Experience 03 · QUAD
Quad rides between the beach and the argan hills
Behind the two villages the land rises in dry hills covered in argan trees, cut by river beds that stay sandy all year. A quad is the way to see them: the beach at low tide, the tracks through the trees, a Berber village for tea, and back for the sunset.
- Duration90 minutes, or a half day of about 3 hours
- Price320 MAD per person for 90 minutes500 MAD for the half day
- LevelNo experience needed; a short briefing, then you ride at the guide’s pace
- Best seasonAll year; mornings in summer, afternoons in winter for the light
Background
Why here
Most places sell quad rides on a flat, fenced circuit. Here the circuit is the landscape. Tamraght sits where a river bed meets the sea, and that river bed, dry for most of the year, runs inland for kilometres between banks of argan trees: a natural sand road with no traffic. The beach north of the village is long and firm at low tide, and the hills behind it hold tracks that farmers and goats have used for centuries, with the ocean appearing and disappearing between the ridges.
The argan tree grows only in this corner of Morocco, and the forest around Taghazout and Tamraght is part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Riding through it you understand the landscape of the whole region: the trees, the goats that climb them, the stone villages on the slopes, the women’s cooperatives that press the oil. It is the most direct way to leave the coast for an afternoon without a car or a long drive.
On the ground
The two rides
The 90-minute ride: beach and river
You start at the edge of Tamraght after a briefing on the machine (automatic, two thumbs and two brakes, nothing to shift). The first part follows the dry river bed inland, wide and sandy, where you find your pace. Then a loop through the first argan hills, a stop at a viewpoint over the bay, and the return along the beach if the tide is out, through the village lanes if it is not. Ninety minutes is the right length for a first time and for children over twelve riding with a parent.
The half day: into the hills
About three hours. The same start, then further inland on the farm tracks, climbing to the villages above the valley where the guide knows a family who makes tea. You see the argan harvest if it is the season (summer), goats in the trees, the Atlas in the distance on a clear day. The return is by the coast with the sun low. Bring a scarf for the dust and sunglasses.
What to wear
Closed shoes, long trousers, a layer you do not mind getting dusty, sunglasses or goggles. Helmets are provided and compulsory. Leave your phone in a pocket that zips: the river bed shakes.
With us
How it works with Hilal
Add the ride you want in the builder: 320 MAD per person for the 90-minute ride, 500 MAD for the half day, one rider per quad (a passenger can share one with an adult). We book the guide for your day and he picks you up at the house; from Moonlight it is a ten-minute drive to the start in Tamraght. No driving licence is required; riders must be sixteen or older to drive, and children ride with an adult. Our Dunes & Valleys plan includes the half day.
Questions
Your questions
Do I need a driving licence?
No. The quads are automatic, the guide gives a briefing before you set off, and you ride at his pace. Drivers must be sixteen or older; younger children ride as passengers with an adult.
Is it dangerous?
The rides avoid roads and stay on the river bed, the beach and farm tracks. Helmets are compulsory and the guide sets the speed. Wear closed shoes and long trousers.
How much does it cost?
320 MAD per person for 90 minutes, 500 MAD per person for the half day of about three hours, including the helmet, the guide and the pick-up at the house.
Further reading
To read before you come
Guide · The dunesThe Timlaline dunes at sunset: sand, ocean and a boardAn afternoon at the Timlaline dunes north of Taghazout with Hilal: sandboarding down to the ocean, tea on the sand, the sunset. 350 MAD with transport.
Guide · Paradise ValleyParadise Valley: palm gorges and natural pools an hour inlandA day in Paradise Valley with us: the drive from Aourir, the walk down to the pools, when they are full, what to bring. 280 MAD with transport and guide.
Journal · PlacesNine places around Tamraght and Taghazout that nobody tells you aboutThe quiet beach, the skatepark not on any map, the Wednesday souk, the lighthouse, the bread ovens: nine places near Tamraght and Taghazout the guides skip.Photo credits: Elena Tatiana Chis, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Haris Khan (Unsplash). The other photographs are ours, taken from the two houses and on the road.
YOUR STAY
Make it part of your stay.
Add it to your plan in the builder, priced line by line. Our team confirms everything before you pay.