Merzouga Travel Guide

From the village of Merzouga on Morocco's southeastern edge lies the grandest gateway to the Sahara: the Erg Chebbi dune sea. Rust-orange dunes rise to about 150 metres and roll toward the Algerian border, flaming gold at sunset and shading from rose to amber at dawn. The classic move is a camel trek up the crests at dusk, listening to the dunes' faint whistling as temperatures shift, then sandboarding down; nights are spent in Berber tent camps, with drums by the fire and the Milky Way overhead. Always go deep into the dunes with a local guide, bring a headlamp and wind scarf, and climb before sunrise to watch the sun rise over Algeria — the highlight of any Morocco trip.