rooms, the house can be privatised for group stays or rooms booked for couples/individual stays.
The house was lovingly created using various Moroccan architectural and crafts techniques, not simply those from the south of Morocco (e.g. the pise/earth building design is from the south, but the plaster-work & stucco along with tile work for the interiors are from the north).
Guests are able to dine outside in the evenings next to the swimming pool and are able to choose from an extensive menu, with the accent on Moroccan dishes.
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If you wish to break up your outbound journey from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga great dunes, the Riad Sofian is approx. 7hrs drive from Marrakech (excl. time for lunch and other visits), and will be a great introduction to the warm hospitality of the Sahara region.
*Note on Amezrou – the mosque in the ksar is said to date back to the 15th Century, its minaret is constructed of pise/earth. The ksar as it stands today is said to date back to the 18th Century. The ksar also has an historic Jewish quarter (mellah) which until the 1950’s was home to many families, some practising the craft of silversmith.
Another visit you could consider making locally is to the Zagora souk (market), held on Wednesdays and Sundays, before continuing southwards to Tamegroute and the Sahara desert.