Merzouga is a village in the Sahara Desert in Morocco, on the edge of Erg Chebbi, a 50-km long and 5-km wide set of sand dunes that reach up to 350 m above the plain and 808 m above sea level.
Most visitors come here to take a camel safari into the dunes, and to get a taste of remote (but certainly tourism-influenced) Berber life.
The local population is mix of Arabs and Berber, which are generally welcoming and friendly. Although especially in and around Merzouga far more than usual people will display a touting behaviour and try you to sell a tour or a place to stay.
In general, it needs to be remembered that the dunes barely present an authentic Moroccan landscape. Many tourists come here, ride the camel and bring pictures back home, making people believe that this is what the desert looks like south. However, riding a camel through the dunes and staying in a tent there is nothing authentic about it—it is a touristy facade. Having said that the region is nevertheless beautiful and interesting, and even the regular stony desert is impressing in itself.
Sunrise/sunset over the dunes. Folk dances and black G'naui music. Visits to villages near Merzouga inhabited by Senegalese musicians and dancers such as Khamlia can be arranged with some guides, ask at your hotel.
- Animals – See the ducks, and in early spring, flamingos, on the Dayet Srji salt lake, just west of Merzouga (according to the visitor information office in Hassilabied, there has been no water for at least the past 2 years, as of May 2018). There are many other species of birds (ruddy sheldrack and Kittllitz's plower during the spring migration, Tristram's desert warbler, the Egyptian nightjar, the Arabian buzzard and falcons), and the desert sparrows are unique to this region and can be seen all year round. There are also reptiles (Algerian sand lizards, Berber skinks and snakes), mammals such as gerbils, desert hedgehogs, field mice and desert foxes, and scarab beetles. In the morning, you can often see their tracks in the sand. Brown scorpions can occasionally be seen, but they come out at night and tend to avoid humans.
Animals – See the ducks, and in early spring, flamingos, on the Dayet Srji salt lake, just west of Merzouga (according to the visitor information office in Hassilabied, there has been no water for at least the past 2 years, as of May 2018). There are many other species of birds (ruddy sheldrack and Kittllitz's plower during the spring migration, Tristram's desert warbler, the Egyptian nightjar, the Arabian buzzard and falcons), and the desert sparrows are unique to this region and can be seen all year round. There are also reptiles (Algerian sand lizards, Berber skinks and snakes), mammals such as gerbils, desert hedgehogs, field mice and desert foxes, and scarab beetles. In the morning, you can often see their tracks in the sand. Brown scorpions can occasionally be seen, but they come out at night and tend to avoid humans.
- Grand Dune. Hike the dune
* Sunset on the dune. Even though there is not a single liquor store around to buy a decent wine for such a great show and view, it is still worth sitting on the Grand Dune and watching the surrounding area and sun set.
* Camp on the dune. Instead of dropping hundreds of dirham for a remote camping experience with a all so fake looking headscarf, why not just stay on top of the dunes yourself after the sun has set? Bring a sleeping bag, the sand is quite soft. Also, bring water and leave nothing but footprint.
- Hike the desert. From where Merzouga ends in the south it is basically just 5 km straight across the dune from west to east to reach the other side of the dune. If you feel bored, simply hike over to the other side, north by the Grand Dune, visit the setup camps on the other side and head back afterwards. Bring enough water!
- Boarding the dunes. This does not seem to have become a trend yet. Nevertheless, some accommodations have skiers for rent, try Dar Gamra. Otherwise, maybe you are lucky and find a snowboard. Or, a relative strong and smooth plastic "slide" that you can properly hold fix with your hands does the trick while going down the dune. Head for the Grand Dune with the steepest and highest slopes.
Tour prices are highly negotiable, try 25% less than quoted and use the walking out trick. There is always more than enough companies. And always negotiate with the company directly, not through your accommodation or any arbitrary tout from the street.
- ATV & quad bikes. It is also possible to tour the dunes on ATVs. However, it is not as much fun as it might sound at first. You are basically following a guide and can not go bananas with your rented quad. If the latter is more of you taste, try to find a regular ATV rental and go on your own from there. On the way towards Merzouga there seem to be some regular rentals.
Many tourist that come here with their own or rented motorbikes or 4WD go right into the dunes for a little fun. Some discourage this touring, but touring the dunes on a camel is neither more authentic nor worth more protection. From 400 dirham pp for a tour incl. guide (negotiable). - 4WD region tour. A 2 hour drive that includes a ride with a 4WD onto the dunes, visit to a local village (and probably shop of a cousin), and a visit of the Dayet Srij lake with the impressive dunes in the back. 800 dirham per 2 hr (negotiable).
ATV & quad bikes. It is also possible to tour the dunes on ATVs. However, it is not as much fun as it might sound at first. You are basically following a guide and can not go bananas with your rented quad. If the latter is more of you taste, try to find a regular ATV rental and go on your own from there. On the way towards Merzouga there seem to be some regular rentals.
Many tourist that come here with their own or rented motorbikes or 4WD go right into the dunes for a little fun. Some discourage this touring, but touring the dunes on a camel is neither more authentic nor worth more protection. From 400 dirham pp for a tour incl. guide (negotiable).
4WD region tour. A 2 hour drive that includes a ride with a 4WD onto the dunes, visit to a local village (and probably shop of a cousin), and a visit of the Dayet Srij lake with the impressive dunes in the back. 800 dirham per 2 hr (negotiable).
Almost certainly the reason you came here in the first place. After taking you into the village to buy a proper head scarf (of course from their cousin for a special price) to protect you from the sun, you'll be thrown on a camel and lead off into the desert. (Good luck with your knees.) Meals, water, tents, etc should all be taken care of by your leader, but naturally you will have to confirm this when you do your negotiations beforehand and make sure you're very specific, and ask lots of questions. Speaking of negotiations, do your research before coming (ask other travelers in Marrakech, etc., for recommendations and for what they paid), and be prepared to bargain very hard(!)—the industry here is smooth and deceivingly vicious. On the first night, most groups end up at a pre-setup camp circle at the base of some large dunes, where the various tour operators have their "authentic" Berber tents set up. Dinner will be cooked here, often some music played, and you can frolic on the sand dunes under zillions of stars. If you're only on a 1-day trip, then you'll wake early, have some tea/breakfast, and head back before it gets hot. Others will hang out during the day, beating the heat in the tents all day, and either spend another night here or venture further out beyond the dunes and stay with a Berber family, where you'll then set out to return early on the third morning. A few operators have their own private camps that will offer a more remote experience, ask around if this is what you seek. This provides a more intimate setting with fewer people and noise where you can relax and enjoy the stars. Cost a little bit more but worth it. Also check to see if showers are included after the camel trek.
Grand Dune. Hike the dune
* Sunset on the dune. Even though there is not a single liquor store around to buy a decent wine for such a great show and view, it is still worth sitting on the Grand Dune and watching the surrounding area and sun set.
* Camp on the dune. Instead of dropping hundreds of dirham for a remote camping experience with a all so fake looking headscarf, why not just stay on top of the dunes yourself after the sun has set? Bring a sleeping bag, the sand is quite soft. Also, bring water and leave nothing but footprint.
Hike the desert. From where Merzouga ends in the south it is basically just 5 km straight across the dune from west to east to reach the other side of the dune. If you feel bored, simply hike over to the other side, north by the Grand Dune, visit the setup camps on the other side and head back afterwards. Bring enough water!
Boarding the dunes. This does not seem to have become a trend yet. Nevertheless, some accommodations have skiers for rent, try Dar Gamra. Otherwise, maybe you are lucky and find a snowboard. Or, a relative strong and smooth plastic "slide" that you can properly hold fix with your hands does the trick while going down the dune. Head for the Grand Dune with the steepest and highest slopes.
There is apparently just one ATM. at the north entrance of Merzouga, which might not be very reliable. It is better to stack up cash in Erfoud or Rissani.
Most people eat meals at their lodge, but a few basic restaurants are scattered around the town if you are in need.
- Haven La Chance, Hassi Labaid, +212 66859-9340. Arrange lunches at Haven La Chance Desert Hotel, either at the hotel or in the desert itself. A popular item is pizza cooked in the sand as the nomads do.
For prepared food try to prefer places with enough customers. This is the desert and hygiene standards are lower than in the rest of Morocco.
Haven La Chance, Hassi Labaid, +212 66859-9340. Arrange lunches at Haven La Chance Desert Hotel, either at the hotel or in the desert itself. A popular item is pizza cooked in the sand as the nomads do.
Basically everyone in Merzouga is a tout, trying to sell you a camel, ATV or 4WD tour, or anything else that can be had a commission from. Be sure not to fall for any guy that has nothing to do with the actual tour, operator or accommodation.
As with many places, be cautious with anyone who seems interested in romantic entanglements, as incidents of foreign women being charmed by locals and then discovering that the "romance" was merely a cover to obtain sex, money, or other services are not uncommon and increasing. This seems especially true for young foreign travellers. The cosy camp surroundings and maybe some wine does the rest.
Supratours buses travel from the center of Merzouga village north to Meknes, Fez and also over to Ouarzazate and then Marrakech. This is new and an affordable way to get in and out the desert. But there are no stops to visit the Todra Gorge, Dades valley or Ait Ben Haddaou or Ifrane. Or to take rest stops at your leisure! They travel overnight from Fez and during the day from Marrakech.