Rachid

Rachid stands on a spur of rock above a gorge in the Tagant, a village of dry stone houses built on the ledges with a date grove filling the valley floor below and cliffs on both sides. It was founded in the eighteenth century on the caravan route and has held on where other Tagant settlements emptied. The walk down into the gorge and through the palms is the reason most people come.

What you actually see

• The spur position - houses built on rock ledges above the gorge.
• The palm grove - dates filling the valley floor below the village.
• The dry stone building - walls laid without mortar in the Tagant manner.
• The gorge walk - the descent from the village through the plantation.

When to go

November to February is the cool season. The date harvest falls around July and August. Summer heat in the Tagant is extreme.

Honest expectations

The track in needs four wheel drive and local knowledge. Facilities amount to nothing. Custom fees apply for guiding and access to the grove.

Nearby

Tidjikja is southeast, and Atar is northwest.