Merzouga and Erg Chebbi

The crest of an orange dune in Erg Chebbi in the evening light.

03Cities and regions

The desert

Merzouga is a village in south-eastern Morocco on the western edge of Erg Chebbi, one of the wind-built seas of sand on the far western fringe of the Sahara. In places the dunes rise 150 metres above the surrounding rocky hamada, and they run about 28 kilometres from north to south and 5 to 7 kilometres across. Merzouga was once an uninhabited oasis, then a stop for merchants heading to Timbuktu; today it is the area's tourist hub, with hotels and guesthouses strung along the dunes. The nearest sizeable town is Rissani, 42 kilometres away, close to where Sijilmassa thrived on the caravan trade between the 8th and 14th centuries. After rare rains the seasonal Lake Yasmina can fill near the dunes, as it did in 2024. The best time to come is between October and April, when temperatures are milder; bring a warm layer for the night.

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Height of the tallest dunes: About 28 km
Length of the erg: 0 km
To Rissani

Highlights

Rissani and SijilmassaThe nearest sizeable town, close to the ruins of Sijilmassa, which grew rich on caravan trade from the 8th to the 14th century.
Lake YasminaA seasonal lake near the dunes that fills after rare rains, and returned in 2024.