Choose Your Own Adventure: The Morocco: Kingdom Of The West Cycling Tour

Britney Charme, who will be the Tour Leader on the 2025 North American Epic and the 2026 Morocco: Kingdom of the West tours looks back at her time in Morocco in 2024.

Loualidia, Morocco

It is early afternoon in Morocco’s coastal mountains and I find myself in a small village that consists of Argan trees, a teahouse and a mosque. Our expedition chef, Nicole, has made a detour to a larger village for fresh fruit and the rest of the TDA crew is at lunch, feeding our group of hungry cyclists. While I wait for Nicole, I head into the teahouse to indulge in a cup of tea and to relish in the slowness of the moment. Instead of the usual fresh mint tea, I am treated to thyme tea with local honey, as well as homemade baked treats. I sit back and admire the colourful Safi ceramic mug the tea has arrived in. My mind wanders, and I am reflective. The tour is a day away from the finish line and I am already nostalgic for this journey. In the attempt to savour the moment, I flip through my travel journal and relive some of my favourite stages from this gem of a tour.

The following excerpts are some of the musings and memories that I jotted down while working as the Tour Leader on the 2024 Morocco Kingdom of the West Cycling Expedition.

Stage 5 – Azla to Chefchaouen

The tour is in full swing and we have been winding our way along the Morocco’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Stage 5 saw the tour depart from the sea and travel into the Rif mountain range. This stage of the tour has taken on a mythical quality in my mind. The geographic complexity of Morocco begins to reveal itself, alongside the cultural and historical layers of the country. The first part of the day brought us to a beautiful lunch spot in the Laou River Canyon. After lunch, the cyclists rode alongside wild herbs and flowers and we began to see the ubiquitous clay bread ovens that are famous in this part of Morocco. I was very content to enjoy fresh baked bread at our coke stop in Al Oued. We continued through the Rif mountains. The villages we pass through are brimming with energy and the craggy peaks are tantalizing. This is a curious, exciting place and I make a mental note to return to these mountains someday.

Stage 14 – Todra Gorge to Dades Gorge

This stage goes down as one of the toughest and most memorable of the tour. Every cycling trip needs a day (or a few) with equal parts adventure and challenge. Stage 14 fit that bill. We began the ride in the Berber village of Tamtetoucht, at the foot of the High Atlas mountains. Tamtetoucht is one of the most secluded and remote villages that we stay at during the tour. Upon leaving our traditional Berber guesthouse, or Auberge Amazigh, the cyclists gradually climb an empty paved road that leads deep into the Atlas mountain range. After 30 kilometres, we veer off that road and embark on a 20 kilometre stretch of gravel that will connect us to the Dades Gorge. Now 20km of dirt might not sound like much, but that gravel road packs a punch! On cue, the wind picks up, the climb steepens, and the cyclists are working in overdrive. It takes a serious amount of grit for the cyclists to arrive at the other side of the pass.

This subalpine desert road is a point along the migration route for the indigenous Berber nomads. In the springtime, nomadic families begin their journey from the Sahara Desert where they winter amongst the palms and head into the High Atlas where they spend their summers. The riders pedalled amongst the nomads, some of whom were herding livestock and camels, and some of whom had set up temporary camps to rest before continuing north. Traveling alongside these ancient people made an impression on me. We were granted a brief yet intimate window into a way of life that is wildly different than our own. That night, after dinner and clean up, I took a walk into the gorge with Idriss, the owner of the camp we are staying at. Idriss points out constellations while I tell him about the day’s ride. It is a connecting moment and I reflect that days like this are the essence of what TDA tours are all about.

Stage 24 – Imsouane to Essaouira + Essaouira Rest Day

The day of a tour leader on a TDA expedition is sometimes quite different than that of a tour rider. The cyclists will remember this stage for the stunning coastal views and the relentless headwind. I will remember it for the not so small feat of moving 50 duffel bags from the TDA vans to our riad (guesthouse), located in the heart of Essaouira’s ancient Medina. The Medina is maze-like with narrow pathways and market stalls overflowing with carpets, antiques, spices and local crafts. Vehicles are strictly prohibited inside the Medina walls, thus presenting the logistical challenge of how to transport the group’s luggage to the riad. I pulled up to the Medina gates, and hopped out of the van, hoping to come up with a solution before the police told me to move on.

At this point in the tour, I had come to know and deeply appreciate the resourcefulness of the Moroccan people. Within minutes of arriving at the Medina gates, I had a cup of tea thrust into my hands and a crew of locals with wooden carts loading up our bags. The duffels were promptly wheeled to our riad and a verbal agreement, along with a handshake, ensured that the same group would arrive in two days time to transport the bags back to the vans. The duffel shuffle was well worth it. Going to sleep and waking up inside the walled Medina was unlike anything I have experienced. I was transported into a world that I had imagined only existed in history books. We spent the next day exploring markets, wandering through endless corridors, eating freshly caught seafood, buying (way too many) spices and soaking in the timelessness of the place.

Loualidia, Morocco

My phone buzzes and it’s Nicole, letting me know she is ready to head to camp – fresh fruit has been procured and the riders will start the final morning of the tour with their ritual of bananas and fruit salad. I finish my last few sips of tea and head to the van, grateful for the time I had to reflect. Morocco is a treasure trove of adventure. Every curve of the road, contour in the mountains, crumbling Kasbah and mile of the Sahara Desert begs to be explored. We have yet to reach Casablanca and I am already planning a return to this wonder of a country, two wheels in tow.

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