Spread out in front of us were the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. Row after row of majestic sandy mountains stood radiant under the Moroccan sun. Exploring the stunning sand dunes of Erg Chebbi in Morocco is an experience you won’t want to miss.
Erg Chebbi is located in the northwest corner of the Sahara Desert. Before coming here, we had never considered how much land the Sahara covers. In fact, it is vast, covering an area larger in square footage than Australia. Although Erg Chebbi is small by comparison at 22 km long and 5 km wide, it is a fabulous part of the Sahara to explore.
This part of the Sahara is known for its tall dunes. Lala Lallia is the tallest. At a remarkable 150 m (490 ft) high, it is taller than the pyramids. The base of the dunes were formed in the last 12,000 years but they only began growing into tall mountains 900 years ago. Strong winds brought the sand, dumped it in this region and then shaped it into various formations. Because of the winds, the dunes are not as random as you may expect. Instead, they’re like a mini-mountain range with foothills on the edges, growing to massifs in the centre.
Our plan was to take a tour where we would visit Berber villages on our way to an overnight stay in a distant desert camp before returning the next morning to our hotel by camel. That was the plan. But then it rained, and rained. We were in the Sahara Desert, caught in a deluge. It hadn’t rained in 7 years. So, in other words, we were unlucky. We had to re-jig our plans but ended up seeing more of this area than we may have otherwise.
Here are some ideas on how to explore the Erg Chebbi sand dunes.
Explore the Dunes on Foot
To best explore this region, we based ourselves in the nearest city, Merzouga. Our hotel was situated right on the edge of the dunes so, we could step out the back door and onto the Sahara. Even though we saw the same massifs each day, we gasped at our first sight of them each morning.
We spent our first day walking up and down many of the dunes in Erg Chebbi and found that walking between the giants is a peaceful way to explore their wonders. There is a unique, natural beauty to the dunes. They are mostly stationary, but their curves and waves give them a, sense of graceful movement. As the sun moves across the sky, different shadows form adding even more texture to the dunes.
From the top of one of the tallest, we saw the vastness of the desert. Looking straight ahead, the dunes continued until they disappeared into the horizon. But looking to the side, we could see the Atlas Mountains and the border with Algeria, only 30 kilometres away.
We were surprised to see palm trees and bushes growing in the sand. The dunes lie on top of an impervious rock, preventing water from seeping into the ground. This allows a few trees and plants to grow in the most unlikely of places. It was this oasis in the desert that brought traders through this region in the past.
As well, the water table isn’t very deep on the edges of Erg Chebbi. This access to fresh water allowed for the establishment of towns. We passed a few wells, on our walk. Some are old and no longer in use. Others are newer and have solar panels to run the pumps.
Watch Sunrise or Sunset
Even though our skies were mostly cloud-covered, we were treated to a beautiful sunrise one morning. We thought the dunes were picturesque already and didn’t know how much better they could look. Just before sunrise, the first few rays of the morning sun added a vibrancy to the land. It was breathtaking.
Go for a Camel Ride
Riding across the dunes on the back of these awkward beasts is one of the most popular activities in Merzouga. As you would expect, camels are made for the desert. Their large feet spread as they step, preventing them from sinking too deep in the sand.
Climbing the dunes was no problem for these strong animals, but as we soon found out, they are not very graceful on the descent. And we had several ups and downs on the ride. It was fun, but not gentle or relaxing.
When we rode camels a few years earlier in India, the land was much flatter, and we didn’t experience their clumsy downhill walking.
Stay in a Desert Camp
From a panoramic viewpoint on the other side of Erg Chebbi, instead of seeing a city, we saw dozens of tourist camps set up on the sand. Unfortunately, we were very unlucky and because of the heavy rains, we weren’t able to stay overnight in one of these desert camps.
Some are very luxurious with private bathrooms and hot water showers. Many even have carpet sidewalks between the sleeping and dining tents. Heaven forbid you spend a night in the desert and have to step on the sand. We can be catty because we didn’t get to stay in one.
Take a 4WD Tour
In addition to exploring the desert, there are a few other interesting sites to see near Merzouga. The best way is by taking a tour in a 4WD. We hired a private driver through our hotel to ensure we could see everything we wanted. After the heavy storm had passed, the grey skies still didn’t leave us overly confident that we’d be able to see too much. Lucky for us, in between the rains, we had lovely weather for a few hours. Here’s what you can see on a tour.
Lake Dayet Srij
This natural lake is usually much smaller but because of the heavy rainfall this year, the lake swelled beyond its shore. One benefit to the locals is that there are patches of green grass around the lake, something our guide hadn’t seen for seven years. For us, it provided a nice contrast in the landscape with the lake, green grass, black hills and red desert dunes. We even saw a herd of camels in the grass, which seemed a little unusual in the desert.
There are often flamingos in the lake, but this year the rain created many new lakes, so the birds were spread out.
Berber (Amazigh) Camp
Not far from the tourist camps is an abandoned village. The remains of mud homes can still be seen. Surrounding these ruins are the tents of a Berber village. They are nomadic people and have been living in Morocco since ancient times. The Romans called them Berber, which meant barbarian. When the Arabs arrived the Berbers, or Amazigh, retreated to the mountains and the desert. Many settled down, building farms and establishing villages. Today most are living in cities such as Merzouga, but some prefer to follow their ancestral nomadic lifestyle.
They prefer to be called Amazigh which means ‘free life’. Their language is Tamazight. It will likely take time before everyone is familiar with this name.
Their tents are very rustic, in fact, they are barely tents at all. Most have been torn many times by the strong desert winds. The repair jobs look haphazard with many types of fabric sewn in at different times. We asked our guide if these nomads would rather live in the city, he said they prefer this nomadic lifestyle. They make a living by various means. Some work in nearby mines, some raise camels and work in the tourist industry, but they prefer to live in their weather-worn tents. These mobile homes are a strong contrast to the luxury holiday tents just a couple hundred meters away. In the first picture below you can see the white tourist camps in the background.
On the edge of camp was a wedding announcement. A homemade doll and stand with a sac of either butter or cheese lets others in the community know that a wedding will soon take place.
Many of the tents were flying Amazigh flags. You’ll also see this symbol on Amazigh businesses throughout the county.
Mines
Just beyond the village are a few mines, scattered in the mountains. The larger ones have been abandoned, but the smaller ones are actively mined by the local Amazigh. They mine for quartz and kohl. The latter has been used in cosmetics since 3000 BCE. Even though there are concerns about lead poisoning, kohl is still used in parts of Asia and the Arabic world. In Western countries, even though they are called kohl eyeliners, they do not contain this mineral.
M’Fis Mine was a large operation and was abandoned when the French left. Its position on the top of the hill allows panoramic views of this otherworldly landscape that includes black mountains and dormant volcanoes. This viewpoint is a popular tourist spot so a few vendors were selling trinkets and fossils.
Fossils
There are also many fossils these hills. 340 million years ago, the desert was under the ocean. In just a few minutes of searching, we found many fossils including those of turtles, snails and what we were told were fish.
Beside the dunes is a dry river bed that used to be one of the routes for the Dakar races. The banks are very rough, so driving in a regular car would be difficult. The Dakar was moved to South America several years ago. A few new ones are held in this area at different times of year. We saw a few racers from one of those events speed down the highway in their supped-up desert carts.
Khamlia Village
Not far from Mergouza is a unique village. The residents of Khamlia are descendants of slaves who were brought to Morocco from Mali, Senegal and Niger. Today, they speak Arabic and are integrated into the community, but they have retained some of their ancestral heritage including music. We were treated to a short concert.
ATV Tours and Rentals
Another popular activity, but one we detest, is to take a tour on an ATV. They race up and down the dunes making an awful noise, and spoil this beautiful land. But, if that’s your thing, you can find many tour agencies in the city.
Merzouga
The dunes abruptly end in the oasis town of Merzouga. Although it is a tourist town, it is the furthest thing from being overly touristy. It is a bit ragtag but has its own charm. Almost all of the homes are adobe constructions, made from mud bricks, giving it a much different look than other towns in the country.
Main street is lined with clothing and tourist shops and a few restaurants for independent travellers. There are a few tour operators in town offering camel, ATVs, 4WD tours and overnight stays. Most hotels also offer these tours.
The town isn’t that old, but many hotels were built to emulate kasbahs of the past.
If you like visiting Oasis towns, then you will want to read about the Oases in Tinghir. (Coming Soon)
Tips for visiting Erg Chebbi
• Walking in sand is more difficult than walking on the beach, it’s easier if you wear good footwear.
• The air is very dry and temperatures can get high so take plenty of water with you, even on short trips.
• Protect yourself from the sun as well as the reflection of the sun off the sand. This means limiting activities to morning and late afternoon, dressing appropriately and using sunscreen. We visited in November so the temperatures were never high, but the sun was still very intense.
• From what we experienced, the locals are very kind, honest people. Book your tours locally rather than through a large agency. We booked all of our tours through our small, locally run hotel and were very pleased with them.
When to visit Erg Chebbi
The best weather is usually between October to November and March to May. Temperatures will average 25-30°C and go to 15-20°C at night. In the winter, nighttime temperatures may be in the near freezing. The summer months have extreme heat and many tours do not operate. Since we experienced the once in 7 years rain in 2024, you should be good for the next few years.
Where stay and eat
There are a lot of hotels in Merzouga for all budgets. Not all are close to the desert, so try to get one on the edge of the dunes. They will all offer activities in the desert and there are multiple tour offices and touts in town if you want to book on your own. There are a few restaurants in town, but we had some of our best meals in Morocco in our hotel.
You can also stay in the town of Hasselblad where there are also a large number of hotels, restaurants and tour agencies.
How to get to Merzouga
Unless you drive yourself or join a tour, Supratours is the only way to reach Merzouga from Fez (460 km), Meknes (450 km), Tinghir (195 km), Ouarzazate (360 km) or Marrakesh (560 km). You can buy tickets online. It is possible to take share-taxis, but you would need multiple collectives to get to any if these cities. The nearest airport is Errachidia, 130 km away. Some tours will pick you up at the airport and whisk you off to their desert camp if you prefer not to do it on your own.
You can find Merzouga in the far lower right area of the map below. Click on the image to be directed to an interactive map.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Morocco.
To read more of our adventures in Morocco, click here.
Coming Next – Discover Todra Gorge & The Oases of Tinghir
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To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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