Experiencing Morocco’s desert culture
View from Erg Chigaga, Morocco’s Sahara desert
If you’ve chosen this blog, perhaps you feel the call to visit Morocco’s desert wilderness.
Maybe you're keen to experience vast empty spaces, a sea of dunes, unpolluted night skies, desert camping, camels, a simpler life alongside nomads, a sense of solitude, digital disconnection, and a way of life in a different survival mode.
Various desert experiences are available across Morocco, depending on your time frame, budget, and personal interests.
The Sahara is the most well-known desert in Morocco, but it is only one of a few ways to experience the country’s desert culture and environment.
Thanks to new domestic flights, the Sahara is even more accessible to travellers on a time-sensitive itinerary. It is worth asking yourself whether this fly-in, fly-out for one-night travel aligns with your values, and if that's the kind of desert experience you're after.
The beauty of visiting the Moroccan Sahara comes from dropping down a gear and embracing slower travel. Disconnecting digitally and allowing the journey along former caravan trading routes to be part of the experience, fully immersing yourself in a sense of place, solitude and connection to your surroundings.
Same for booking ATV/ quad biking tours, you should consider whether you need, want, to explore this beautiful natural space on a quadbike.
If it’s an adventure and a sense of freedom you’re after, is there a more environmentally sensitive way to experience the desert, such as hiking, e-bikes and sandboarding, perhaps?
This article will cover a few ways to experience the Sahara and other deserts in Morocco.
Where to stay to experience the Sahara desert in Morocco
The Sahara is the third-largest desert in the world, behind the Antarctic and the Arctic. It extends from southern Morocco into Algeria and is home to nomadic people, sand seas and desert wildlife, including the desert fox and a sand cat whose light coat reflects the sun.
There are two main access points to the Sahara in Morocco;
Merzouga, the entrance point for Erg Chebbi—' erg' meaning sand sea—is an eight-hour drive from Marrakech. There are many camps in this region. Be sure to pick one that cares for the sensitive environment, such as Tiziri Eco Camp. With eight beautiful tents, it offers personalised service, guided activities, and a comfortable desert camp base.
M'hamid, a 55km 4WD drive from Erg Chigaga, is the largest sand sea in Morocco. Two desert camp options are recommended here: Camp al Koutban, with its 12 comfortable tents and excellent team, is a 90-minute hike from Erg Chigaga. Or, for those looking for more ‘luxury’ - in the form of privacy and little style touches - check out Nick and Bobo's Luxury Desert camps with en-suite bucket showers, comfy king-size beds and quality bed linen.
Camel treks. If you want to disconnect and immerse yourself fully in the desert way of life, Wild Morocco offers four-day camel treks and camp-out hiking trips in the Sahara. What a stunning transformative experience!
Which Moroccan desert is closest to Marrakech? The Agafay Desert.
If your itinerary, budget, and/ or group are not up for the lengthy car journey from Marrakech to either Merzouga or M'hamid it is worth bearing in mind that the Agafay desert, 30kms south of Marrakech, is a barren landscape which offers an accessible glimpse into Morocco’s desert culture.
There are no sand dunes, but at the right spot, it is possible to tune into the undulating desert vistas, rocky hills, and open skies. Seemingly barren, there are dry riverbeds that flow after rains. Some of the same desert wildlife as found in the Sahara: desert hares, desert foxes, and birdlife.
Many desert camps offer the experience of sleeping under canvas, dining under the night sky and learning about desert habitats and traditions. Choose your camp according to your desired experiences; perhaps the romance of camping, a connection to nature, a sense of solitude, or a family desert adventure.
Several camps offer the experience La Pause. More of a splurge at Caravan by Habitas. If it's appreciating the desert’s peace you're after, check that camps don’t have weddings or large groups booked in for your dates.
Hiking, camel riding, horse riding, and electric bikes are wonderful ways to explore the region. However, be sensitive to the desert’s fragile environment, and consider if the animals seem cared for by their owners.
Dive into the desert near Dakhla
In Morocco's deep south, Dakha, also known as Rio de Oro peninsula, is best known for its wind sports; kitesurfing, windsurfing and sailing are popular activities here. If you are travelling to this region and feel the draw to experience the desert, it is worth bearing in mind, it is in the desert. Just a short drive from the peninsula, and you're into the desert environment. Check out Dakhla Rovers for their environmentally-driven tours introducing you to the desert's raw beauty, sensitive ecosystem, and unique wildlife species.
Experience sand dunes on Morocco's west coast
If you prefer to centre your holiday around Morocco's epic Atlantic coast, there are ways to experience the dunes without travelling far. One of our favourite—and closest—places to let off steam in steep dunes or sandboard back down is Timalin.
This ‘mini-desert’ offers a taste of Morocco’s desert, with the unique addition of overlooking the ocean, with a cooling Atlantic breeze making it bearable even in the hottest months. Time it right and enjoy a moment of play in the dunes or a moment of tranquility, marvelling at the shifting sand dunes as they roll into the vast ocean.
Thank you for reading and sharing this article with anyone planning a trip to Morocco!
Sunset from Erg Chigaga, Morocco’s Sahara desert