Figuig Oasis

Figuig sits in a basin in the far east of Morocco, close to the Algerian frontier, and is made up of seven separate ksour - Zenaga, El Maiz, Hammam Foukani, Hammam Tahtani, Loudaghir, Ouled Slimane and Laabidat - each a walled village with its own gardens, watching each other across the palms from their towers, historically rivals over the one thing that mattered: water. That water comes from springs distributed through foggara, underground channels and open seguia allocated in timed shares by an accounting system that has run for centuries, and the palmeraie of around 200,000 palms depends on it entirely. The ksour are dense mazes of covered lanes; several have watchtowers that can be climbed for the view over the whole basin. It is a very long way from anywhere and receives few visitors, which is part of what has preserved it. The frontier alongside is closed.

What you actually see

• Seven separate ksour - walled villages with towers, historically rivals over water.
• Foggara irrigation - underground channels with timed shares run for centuries.
• Around 200,000 palms - a large oasis entirely dependent on that system.
• Covered lanes - dense mazes inside the ksour, with climbable watchtowers.

When to go

October to April; summer heat is severe. Two days.

Honest expectations

It is a very long drive from anywhere - the nearest sizeable town is over a hundred kilometres. The frontier alongside is closed and there is a border-zone official presence. Accommodation is limited and basic. Lanes inside the ksour are private in feel; ask before entering.

Nearby

Bouarfa is north; the Oriental steppe runs west.