Travel: Taroudant, Morocco

I had been looking across a dust-blown patch of scrub to the High Atlas, wondering whether to keep walking or return to the hotel, when his moped puttered to a halt beside me. "Nothing that way," he said, beaming. His portly frame sat uneasily on the tiny bike. A red and gold tracksuit gave the impression of an out-of-shape boxer, though his features were perhaps too soft and kindly for a veteran of the ring.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

Having been relieved of numerous dirhams in Marrakech by doggedly persistent 'guides', I was wary of strangers who approached in the street with seemingly innocent questions. I needn't have been. This was Taroudant, and as I found out, here people are just very friendly.

Known as the "Grandmother of Marrakech" due to its shared proximity to the High Atlas and tawny brown ramparts, the city is in the heart of the Souss Valley in southern Morocco. Like its better-known relation, it has an anarchic energy that grabs you upon arrival. Horse-drawn carts career along the streets, the horses' hooves sparking on the gravel. In Assarag and Talmoklate, the main squares, thin nut-brown men hawk piles of fake Levi jeans, perfumes and shoes. Cats twist their way through the legs of caf tables, and the smell of burning charcoal wafts from hole-in-the-wall food stalls.

But the sense of life being lived at maximum velocity is deceptive; for a Moroccan city, Taroudant is positively relaxed, and you're more likely to get mown down by a bicycle than a car. Around Place Assarag the roads throng with cyclists, and in quieter streets near the outskirts of the city djellaba-clad pensioners cycle two or three abreast, chatting in hushed Arabic. Every railing seems to have a thicket of bicycles attached to it. "It's like a Moroccan Amsterdam," my girlfriend remarked as we arrived.

Later we rented our own bikes and took a two-wheeled tour of the city walls, which extend almost unbroken for 6km. They were built in the 16th century by the Saadi Dynasty, who made Taroudant their capital before pushing on to conquer Marrakech. Yet, despite its historical status, Taroudant never became an imperial city. This might explain the pervading small-town feel, the friendly locals keen to stop and chat.

Mustafa's face lit up when I told him I was from London. "It has always been my dream to go to Peckham!" he exclaimed. "I have a very good friend who lives there. Only Fools and Horses, you know it? My favourite show."

After listening to a delightfully off-kilter Del Boy impression, I headed back towards the city centre with him alongside, moped spluttering as he strived to match my walking pace. I had not yet visited the souks – far superior to those in Marrakech, Mustafa said – and he insisted on showing me the way. We parted company near a palm-shaded park by the Bab el Khemis, the north-east gate of the city.

The regional souk takes place just outside the gate on Thursdays and Sundays, when Tashelhait Berbers descend from the mountains to sell their food produce, cloth and craftwork. It being Tuesday, Mustafa pointed me in the direction of the "March Berbere", an everyday souk selling spices, clothing and carpets, promising I would find some excellent bargains. But with the light fading and my stomach growling, I decided to save the experience for the following day.

There are several reasonable cafs within walking distance of Place Assarag, but we opted to try the hotel cuisine instead. Hotel Taroudant is the oldest establishment in town and was run by a grand French patronne until her death in 1988. It's also the favourite watering hole of the local menfolk and can get noisy in the evening. The simple rooms are arranged around a courtyard garden, filled with knotted trees and colourful plants. Glance out your window and it's easy to imagine you're in a tree house.

If nothing else, its restaurant had character. The red satin curtains, check tablecloths and low chandeliers reminded me of a down-at-heel French bistro. The meal – a lightly spiced tomato salad followed by a lamb tagine – was filling, though not as enjoyable as the smoke-tinged corn-on-the cob I'd had earlier from a street grill.

The following morning we set off for the Berber souk. We hadn't gone far when we ran into Ibrahim, a middle-aged man in a smart green bomber jacket. He was going himself and offered to show us the way. "Not for money, for friendship," he added.

We passed the great mosque with its beautiful minaret, another gift from the Saadi. "When the king comes to visit, this is where he goes to pray," said Ibrahim proudly. He bade us farewell by the start of the souk, strolling on toward his brother-in-law's argan oil shop.

Being used to the chugging techniques employed by Marrakech traders, the near total lack of interest in us as we browsed the stalls was a pleasant surprise. The smell of mint and coffee permeated the air, and light came in shafts through the reed mat roofing. In one shop we found some eco-friendly footwear. "Berber shoes," said the owner. "Soles made from car tyres. This pair Michelin, these ones Goodyear."

We stopped at another shop to buy some spices. "In Marrakech, they see a tourist," said the owner, whipping away a 40dh price tag from a small mountain of turmeric and holding it behind his back, "and they say 'one hundred dirhams'. Here, you pay the same as everybody else."

He crushed some mint and herbs into our hands and showed us the rocks of indigo powder nomads buy to colour their robes. As we were leaving with a fine haul of saffron strands, he said: "Do you know the difference between Morocco and the UK?" I shook my head. "In the UK, you sit in pubs and drink beer and talk about the past. But here we sit in cafes, drink tea and talk about the future."

TAROUDANT

Flights A return fare with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Edinburgh to Marrakech Menara airport starts at around 330 return, including taxes. A taxi journey from Marrakech to Taroudant takes four to five hours.

Ryanair also flies from Glasgow Prestwick to London Stansted from 10 return, and from there to Agadir from 30 return, including taxes. A taxi from Agadir airport to Taroudant takes around 45 minutes.

Accommodation Hotel Taroudant (00 212 5 028 85 24 16) has double rooms from 15 per night.

This Article was first published in Scotland on Sunday, March 28, 2010