5 Secret Spots in Morocco to Explore by Rental Car

On a tour coach, you see Morocco through glass, with fifty other passengers. In your own car, you take the small road towards a village because you like the light, and you stop wherever you want. Here are five places the organised tours skip, each with a realistic city to start from.

Photo: Grand Parc — Bordeaux — CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Published on 1 April 2026

1. The Ounila Valley, from Telouet to Aït Ben Haddou
2. Bin El Ouidane lake and the Ahansal gorges
3. Guelmim's White Beach: dunes falling into the Atlantic
4. The fortified granary of Aït Kine, in the Anti-Atlas
5. The cliffs and cove of Belyounech, facing the strait

1. The Ounila Valley, from Telouet to Aït Ben Haddou

On the N9, most cars cross the Tichka pass and carry straight on to Ouarzazate. Shortly after the pass, a narrow road branches off to Telouet and the Glaoui kasbah. That is where the Ounila Valley starts.

Salt caravans once came through here, under the control of the Glaoui family. The road is now surfaced. It runs down past almond trees, ochre cliffs and red mud-brick villages to the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, and you will meet very few cars on the way.

Best starting point: Marrakech, leaving early because it is a long day. From Ouarzazate, do the loop the other way round: Aït Ben Haddou is only about thirty kilometres away.

2. Bin El Ouidane lake and the Ahansal gorges

In Azilal province, at the foot of the central High Atlas, the Bin El Ouidane dam holds back turquoise water between red clay hills. After hours of flat farmland, the colour catches you off guard.

By car, you can follow the road along the lake, have lunch at a small guesthouse by the water, then drive up to the Ahansal gorges and the rock wall of Imsfrane. Kayak in the morning, take photos late in the day when the hills turn dark red.

Best starting point: Béni Mellal, 58 km from the dam. From Marrakech, allow a good half-day on the road via Demnate and Azilal.

3. Guelmim's White Beach: dunes falling into the Atlantic

South of Sidi Ifni, on the edge of the Sahara, the White Beach (Plage Blanche) runs for dozens of kilometres of wild coast. Pale dunes slide right down into the Atlantic surf.

Without a car, the place is close to unreachable. A surfaced coast road leaves the Guelmim area and reaches the start of the beach. At sunset, there is a fair chance you will have the sand to yourself.

Worth knowing before you set off: the White Beach is far from any big city. On Loccor, the nearest starting points are Tiznit, 73 km from Sidi Ifni, and Agadir, depending on the cars listed on their pages. From Marrakech or Casablanca, plan a trip of several days. Better to know that while drawing up the route than at the booking stage.

4. The fortified granary of Aït Kine, in the Anti-Atlas

About fifty kilometres from Tata, at over 1,000 metres, the village of Aït Kine still uses its agadir, a fortified communal granary. Families keep barley, dried fruit, papers and valuables there, in small storerooms set on three levels around a courtyard.

The road there crosses dry plateaus scattered with acacias. Once you arrive, ask for the keeper: he is the one who opens the wooden doors.

The same caveat as for the White Beach: no starting city is close. Treat Aït Kine as one stop on a long loop through the south, from Agadir or Ouarzazate.

5. The cliffs and cove of Belyounech, facing the strait

Belyounech is a fishing village at the foot of Jebel Musa, the mountain that legend counts among the Pillars of Hercules. The water is clear and lagoon-blue, and the Ceuta border sits just behind the village.

A steep little road drops down to the cove. On the way, the Strait of Gibraltar is right in front of you and, on a clear day, the Spanish coast across the water. Come on a weekday if you want the cove to yourself.

Best starting point: Tetouan via Fnideq, or Tangier along the coast road through Ksar Sghir. The whole trip stays inside Morocco: a Moroccan rental car does not go through the Ceuta border post.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a 4x4 to reach these five spots?

No. A small car is fine for the Ounila Valley, Bin El Ouidane and Belyounech, which all have surfaced roads. For the White Beach and Aït Kine, an SUV with good ground clearance makes the verges and the last stretches easier.

Is there mobile coverage in these regions?

Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi cover most of the country in 4G. In deep valleys and on the Anti-Atlas plateaus, the signal drops out in places, so download offline maps before you leave.

Which cities can I start from with Loccor?

Loccor has a rental page for about twenty cities, from Tangier to Dakhla, including Marrakech, Béni Mellal, Tetouan, Ouarzazate, Tiznit and Agadir. The cars on offer change from one city and one date to another, so check the city page before you plan the route. For the White Beach and Aït Kine, you will need several days on the road either way.

Sources

UNESCO — whc.unesco.org

Wikipedia — fr.wikipedia.org

The Smart Choice in Morocco

Ready to Hit the Road in Morocco with Total Freedom?

Written by the Loccor editorial team, the platform connecting travellers with car rental agencies in Morocco.

Browse the cars available to rent in Marrakech