THE EXPERIENCE

This 3 days desert trek is a straight-line route, bringing you to the longest sand dune field in Morocco, the Erg Chigaga great dunes, approx. 60km from your trek start point at Mhamid. You will therefore require 4×4 transport back out of the desert, with two onward journey options.

On reaching Erg Chigaga you can choose to camp wild a third night, at the foot of the great dunes (additional Eur €80 per person). Or, if short on time, travel back out of the desert to Mhamid on the third evening (the 2hrs journey by 4×4 to Mhamid will be made shortly after sunset, to allow you time to enjoy the day’s end from a vantage point on the dunes). If you camp at Erg Chigaga on the last night, you are able to take a vehicle transfer out of the desert next morning to Marrakech (or Ouarzazate), exiting the desert to the north-west at Foum Zguid and expecting to reach Marrakech late afternoon, or transfer back to Mhamid during the morning.

Your trekking route will take you via the regions marked Lotide and Bougarn on our Map. You will stay north of the Draa River course.

 THE ITINERARY

Day 1:

Leave the village of M’hamid and trek west in the direction of the great dunes of Erg Chigaga, with the mountain ridge of the Jebel Bani far to your north but in sight for the entire trek. Cross dry river beds (e.g. Oued Naam), and walk through a variety of desert vegetation and scrub before the terrain opens out and becomes more stark. As the day’s trek draws to a close, expect to camp amidst gently rolling dunes and Tamarisk trees, which offer shelter

Day 2:

Progressing westwards, reach ever-more remote terrain, and larger sand dunes (e.g. Bougarn) surrounded by broad, dry earth plateaux and desert hamada (black stone). Scramble over the dunes and you’ll be able to see Erg Chigaga in the distance. Camp will be made west of Bougarn, in the seclusion of smaller dunes and shrubs.

Day 3:

As the sand becomes deeper (in former water courses/dried rivers), the surrounding plateaux open out to different kinds of plant and tree-life, and you will trek near an area that offers grazing land for the elusive Dorcas gazelle. You will start to trek through bigger dunes before reaching the last plateau bordering Erg Chigaga. Reach Erg Chigaga in time to enjoy sunset. Settle down and make camp once more or look forward to the 4×4 journey back to M’hamid.