Outbound Collective logo

Camp at Sahara Desert

Merzouga, Morocco

Description

Added by Andreas Brokalakis

Camp in a berber settlement deep inside the Sahara desert

Sahara desert may be considered one of the most hostile environments on earth, however once you are there, there is such a seduction that it impossible to understand. Especially, watching the sunset and sunrise inside the sea of sand of the desert is an enchanting experience.

In order to do this, the best way is to actually stay deep inside the desert, far away from villages, roads or other human activities. We organized a two-day activity to be able to live this adventure. Starting from Merzouga in early afternoon along with local guides and native berbers, we rode camels and head inside the Sahara desert. After a couple or more hours, we arrived in an isolated berber settlement surrounded by sand dunes. We spend the sunset hiking in the desert, watching the sun falling behind the last dunes. We stayed in tents at night and in the early in the morning set out to watch the sunrise. On top of the camels, we rode back to civilization.

We chose to do this in April, when the heat in the desert is bearable. What we didn't expect was the fact that the days prior to our arrival it was raining and therefore we were lucky enough to be able to see small lakes all over the place among the dunes.

While during the day the temperature was pretty enjoyable, at night the cold is really strong, therefore you are highly advised to have proper clothes. Gathering around the fire at night hearing the drums of the berbers was also something unforgettable.

Riding a camel is something to remember too. Not something that you can do everyday (and not something that should worry you). However, hiking in the sand dunes during both sunset and sunrise is an experience that cannot really be matched. The orange cast of the colors is hard to describe and the complete silence and solitude is equally unforgettable.

To organize this activity, we came in contact with locals in Fez and drove till Risani. There we safely parked our car and our local contacts took us to Merzouga and from there to the desert. I believe that there are plenty of tour operators that now perform similar activities.

Read More

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Chillin
Camping
Photography
Family Friendly
Food Nearby
Romantic
Scenic

Camp at Sahara Desert Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Hike Erg Chebbi in Morocco