Sunrise from the top of a dune

What it is

Watching the sun rise from the top of an Erg Chebbi dune is the moment most remembered from a night in Merzouga. The erg is a field of dunes about 22 km long and 5 wide, next to the Algerian border, with crests reaching about 150 metres. Before dawn you climb on foot, in the dark or with the first light, sit on the crest and watch the light go from grey to pink and then orange, and the dunes' shadows gradually shorten. It costs nothing and you do not need a guide if you sleep next to the dunes.

What time

Leave your camp or hotel about 45 minutes before sunrise, to climb at a relaxed pace and be at the top with the first light, which begins to show half an hour earlier. Sunrise times in Merzouga, in official Moroccan time, are approximately:

• Mid-January: around 8:15.
• Mid-April: around 6:50.
• Mid-June and July: around 6:10–6:20.
• Mid-October: around 7:15.
• Mid-December: around 8:05.

During Ramadan Morocco puts the clock back an hour, so in those weeks subtract an hour from these figures. Ask at the camp the time for the next day.

The climb

The dune behind your camp is enough: you do not need to go to the highest. Climb along the crests, not the slopes, because on the crest the sand is firmer and you sink less. Even so it is tiring: it is like climbing a staircase of sand, and with each step you slip a little. A medium-sized dune takes 20 to 45 minutes to climb depending on your pace. Barefoot is better for climbing, but in winter the sand is very cold at dawn; with socks it also works. The descent is quick and fun: down the slope, in great strides.

Do not go out of sight of your camp or of other people. The dunes all look alike and, in low light, it is easy to get lost. Note mentally where the camp is before you start climbing.

What to bring

A head torch or your phone light for the first part, water, a fleece or a windbreaker and a scarf for your face if there is wind. From December to February, at dawn in the dunes it nears zero degrees: wrap up properly even if it is 20 °C by day. In summer, on the other hand, dawn is the only pleasant time of day, because from June to August it often exceeds 40 °C.

When to go

Spring (March and April) and autumn (October and November) are the best seasons: pleasant nights and days of 25 to 30 °C. In a strong sandstorm, the sunrise looks blurred and the climb is uncomfortable; on those days, stay near the camp.

With children and in a group

Children climb well, sometimes better than adults, and they love running down. Hold little ones by the hand at the top, where the crest is narrow and drops on both sides. If someone cannot climb, the view from a low dune next to the camp is also worth it.

The usual thing is to combine it with the night at the camp: you arrive the day before with the sunset camel ride, sleep in a tent and climb at dawn. If you sleep in a hotel at the foot of the dunes, such as the Kasbah Mohayut or the Auberge Derkaoua, you set out on foot from the door.