The Moroccan Sahara, dunes, palm groves and kasbahs on the other side of the Atlas.

When people talk about going to the Sahara from Spain, they almost always mean the south of Morocco. On the other side of the High Atlas the landscape changes suddenly: the stone turns ochre, the rivers become ribbons of palms and the mud-brick kasbahs appear and, at the end, the dunes. It is not the deep Sahara of Algeria or Mali, but its northern edge, and that has an advantage: you get there by paved road and sleep in the dunes without an expedition.

What is the Moroccan Sahara?

In this area we group the south and south-east of Morocco, from Ouarzazate to the Algerian border. To the west, the Draa valley runs down from Ouarzazate through Zagora to M'Hamid El Ghizlane, where the N9 road ends. To the east, the Ziz valley and the Tafilalet lead to Erfoud, Rissani and Merzouga. Between the two, the Todra and Dadès gorges cut the southern slope of the Atlas.

The sand desert takes up little of all this. There are two great ergs, or seas of dunes, that can be visited: Erg Chebbi, next to Merzouga, about 28 km from north to south with dunes up to 150 metres above the stone plain; and Erg Chigaga, larger, further away and much less visited, about 56 km south-west of M'Hamid. The rest is hamada, stone desert, and oases.

How do you get there and get around?

The usual thing is to fly to Marrakesh and cross the Atlas by car on the N9 and the Tizi n'Tichka pass, at a little over 2,200 metres. To Ouarzazate it is about 200 km of bends, and you have to allow four to five hours with stops. From Marrakesh to Merzouga it is nine or ten hours' driving: it is not a there-and-back trip in two days, but a route of several days.

The other gateway is Fez, in the north. Through the Middle Atlas, Midelt and the Ziz valley you reach Merzouga in seven or eight hours' drive. Supratours, the bus company linked to the Moroccan railway, has a daily line between Fez and Merzouga of almost ten hours, and another linking Errachidia with Merzouga. Ouarzazate and Errachidia have airports with domestic flights, which lets you shorten a leg.

On the ground, the practical option is a hire car or a hired driver. The tracks from M'Hamid to Erg Chigaga are done in a 4x4 with a local driver. At Merzouga, by contrast, the dunes begin at the edge of the village and the camps are reached by dromedary or off-road vehicle from the edge of the erg.

What to see in southern Morocco

The star stop is Merzouga and Erg Chebbi: the village at the foot of the orange dunes, the tented camps and the climb up the big dune to watch the sunrise. It is where almost all the offer is and where it is easiest to sleep in the desert. Nearby are Rissani, on the remains of the old Sijilmassa, and Erfoud, the largest town in the area, about 60 km away.

To the west, Ouarzazate is the base for the Draa valley and the film-studio town; very close, the Aït Ben Haddou ksar, a World Heritage site, is the most photographed mud-brick village in the country. From there the road runs down a valley of continuous palm grove to Zagora and, about 97 km further south, M'Hamid, the starting point for Erg Chigaga.

Between the two deserts, the route of a thousand kasbahs runs through the Dadès valley and reaches the Todra gorges, near Tinghir, a narrow cut with high walls that is walked on foot from the road.

When to go to the desert

In spring and autumn. March, April, October and November bring days of 25 to 30 °C and pleasant nights in the dunes. From June to August it often exceeds 40 °C and you can only be outside at dawn and dusk; it is not the time for a first trip. December and January have good days and clear light, but at night in the erg the temperature nears zero and there may be snow on the Tizi n'Tichka. Sand wind appears mainly in spring: a day of sirocco can cover the dunes.

How many days do you need?

One night in the desert is enough for the experience, but the desert is far away. From Marrakesh, the classic circuit with Aït Ben Haddou, the Dadès, the Todra and Merzouga, returning by the Draa, needs at least four days; with five or six you drive fewer hours a day and can add Zagora. From Fez, three days allow you to go to Merzouga, sleep there and come back. If you want Erg Chigaga as well as Erg Chebbi, allow a week: the two ergs are more than 400 km apart.

What it is worth knowing before you go

The price of a night in a camp varies enormously depending on the type of tent, whether it includes dromedary and dinner, and the season; compare what is included before paying. The three-day excursions from Marrakesh are comfortable, but spend many hours in a minibus and reach the largest group camps.

In the desert, by day, you need sun protection, plenty of water and something to cover your head and face if the wind blows. At night, a warm layer even in spring. Driving at night on these roads is not a good idea: there are animals, bicycles without lights and little signage. And on the tracks, never without a driver who knows them.