Keeping Cool or Warm
Temperatures in Taroudant can vary a lot over 24 hours as well as over the seasons. The great news is that we have designed the ecolodge and its gardens to keep you comfortable!
Keeping Cool (summer months)
We have designed the site to have lots of microclimates! Outside make use of the pool and the many shaded areas (which vary with the day & seasons). Examples of shaded areas include the seats under the arches which often have a breeze, the north facing library, under the parasols on the roof terrace or by the pool, the pergolas in the main garden and spaces on the north sides of buildings such as the side of the courtyard opposite the dining room. The terrace in front of your room faces south so will be hot in the middle of the day, so is a good place early and late in the day- it also experiences a nice breeze at certain times.
On excursions we can include walks through olive groves and palm groves or visits to buildings especially earth buildings during the heat of the day.
All the rooms have solar chimneys that draw air through the room when it is hot – it’s solar-powered air conditioning! Including near toilets.
Keeping Warm (winter months)
We are keen to conserve energy, but also anxious that you will be comfortable during your stay. The contrast between day and night temperatures and the differences between here and your home climate will require you to add or take off layers of clothing at certain times. Although it is lovely and warm it the day, it can get quite cold in the evenings and early mornings, especially in winter here. Your Moroccan hosts are used to the more extreme climate and may not be aware you are feeling it! Please tell us at once if you are uncomfortable. Here are some hint.
Warm clothing We encourage you to use your warm jumpers or jackets or to keep warm the Moroccan way in the cold evenings. If you do not have suitable clothing please ask if you can borrow (or buy from us or in the souk, if you wish) a thick woollen jellabah, the long hooded garments you’ll see men wearing on the street – very good value at around 300dh about £23 (price varies with size).
Keeping warm in bed – we have couscous and lavender bottles (our invention – using Moroccan products. They are similar to “wheat bags” that you buy in the UK). You heat these in the microwave in the dining room. There are spare duvets and/or blankets in your wardrobe. Many of our duvets are silk- although quite light, they are very warm and drape over your body closely. Please ask if you need more.
Hot water – We have 150 litre storage tanks for each pair of bedrooms which is equal to almost 300 litres because of our special shower heads (more details below**). The insulation around the tanks reduces water loss overnight. If the solar hot water runs out (unusual) please tell us IMMEDIATELY. It is almost guaranteed that there will always be plenty of solar hot water in the late afternoon and evenings.
Room space heating or cooling – This works naturally by the huge thermal mass of the earth walls and floor slab, the insulation that we have installed at ground level outside the rooms and in the roof. If you would like to learn more about our innovative building methods you can opt for our sustainable building tour for details or , for a quick summary, consult the display boards in the corridor between the second pair of arches.
Water Conservation
Due to cold water in the pipes it may take a while for water to run hot. In order to conserve water, we supply buckets into which you can run the cold water which you may wish to reuse it for laundry or leave it so that we can use it for cleaning. Remember all water that goes into the shower or washbasin drain is not wasted – it will be cleaned by anoxic organisms in our gravel beds & used for irrigation. **The energy efficient Ecocamel shower heads use 50% less water than most but still feel powerful as a result of a clever use of air to power them.