Tata Akka Expedition

This new ride will bring us in a still unknown part of tourism, desert, sand and loneliness, endless planes, immense oasis of palm trees, salty rivers, mountain chains in orange, red and brown, red Sahara sand covers the black mountains. The highlights of this trip are the Labyrinth of a thousand canyons, a Cobra shaped mountain and the  Tajin Mountain

11/23-12/07
  availability & reservation

Day 1  Arrival in Agadir. First dinner together and then and overnight at a local hotel.
Day 2  Transfer by car to Tata, approx. 4-5 h. The horses wait for us in the palm gardens of Tata. In the afternoon we start the first stage of our journey. During a 2-3 hours ride we familiarize ourselves with our horses. We ride along the Kasbah villages and enjoy long canters across the white sand. A black mountain range rises before us, it almost disappears under the Sahara sand. At a river course under palms, oleander and tamarisk trees we set up camp for the night.
Day 3  A white sand plain stretches before us and invites to long gallops. Later the white sand changes to fine black stones. Isolated acacia trees grow here and we arrive into a broad valley framed by black, serrated mountains. At noon we picnic under a group of palms. We follow the valley in the afternoon, it is dotted with lonely palm trees. Along brownish mountains we ride towards pale plains. Long gallops lead us to the only well in the desert. Here the camp lies under a group of palms.
Day 4  In the white sandy plain isolated palm trees grow. Soon the soil changes to black fine stones. Here forgotten acacia trees stand. Closer to Akka the stones get bigger and we advance more slowly. We approach Akka through its extended palm gardens. Possibly we have lunch in a restaurant in this small town, if we find a place where we can tie up the horses. Akka is a newer town, with an important military presence. The only small hotel is not very recommendable; therefore we remain in our camp next to the river Adaka that runs through the palm tree gardens.
Day 5  We ride for a short way along the edge of the palm tree gardens. Behind them lies a more yellowish plain, completely eroded, and riddled with thousand small ravines and valleys. Riding here is like riding in maze: will we ever find the exit? But soon we can gallop again through a flat, sandy desert valley. We climb over a stony pass with beautiful views into the infinite valleys beyond. Our picnic is by the roadside. Towards the evening we ride along a brown mountain range with innumerable folding. Our camp is near the village Imitek.  
Day 6  Along the palm trees we cross the village Imitek. On donkey paths we skirt a mountain range, that reflects the sunlight in many different colors from pink to ocher, brown or yellow, depending on the position of the sun. In behind granite mountains rise high. Hidden in a valley close to the village Agoulouz, we find a small romantic waterfall. Here we have a short picnic, because the afternoon ride promises to be a long one. Narrow mule paths leads us across the mountain range. Finally we reach the edge of Tata. A last long canter brings us to the hotel in Tata. We have dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Day 7  Today the horses have time to rest and we have time to look around this beautiful desert oasis town. Tata is the largest of the Bani oases. The population is very friendly and the place is calm. We have dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Day 8  Today we rejoin our horses and ride over a large plain where acacia trees grow. The ground is covered partly with stones, partly with fine flints and we advance through a long valley framed by slanted, black-brown mountains. Midday rest is in the middle of green slate mountains. In the afternoon we pass between the mountains to come into the valley of Akka Iguern. Today our camp lies in an empty river course in the proximity of the village.

Day 9   Over a stony, black plain we ride on to pale brown pyramid-shaped mountains. Between the mountains, through and sometimes over hills we reach our midday camp. In the afternoon we cross a last mountain range and finally reach an endless sand plain. Long canters bring us to the green palm gardens of Kasbah. Camp under the palms.
Day 10   Today we canter over the wide white sands to isolated palms and reach a caved-in black mountain range. Soon follows a yellow plateau with thousands of small eroded canyons. Again we look for a way out of this maze onto the white high plain. After a long gallop we descend down to the river valley where palm trees grow. We follow the river course, it has clear, blue water. By a ravine we reach the waterfalls of Atiq. At the large natural pool with clear bluish green water we have our midday rest. Here it is even possible to bathe. The water is slightly salty and very cool. In the afternoon we continue our ride in the palm gardens of Tissint. Suddenly a large, white sand plain framed by black rock stretches before us. Here we can canter as much as we like after. Soon we reach the river course again, with bushes and isolated palms. The salty river continues here, its water can be drunk by the animals. Over a black plateau we ride to the palm gardens of Mghirima, where the Camp is.
Day 11  Today we ride through a dry artificial lake that almost never holds water now. We continue following the drained river course. Despite the absence of flowing water shrubs and bushes still grow here. Soon many small sand dunes accumulate, and we have a lot of fun riding over them! In the background black, folded mountains half sunk in red sand stretch away. Now a black pebbled plain extends itself before us. Isolated acacias grow here, between them rise small mountains, which are nearly covered with red Sahara sand. Here we look for a place to picnic. In the afternoon we ride far in the direction of a Tajine-shaped mountain. Towards the evening we enter the broad valley that leads to a no man’s land. The ground here is ideally suited to long gallops. In the distance a line of shark fin like mountain rises. The camp is at a lonely palm oasis with springs.
Day 12   Today we ride over the large plain towards the shark fin mountains. Other strange mountain forms developed here, like teeth or the Tajine Mountain. We ride between them and reach an endless sand expanse - we picnic somewhere along the way.  In the evening we reach the camp at the foot of the Tajine Mountain at a desert spring with isolated palms. The nomads bring their camels here to drink.
Day 13   Our last riding day leads us across a sandy plain with small bushes. More and more acacia trees grow here. Stony surfaces alternate with sandy oueds. Finally we reach the palm garden of Foum Zguid. The horses are stabled next to the hotel and we enjoy a good shower. Overnight in hotel.
Day 14   Today we can sleep in again. After a leisurely breakfast we discover the little town Foum Zguid, the gate to the desert. But except for some small cafés, there is hardly anything to see. In the afternoon we return to Agadir for dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Day 15  Departure.