The desert of Merzouga is in Morocco.
In the past few years, the Merzouga desert has been very important to Morocco’s business and tourists. Because of its beautiful golden sand dunes, it became a must-see and the most popular place to visit in Morocco. Even though it is in the very southeast of Morocco and only 50 kilometers from Algeria, it is not in the middle of nowhere. People travel for days to stay with Berbers in tents at night. There are people who drive long miles to get to the desert. Some people plan trips to see different places along the way to the desert. Most of the time, the Merzouga desert and the things that can be done there are seen as the best parts of any trip to Morocco.
Merzouga got its name from a family called Merzoug that used to live in the area. Tourists are the area’s main and most important source of income. There are, however, places where farming is the main way people make a living.
The desert in Merzouga is called Erg Chebbi, and it covers 30 kilometers, from Tighmert to Khamlia. That being said, if you keep going toward Rmlia and Jdaid, you will find more fields. The Znigui desert is the most famous and brings in about 10% of all tourists to Merzouga.
People love the Merzouga desert because you can ride camels and sleep in tents in the dunes. Besides the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou
During our 5-day tour through the desert from Marrakech to Fes, we will stop at Ait Benhaddou, a stronghold from the Middle Ages. About 30 kilometers from the city of Ouarzazate, it is right on the point in the High Atlas Mountains. In 1987, this walled town was named a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Ait Benhaddou is a real live work of art that shows how beautiful Moroccan building can be. Even more interesting is that it was made by Berbers but has Arabic touches. There are huge walls and towers there that were mostly built as defense castles. Moroccan clay art is used to decorate the towers in a way that no other building has.
It is said that Thami el Glaoui, who came from one of Morocco’s richest families, built it in the 1100s. Even though the people who lived there have moved on to new places, the house has stood for generations. There are now only about 40 people living there, and most of them live on the other side of the river, not in the main town. They make most of their money from tourists who come to the area—more than 130,000 people visit each year—which is why they are financially stable.
More than just a place for tourists to visit, this is also a place where producers and directors go. Think about the movies Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia, among many others. Without a question, the kindness of the people who live in this town and all Moroccans is what brings more guests from inside and outside of Morocco.
Ouarzazate
It is important to see the entrance to the Sahara desert. You will pass through the beautiful city of Ouarzazate on your five-day desert trip from Marrakech to Fes. It is one of the most important places in Morocco because it has an international airport, which makes it easy for most people who want to go on holiday to the desert. Because it has the biggest solar station in the world, Ouarzazate might be the most important place for solar energy. This last one is only open to the public when movies and TV shows are being filmed in this city, which is why it is so famous for them.
It’s almost half way to Merzouga in the Sahara Desert. Because of this, it is one of the main sights that most tourists don’t miss. Its name comes from Berber and means “city or place without noise.” Even though it doesn’t make a lot of noise, everyone in the world knows what it is.
Most people like to visit the Atlas Studios. When you come to this city, you’ll see that there are two Atlas Studios. One is the Oscar Studio, which is the one that most people go to. It’s about 5 kilometers from the city center and in the northwest part of the city. In this place, you can see stunning views of old-fashioned buildings that will take your breath away. The Oscar offices are a little closer than the CLA Atlas Studio, which is across the street. In fact, even though it is the oldest studio in the city, people don’t go there as often.
First and foremost, Ouarzazate is a popular place for tourists to visit. It is also a popular place to shoot movies and TV shows. One such show is the fifth season of Prison Break.
The trip to the desert
On the third day of our 5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes, you will visit a number of different places. The trip into the desert shows you how the Berber people of Morocco live in the desert and lets you live like them.
The first thing we usually do on the trip is go see the Berber Nomads. These people are still living in tents and doing simple things. Nomads have made up most of the people who live in Merzouga and the nearby towns in recent years. That is, everyone who lived in Merzouga used to be a wanderer and lived in tents before they built a house and settled down. We will meet farmers who raise their own sheep and sell them in the old souks of Rissani and Erfoud to make a living. It’s clear that the main reason to visit these people is that they have kept the simple and original way of life of desert people and Berber Nomads, who are known for being kind and generous.
Second, the trip through the desert lets you meet the Gnawa people. As was already said, these people were from many countries, such as Niger, Gabon, and Mali. But the people who live in Khamlia, which is about 4 km from Merzouga town, have changed their name to Berber and speak Tamazight. They learned how to live with Berbers and became an important part of Merzouga. As their fame grew, they built a house and called it Dar Gnaoua. This is where they got together to play music and hold events. A lot of tourists and Moroccans from the area come to see this unique culture.
You will also see the Moroccan National Auto Museum if you go on this trip.
Mountains and valleys During this 5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes, we will be driving along most of the roads that go through beautiful valleys. One thing they all have in common is the beautiful views. We will talk about them in order of how important they are because some are more important than others.
The first is the Draa, also written as the Dra valley. It is in the southeast, in the High Atlas mountains. It’s the biggest river and valley in Morocco, at more than 1,100 kilometers long. There are definitely big plots of palm and olive trees there. The main towns that make money from this valley and its goods are Agdz and Ouarzazate. But there are a number of Berber villages along this river whose only source of income is this river.
The second place is the Ziz valley, which grows the most dates in the country. It is in the middle of the area between Erfoud and Errachidia. In honor of the valley and its dates, the city of Erfoud holds a holiday every year.
The other big areas are mostly found between Marrakech and the Merzouga desert. The Ounila valley is the first. It runs in front of the Ait Benhaddou fortress. The name for this place is Oued El Maleh, which means “salty river.” Its name comes from the fact that salt used to be sold there. Second, there’s Rose Valley, which is famous for its beauty products. Lastly, Boumalne has a number of small slopes, such as Dades.
Both Rissani and Erfoud
The southeast of Morocco is home to a number of towns that have been very important in the country’s past. On the 5-day desert trip from Marrakech to Fes, it was clear that Rissani and Erfoud are two of the most famous desert towns in the country.
Rissani
Rissani, the center of the Tafilalt area, is the first place you should go. The Berber word tafilalt means “jug.” It was a major stop for wagons going from Niger to the north of Morocco. It is also called Sijilmassa. Because of this, it became famous and was rich for hundreds of years. In fact, this city is where the current royal family and the Alaouiet line got their start.
One of the biggest Oases in Morocco is Tafilalt, which has one of the biggest fields of palm trees. This city also has the biggest ancient Souk in the Southeast, if not the whole country. Traditional ways of moving and exchanging goods are used there so that they can be sold. For now, donkeys and horses are still the main ways that people and goods get around. By growing dates, Rissani helps the desert area grow and produces a lot of dates for Morocco.
Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday are the only days when the souks are open to the public and have more things for sale, so this is where people gather every week. Most of the sales come from Rissani or Erfoud, which shows that this place is busy.
Erfoud
On the other hand, the beautiful city of Erfoud is only 50 km away from the Merzouga desert. It is the main place in the Southeast to find fossils, and small workshops make all kinds of fossils all year long. Erfoud also has a fair every year to honor and show off different kinds of dates. People from all over the world take part in this event, so it’s not just for Moroccan dates.
Ifrane and the Cedar Forest
Our 5-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes will include stops at the Cedar Forest and Ifrane.
Ifrane is the first place to visit. Many people call it the “Little Moroccan Switzerland.” The weather and temperatures there are some of the best in the world. It is in the Middle Atlas Mountains. Ifrane is a Berber name that means “cave.” People call it the “Switzerland of Morocco” because it’s the cleanest city in Africa and the sixth cleanest in the world.
Of course, the fact that it’s a popular place to ski makes it even more famous. It draws a lot of people from inside and outside the country every winter. Ifrane is also home to Al Akhawayn University, which is one of the best in Morocco. This second one is a popular tourist spot for people from all over the world, not just Morocco. The Atlas Lion Monument is also there. It is the main thing that people come to see in this city. The story says that the second one was built by a German prisoner in exchange for his freedom.
The Cedar Forest is another place you’ll pass on your way to Fes. It’s close to the city of Azrou and is also called Gouraud Forest. A lot of species that are no longer alive used to live here. The Barbary monkey is the only thing people go to see these days.
