Morocco Sahara Desert

Visiting the Sahara desert is an absolute dream for true travelers. And with Idealmoroccotours, it is a perfectly achievable dream, with comfort, safety and detailed planning. In this way, the largest desert in the world becomes a closer, more accessible and welcoming territory. This section provides further information about the key locations in the southern region of Morocco, which are packed with delightful surprises to suit all preferences.

What is the Sahara Desert like in Morocco?

The Sahara Desert in Morocco is a vast expanse of land that covers more than half of the country’s surface. It begins south of the Atlas Mountains, where the terrain becomes much arider. However, this desert is not homogeneous in terms of landscape and characteristics.

Major rivers in Morocco

Several valleys run through the Sahara desert, whose central axis is rivers that barely carry a trickle of water most of the year or even disappear at some point: the Draa valley, the Dades valley, the Todra gorges or the Ziz valley are some of them. In these valleys, palm groves are frequent, which provide a shock of greenery and freshness of great contrast, sometimes seasoned with the spring colors of flowering.

What is the landscape like in Morocco?

In most sectors, the relief is quite irregular, offering a landscape of steep and bare hills to the eyes of the traveler. In some cases, gorges and canyons of great beauty are formed that seem to defy the laws of gravity. In the plains, the hamadas dominate, that is to say, great extensions of arid and stony ground, without too much sand, whose rocks can reach high temperatures above 50ºC in some cases.

Sahara dunes Morocco

In the Moroccan Sahara, however, no shortage of landscapes comes to anyone’s mind when thinking of the desert: the dunes called ergs. These are large areas of fine golden sand with a changing position and undulating shape, which resemble the waves of the sea in motion.

Weather and Climate in Morocco

Added to all this is an additional attraction: the sky. Here, sunrises and sunsets have a special light thanks to the intense radiation, the low cloud cover and the lack of air pollution. And at night, that translates into firmaments full of stars, whose brightness is unparalleled in other world latitudes.

Traditional kasbah or ksar of morocco

The Sahara desert is striking for its environmental surroundings and some surprises from man’s hands. This is the case of the kasbahs and ksars, i.e., fortresses and walled villages built in adobe by the Berber peoples centuries ago. Today, some still stand in good condition and can be visited, while others retain some remains that add a certain decadent charm to the route.

What are the ways to reach the Sahara Desert in Morocco?

To reach the Sahara Desert from other countries, the fastest option is to fly to Marrakech and, from there, continue by road, crossing the Atlas Mountains. The city of Ouarzazate also has its airport, but with very limited air traffic and few international connections, often reduced to charter or seasonal flights.

What is the mode of transport in the desert?

Transportation in the Sahara desert is conditioned by the very low population density and the irregular terrain. The existing roads are very long and, normally, with little traffic. But the vehicles that circulate here must be perfectly equipped because to reach some destinations, the road is erased and there is no choice but to continue on roads.

4×4 Sahara tours in Morocco

In this sense, Idealmoroccotours is an expert agency in the field, with 4×4 vehicles capable of driving on unpaved roads, which provides flexibility in the routes. Special mention should be made of camels, which are still used as a ‘means of transport’ to access the camps of certain ergs or dunes, since these animals are fully prepared to perform this task, as in the past.

What mode of transportation is typically utilized in the desert?

Beyond private transport, options are certainly scarce. As for the bus, there are very few companies and lines, which only connect some towns of some importance (Ouarzazate, Rissani), but with very low frequencies and very long journeys. And, of course, no train lines reach the Sahara desert in Morocco, which implies a huge investment, hardly amortizable.

Famous places in the Sahara Desert

Todra Gorges

Another rocky canyon is located near the Dades Gorges, but in this case, chiseled over thousands of years by the waters of the Todra River. Here, the walls of the main gorge are even more vertical, in some cases over 200 meters high, which is a dream for climbers from all over the world.

The Draa Valley

The Draa Valley is a huge valley of more than 100 kilometers, carpeted with date palms, full of charming villages and dotted with kasbahs. It is part of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, as these military constructions perched on the hills are present in much of the route.

The Dades Valley

The Dades Valley. Another valley that is part of the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs for the abundance of such buildings, often in charming villages like Tinghir. All this is in an environment of steep hills and even rocky gorges and gorges, which give a genuine aspect to its landscape.

The Oasis of Fint

Located 10 km south of Ouarzazate, it is a garden in the middle of this arid environment, with a village where its humble inhabitants still live traditionally, taking advantage of the desert is more friendly here. Undoubtedly, a good opportunity to get in touch with the local people and their crafts.

Dades Gorges

Canyon is located in the valley of the Dades River, where for thousands of years, its waters have carved landscapes as beautiful as surprising. The road here forms impossible turns, as well as hiking trails that are integrated into the rock defying the laws of gravity.

Ouarzazate

Known as the Gateway to the Desert, it is the most important city in the area. Recently built, it is known as the Hollywood of Morocco for its large film studios. It also has a historic kasbah, the Taourirt, a good example of the defensive and stately architecture of the Lord of the Atlas.

Ait Ben Haddou

A fortified village (ksar) located about 25 km from Ouarzazate was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco for being an excellent example of the defensive and traditional architecture of the Berbers of the desert as part of the caravan routes. For this reason, Hollywood movies and renowned series, such as Game of Thrones, have been filmed here.

Zagora

Located in the Draa Valley a few kilometers from the Algerian border, this town names one of Morocco’s most beautiful Sahara desert’s most beautiful corners: Erg Chegaga, another of the ‘seas of dunes’ that can be visited in the country. It also preserves a kasbah built in the ninth century.

Merzouga 4×4 desert excursion

A small village that gives its name to this portion of the Sahara desert, where one of the fascinating ergs of the country is located: Erg Chebbi. A trip here, crossing a sea of dunes, is an experience difficult to forget even for travelers with more kilometers in the backpack, especially if you stay in a traditional Berber tent.

Valley of the roses – Kelaa M’gouna

A small valley near the Dades valley, where they burst with all its splendor and vigor damascene rose crops, which fill with pink color all around. A place gains even more interest in May when the Rose Festival is held in Kelaa M’Gouna, on the occasion of their collection.

Ouzina

A small village of just a few dozen families that gives its name to the Ouzina desert, where it is also possible to come into contact with the iconic dunes of the Sahara desert. Its hotels, like modern kasbahs, add interest to any trip to this place, which is a journey into oneself.

Rissani

One of the towns with more personality of the Sahara desert since it retains a picturesque medina, historical monuments related to the Alaouite dynasty and a market that seems to take us back in time, with donkey parking included. A must-stop for those traveling to the desert of Merzouga.

Erfoud

World famous for the richness of its marble and fossils (some of the dinosaurs), it is an exciting stop on the way to Morocco’s deepest part of the Sahara desert. Its streets are full of stores and workshops where travelers can buy these small treasures as souvenirs.