Have a Hollywood Weekend in Ouarzazate, Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco is heavily invested in the film business, so much so that it is hard to find a film with a desert or Middle Eastern setting that was not filmed in Morocco. Morocco's cities provided the setting for Black Hawk Down, while its Sahara desert landscape was so important to Lawrence of Arabia so as to become a major character in the film. At the center of the movie business in Morocco is the town of Ouarzazate, and film buffs and the curious can take the remains of past films and the unique settings that make Morocco what it is in the world of cinema over a mere two days there.

Day One: Ouarzazate
The town of Ouarzazate has two major film studios, and visitors should start by renting a car, driving out to Atlas Studios and spending the morning there. Located about 3 miles outside of town, sets from countless TV movies and films like Cleopatra and Babel are stored here. However, the main reason to visit it first is to avoid being underwhelmed after seeing the CLA Studios next door. As a rule, the contents of CLA are more larger and more elaborate than the still-impressive contents of Atlas. Leftovers from Kingdom of Heaven are stored at both Atlas and CLA, but CLA has the stunning Jerusalem set, which breathes authentic medievalism even under close inspection.

After finishing with the film studios, drive on to M'Hamid and negotiate with one of the camel trekking agencies directly to spend the night out in the desert. This trip will include dinner, usually prepared by your guide, and give you the opportunity to see the sunset on the Saharan sand dunes and gaze at the strikingly clear night sky.

Day Two: Ait Benhaddou
After returning to M'Hamid the next morning, drive back to Ouarzazate and then onto the village of Ait Benhaddou. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a magnificent and largely intact example of a ksar, or fortified town fashioned from mud brick and earthen walls. The combination of Ait Benhaddou's design, size and good state of repair make it one of the truly unique sights in the world, and that fact has led it to appear in over a dozen films, from The Man Who Would Be King to Alexander. Just crossing the dried up creek bed between the modern town and the ksar is like crossing the threshold from tourism and into a Hollywood fantasy. Spend the day exploring the authentically ancient ksar, and end it by watching the sunset from the rocky crag above it.

After finishing with the ksar, stop at La Fibule D'Or for dinner. This restaurant has the best view of the ksar, making a pleasant, moonlit backdrop for your tanjine. Then hop in your car and drive back to Ouarzazate for the night.