Situated deep within Morocco’s desert east, the village of Merzouga started out life as a transit point for traders crossing the Sahara Desert to the semi-legendary city of Timbuktu.
It went on to become a vital fortification during French rule of Morocco in the early 1900s, and has since become the launch point for excursions into the Erg Chebbi, a region of picturesque orange-red sand dunes lying a short distance to Merzouga’s north.
Because of this, and because of the long driving distances from other Moroccan destinations such as Marrakesh, it’s quite common for travelers to spend at least a night in Merzouga. The benefit is that this allows you to get a sense of life in a small desert town before heading onto the shifting sand tracks of the Sahara, the largest expanse of desert in the world.
It is here, close to the border with Algeria, that the world of the air-conditioned 4×4 and the world of the Bedouin people meet. During the middle hours of the day, it’s almost as if nothing lives in this arid climate, but allow your eyes to adjust and await the cooler hours of dusk and dawn and you’ll soon discover an otherwise entirely invisible ecosystem.
To spend at least one night enjoying the sights, sounds and scents that come with a night under canvas in the desert with the Bedouin, free of light pollution and the trappings of modernity, is an experience that few would ever wish to trade in.
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Top Morocco Travel Destinations
Casablanca / Chefchaouen / Essaouira / Fez / Marrakesh / Rabat / Tangier
