Holiday in Sahara (Erg Chebbi)

What makes Sahara (Erg Chebbi) special as a destination?

Erg Chebbi is Morocco's gateway to the Sahara — a vast sea of golden sand dunes that rise up to 150 meters high and glow in unreal colors at sunrise and sunset. This Erg (dune field) near the oasis town of Merzouga at the edge of the great Sahara offers the most accessible yet spectacular desert experience in North Africa. The journey itself is an experience: The road from Ouarzazate through the Dadès Gorge and the Valley of Roses leads through a landscape that changes its face every kilometer — from red rock gorges to green palm oases to the first golden sand hills that announce the approaching desert. In Merzouga, the last village before the dunes, one swaps the car for a camel and rides into the Erg at sunset — a scene that has remained unchanged for centuries. Spending the night in a desert camp (ranging from simple Berber tents to luxurious glamping setups) is the highlight: After a traditional dinner with tagine and Berber music under the starry sky, one experiences the profound silence of the desert. The starry sky over the Sahara has an intensity that leaves even the most experienced astronomers speechless — the Milky Way shines so brightly that it casts shadows. The sunrise over the dunes is the crowning moment: The highest dune crests can be reached in a 30-minute hike through the cool morning sand. Upon reaching the top, the horizon transforms from deep violet to orange-red to radiant gold, while the long shadows of the dunes draw abstract patterns in the sand. In this moment, alone on a dune with nothing but sand and sky to the horizon, one understands why the desert has spiritually moved people for millennia.