Merzouga & the Sahara

Near Morocco's border with Algeria, the stony desert suddenly gives way to Erg Chebbi, a sea of dunes around 22 kilometers (14 miles) long whose highest crests rise to roughly 150 meters (500 feet). Their color shifts through the day from pale gold to apricot to deep rose, and at sunset, with camel caravans silhouetted on the ridges, this is the Sahara of the imagination.

A night in the desert

Most visitors come for at least one night in a desert camp. You typically ride out by camel or 4x4 in the late afternoon, climb a dune to watch the sunset and spend the evening around a fire with music and a Moroccan dinner under an enormous sky. Camps range from simple nomad-style tents to luxury camps with private bathrooms, proper beds and heating for cold winter nights. At dawn, climb the nearest dune and watch the sun rise over the Sahara.

Beyond the dunes

There is more here than sand. Khamlia, a nearby village, is home to a Gnawa community whose roots lie south of the Sahara, and its musicians share the hypnotic rhythms of their spiritual tradition. You can meet nomadic families who still herd camels and goats, sandboard down the dunes, visit fossil workshops around Erfoud or drive through the palm oases of the Ziz Valley.

The journey is part of it

Reaching Merzouga takes you through some of Morocco's most spectacular scenery. From Marrakech, the route crosses the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, passes the fortified village of Aït Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, then follows the Dades Valley and the Todra Gorge, typically over two days. From Fes, the road crosses the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, home to Barbary macaques, before descending the Ziz Valley.

How we plan it

We break the drive into comfortable stages, choose a camp to suit your style and budget, and can continue to Fes or loop back to Marrakech. The desert is the centerpiece of our Morocco Medina + Desert journey.