Things to do in Merzouga
Merzouga is a small town located in the southeast of Morocco. which has become a tourist destination thanks to its access to the dunes south of the Sahara. It’s a way to get to a sparsely populated area near the point where the Sahara meets Morocco. So this could be one of those trips that will be a real challenge.
Let’s see how you can get to this point in Morocco, things that are nearby, and what you can see and do in the area. Merzouga, despite the fact that it is small, has already turned into a tourist city. Always ready to receive tourists from all over the world.
How to get to Merzouga
The most common route to Merzouga goes through Marrakech. This latter is one of the most touristic places where we arrive by plane. I must say that the trip is long, at least nine hours. So if you want to see this place, you will have to be patient. There are also several ways to get to Merzouga. One of them is by bus, which is very cheap but can get very heavy and boring because there are almost no stops.
Another option is to rent a car at Marrakech Airport to return it on the way back as it is very difficult to park near places like Jamaâ El Fna Square. This option is more expensive, but in turn, gives you more freedom if you manage well with GPS. This is undoubtedly the best option for adventure seekers. On the other hand, you can have the opportunity to go on an organized Morocco tour, in which you can safely stop in some places, such as Ouarzazate, or spend the night in an open-air camp. While this will undoubtedly be the most expensive option, it is also the most comfortable.
Excursions to Merzouga
If you choose a guided tour, you can enjoy some very interesting places for a few days. A typical excursion will take you about three days, stopping at important points. One of the first stops will be at the most important fortified city or ksar in Morocco, Ait Ben Haddou. Films such as “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Lawerence of Arabia” were filmed here. The walled city stands out for its monochrome, with adobe houses left to dry in the sun. It is 190 kilometers from Marrakech. Today, the site is a World Heritage Site and lives off tourism. Although most of its residents have moved to the new city on the other side of the river you can take 3 days from Marrakech to Merzouga desert to discover it.
When visiting Merzouga, you can also stay in Ouarzazate. It is a beautiful city to see and a great stop before heading to Atlas and Merzouga. Here, you can see the Kasbah of Taourirt, Al Mujahideen Square, or the curious Atlas Studios, where films such as “The Pearl of the Nile or Gladiator” were filmed. On the way to Merzouga, you will continue your way through the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge with their breathtaking landscapes.
Erg Chebbi
Merzouga is the city where those who visit this desert in Morocco usually stay. Erg is the word for a desert formed by sand dunes and is the most important in all of Morocco. Here you can especially enjoy the impressive landscape that these thirty kilometers of dunes offer.
There are many different things to do in this desert, each one more fun. Walking along the dunes is necessary, but not only on foot, as its length is very long. Tours are also organized in 4×4 or ATVs. … But one of the best experiences is undoubtedly a camel ride on the dunes.
So-called sandboarding can be great fun. We are talking about using a sandboard, which can certainly be provided in camps, to move along the sand dunes. No doubt it is a lot of fun if you travel with children. But it is also a good place to look for animals, as there may even be foxes nearby.
Finally, another of the best things to do in Erg Chebbi or Merzouga is undoubtedly enjoying the darkness at night. We are talking about the fact that in places where there is almost no light pollution, you can enjoy a starry sky that will completely amaze you. In this place, they also organize overnight stays in the desert, so that your experience is completely unique and you keep special memories of this place.
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