The south of Morocco is the gateway to the great Sahara. There are several large dune areas including the Iriki National Park, where our agency Desert Foum Zguid welcomes you for stays away from the tourist bustle, where nature is wild and varied landscapes.
In our services we mainly offer stays in the desert to Erg Chegaga or Erg El Mhazil from Foum Zguid. Difficult to choose without knowing. We will tell you about these beautiful places and their differences to help you choose the stay that best meets your desires.
Erg Chegaga (or Erg Chigaga)
This place is the most famous for travelers and it is often compared to Erg Chebbi, next to Merzouga.
Erg Chigaga is located at the bottom of the Draa valley. The nearest town is M'Hamid El Ghizlane.
Erg Chigaga is appreciated for the beauty of its dunes and it is there that we find the highest dune in Morocco which culminates at 300m high. For the more courageous who wish to climb all the way up, you will have as a reward a splendid panorama on the sea of sand that stretches all around.
In the past, it was the name given to cultivated areas not far from there. Easier to pronounce for tourists in particular, the name of Chigaga or Chegaga is the one that took place in the common language for now designated this area of dunes. It is at the top of this great dune that black slaves came to sing their cries at nightfall and make the drums resound in the desert.
Now Erg Chegaga has become a popular place for travelers who come to spend one or more nights in bivouac. You will find a large choice of bivouacs of different ranges, from the most authentic to the most luxurious. But nothing to do with the Erg Chebbi which develops a very wide choice of bivouacs and many luxury bivouacs.
The Erg Chigaga from M'Hamid
To access the Erg Chegaga, you will need to be equipped with a 4x4 or come by motorcycle. From M'Hamid it takes 1 hour to travel in the sand to the great dune.
Erg Chigaga from Foum Zguid
From Foum Zguid, Erg Chigaga is about 2h30 by 4x4 through the Iriki national park. Our departures are mainly made from Foum Zguid because it is the shortest access from Marrakech or Agadir avoiding you to go down the whole valley of the Draa. We take advantage of the way to show you sites of interest such as the oasis of Laajarmia which offers a panoramic view of the mountains of the Moroccan colorado or a site of prehistoric marine fossils.
Bivouac at Erg Chigaga
To discover the Erg Chegaga, you can spend one or more nights in bivouac. This is the most comfortable option since we offer a beautiful bivouac with large tents equipped with beds, showers and sanitary areas and shaded corners. It is located very close to the highest dune, so you can go climb it directly on foot.
Trek to the Erg Chigaga
The more adventurous can opt for a stay in trek that will allow you to enjoy nights under the stars in dune spaces all around, quiet, over several days. Several treks allow to integrate a passage through the Erg Chigaga:
Erg El Mhazil
The Erg El Mhazil is a vast dune area much less known to tourists and that remains very wild. This is the territory of the El Mhazil tribe whose descendants still live today in the village of Zaouiat Sidi Abdenabi. A preserved space, perfect to find absolute calm.
Erg El Mhazil from Foum Zguid
Erg El Mhazil is the closest dune area to Foum Zguid. It takes about 1h30 to reach it by 4x4. This route will make you discover very varied landscapes, from the stony track that runs along the distant tabular mountains of Madouar El Kbir to the sand plateaus before arriving at the Erg.
Bivouac at Erg El Mhazil
You will find at the Erg El Mhazil a bivouac with more simple comfort than the Erg Chegaga but which keeps its authenticity for travelers in search of simplicity. There are some large tents, a big tent for lunch and shelter from the sun. There is also a sanitary area and showers.
Trek to the Erg El Mhazil
Erg El Mhazil is the ideal starting point for treks to stay in the quietest dunes. It allows you to go further east, going back towards Chegaga. You can join other beautiful ergs such as the Erg El Ghoule.
Erg El Mhazil and the village of Zaouiat Sidi Abdenabi
The dunes of Erg El Mhazil face the nomadic village of Zaouait Sidi Abdenabi, one of the few villages in the Iriki National Park. Crossing the dry lake of Iriki to reach the village can be easily done on foot for about 2 hours walk on flat ground.
It is in this village that our guest house is located: The small house of lake Iriki. It is a charming traditional adobe house, built in the same way as the village dwellings. We like to make you discover this unusual place during your stays in the desert because there is a quiet and very warm welcome, there in the middle of nowhere!
It is also an opportunity to visit the village and introduce you to agriculture within the oasis, meet its inhabitants, see the vestiges of the past and imagine the life of the village when the lake was still in water. You can stay with us for one night before heading to the desert, take a lunch break if you are crossing the Iriki National Park by motorcycle or 4x4 or enjoy a longer stay that will allow you to disconnect completely and recharge your batteries.
In summary:
The highlights of the Erg Chegaga:
- The highest dune in Morocco
- A comfortable bivouac high-end
- The possibility of making a circuit through the valley of the Drâa by leaving M'Hamid
The highlights of Erg El Mhazil:
- The calm and wild scenery in an authentic bivouac
- Nearest Foum Zguid
- The proximity to the village and our guest house
For more information or book your stay, you can contact us, we will be happy to accompany you.