Merzouga is a small Saharan village beside Erg Chebbi, a sea of wind-sculpted dunes rising up to around 150 metres. It is Morocco's classic desert base, and here are twelve experiences worth your time.
The best of Merzouga
Watch the Erg Chebbi dunes
Desert. Erg Chebbi is one of Morocco's two great ergs, a 22-km-long expanse of orange sand dunes that shift colour from dawn to dusk. The highest crests tower roughly 150 metres above the surrounding hamada plain.
Camel trek at sunrise or sunset
Desert. Riding a dromedary caravan over the dunes at first or last light is the signature Merzouga experience. Local cameleers lead trains across the sand toward viewpoints where the low sun sets the ridges glowing.
Sleep in an overnight desert camp
Desert. Tented camps pitched among the dunes range from simple Berber bivouacs to luxury setups with private bathrooms. Most include a traditional dinner, drumming around the fire and breakfast as the sun rises over Erg Chebbi.
Try sandboarding on the dunes
Adventure. The steep faces of Erg Chebbi make a natural slope for sandboarding. Boards can be hired locally, and the soft sand means tumbles are gentle while you carve down the dunes near the village.
Take a 4x4 dune drive
Adventure. Guided 4x4 excursions cross the gravel plains and skirt the dunes, reaching outlying sights such as nomad encampments and old mining villages that are hard to walk to in the desert heat.
Hear Gnaoua music in Khamlia
Culture. The village of Khamlia, a few kilometres south of Merzouga, is home to descendants of sub-Saharan peoples who keep alive the trance-like rhythms of Gnaoua music, performed with metal qraqeb castanets and drums.
Spot flamingos at Dayet Srji
Nature. After winter rains the seasonal lake of Dayet Srji, west of Merzouga, fills with water and attracts migratory birds, including pink flamingos. The lake is dry for much of the year, so sightings depend on rainfall.
Visit a nomad family
Culture. Berber nomad families still live in tents and stone shelters in the desert around Erg Chebbi, herding goats and camels. Guided visits offer mint tea and a glimpse of a way of life shaped by the Sahara's seasons.
Stargaze over the Sahara
Stargazing. Far from city lights, Merzouga has some of Morocco's clearest night skies. From a dune top the Milky Way, planets and countless stars stand out vividly, especially on moonless nights away from the village.
Go quad biking on the sand
Adventure. Quad and buggy tours run from Merzouga out across the flats and around the edges of the dunes. They are a fast-paced way to cover ground and reach desert viewpoints, with guides setting the route.
Browse the fossil shops of Erfoud
Day trip. About an hour north, the town of Erfoud is the centre of Morocco's fossil trade. Workshops cut and polish slabs of black marble studded with ancient ammonites and orthoceras from the surrounding Devonian seabeds.
Explore Rissani market and Sijilmassa
Day trip. Rissani holds one of the region's liveliest souks, busiest on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, including a famous donkey market. Nearby lie the ruins of Sijilmassa, a medieval caravan city on the trans-Saharan gold route.