Trip ideas 2 min read
A night in the Sahara, in Morocco: what to expect
Dunes, dromedaries and a sky full of stars, a few hours’ flight from Italy. What a desert camp is really like and when to go.
Weltweg editorial team
In this article5 sections
Africa is not only savannah. The Moroccan Sahara is the nearest gateway from Italy to a great sand desert, and a night in a camp among the dunes is a very different experience from a safari, but with the same lesson: you understand the landscape only by slowing down.
Where the dunes are
Morocco’s two great dune fields are Erg Chebbi, near the village of Merzouga, and Erg Chigaga, beyond M’Hamid. Erg Chebbi is easier to reach and busier; Erg Chigaga is more remote, is reached by 4x4 and offers greater isolation.
What a desert camp is like
You arrive in the afternoon, often on the back of a dromedary for the last stretch, in time for sunset from the top of a dune. Camps range from simple tents to properties with private bathrooms. In the evening there is dinner, music and the sky: far from the cities the darkness is deep and the stars number in the thousands.
When to go
Spring and autumn are the best seasons. In summer daytime temperatures become extreme; in winter the days are pleasant, but at night in the desert the temperature can drop close to freezing.
How many days you need
From Marrakech to the dunes it is many hours by road across the Atlas: the journey is part of the experience, with valleys, oases and fortified villages along the way. To avoid spending all your time in the car you need at least three days there and back, ideally four.
Good to know
Italian citizens do not need a visa for a short tourist stay: a valid passport is enough. Among the dunes, bright lights, loud music and litter disturb those who have come for the silence: it is worth asking the camp how it manages water and waste.
