Transhumance May 2026

Every spring, nomads from Saghro, in South-Eastern Morocco, leave their pastures with their herds of goats, sheep, and camels, along with their entire families. The caravan sets off to cross the Dadès plain and climb the southern slopes of the Atlas to over 3,000 m. They then reach Lake Izourar and its high plateaus.
The Ait Atta are a group of the Amazigh population of Morocco, originating from the Sahara. Jbel Saghro is their original stronghold. They have spread to the surrounding areas in the Tafilalet, Ziz, Dadès, and Drâa valleys.
The arrival of the transhumance takes place around the beginning of June. The host populations, those of the Atlas, had the choice of the best locations. The following day, the Ait Atta nomads entered these territories; formerly, locations were distributed by drawing lots. In recent years, the different tribes arrive at the pasture together because, being few in number, there is a choice of locations.
In autumn, the transhumance takes place in reverse.
This transhumance to reach the Atlas will probably be the last, as every year several nomad families stop their nomadic activity, and they have become few in number. There will still be the return transhumance in September 2025, which will be open to travelers.