Car Rental at Ouarzazate Airport

Airport travel guide

Often called the Gateway to the Sahara, Ouarzazate is also a fascinating destination in its own right. Located away from the main coastal tourist routes, its narrow streets and well-preserved sites offer a more raw, authentic experience of Morocco. These are four of the main attractions in and around it:

• Kasbah. The most recognizable landmark of Ouarzazate, the city’s kasbah, or fortress, dates back to the 19th century. Built by one of the noble families of Southern Morocco, it is a fine example of Berber architecture. Movie fans will recognize the Kasbah from such Hollywood blockbusters as The Gladiator and Prince of Persia.
• Aït-Benhaddou. Another fortification, the nearby village of Aït-Benhaddou has arguably an even more distinct look than the Kasbah of Ouarzazate. Built from earth and wood, Aït Benhaddou remains the permanent home of several local families but has become better known as the filming location of several Hollywood blockbusters, such as the original 2001 motion picture Gladiator. The drive from the city takes only about 30 minutes.
• Fint. Another popular day trip, the Fint Oasis is a patch of lovely greenery in an otherwise very dry part of the country. The area’s natural beauty makes it a great place for hikes, though keep in mind that the last 10 km (6.2 miles) from Ouarzazate are made up of unpaved roads. The drive takes about 35-40 minutes in total.
• Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. Often also referred to as the Solar Park, the power station helps Morocco take full advantage of its extremely sunny location on the northwestern edge of the Sahara Desert. Covering a territory of over 3,000 hectares (or 12 square miles), the solar station was opened in 2013, generating hundreds of gigawatts of electricity and providing impressive tourist photos ever since. The drive northeast of the city center takes about 25 minutes.

Top international routes

• Casablanca
• Marseille
• Barcelona
• Zagora
• London
• Paris

Main airlines

Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s flag carrier, and its subsidiary Royal Air Maroc Express provide service to Paris, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Zagora, a small town further into the desert. Ryanair flies to and from the French cities of Bordeaux and Marseille.

Terminals

As one can imagine given the location, there is only one small terminal at the airport.

Location

As Ouarzazate is a small town, the airport is located almost in the center of it. It should not take more than ten minutes to reach any part of the town. Of course, most of the sites are in the surrounding area and not the town itself.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $27 per day
• Medium cars - from $32 per day
• SUVs - from $53 per day
• Vans - from $54 per day
• Large cars - from $43 per day
• Premium cars - from $68 per day
• Station wagons - from $52 per day

Car rental desks

AirCar, Avis, Europcar, and Keddy all have desks inside the terminal of the airport. All other rental companies, that is Hertz (which also services the rentals of Dollar and Thrifty) and Firefly, meet customers at the airport and take them to their respective locations.

Services and facilities

Essaouira Airport is a small airport and therefore does not have all of the services and facilities as a major international airport, such as Casablanca Airport, would.

Nearest gas station

There are a number of gas stations in the city of Ouarzazate, and given its size, they are all close to the airport. If coming from the west along the N9 highway, a Station Afriqua located on the traffic circle where you exit onto Avenue Moulay Abdellah to get to the airport is the most convenient station.

If approaching from the north, a Station Total is the best one to stop at. This station is located right at the start of the town. Finally, from the south, Station Winxo and a Shell Station located on the N9 are the best stations.

Popular one-way rentals

• Marrakesh (194 km / 121 miles)
• Agadir (343 km / 213 miles)
• Casablanca (433 km / 269 miles)
• Essaouira (407 km / 253 miles)