The Great Moroccan South

After breakfast, we’ll venture into the majestic and contrasting landscapes of the High Atlas, in the far south of Morocco. Crossing the Tizn-n Tichka pass (2260 metres), you will have the opportunity to make a memorable diversions to Teluet. This was once the capital of the Glaoua region, where you can explore the ruins of the Andalusian-style kasbah Palais des Glaoui.

The Glaoui family were the lords of the Atlas Mountains and the Pachas of Marrakech until Morocco’s independence. Historically, this route served as a vital passage for trade caravans, linking the desert of southern Morocco with the bustling cities north of the High Atlas. Get ready for an exciting adventure!

We continue our journey south along the magnificent Ourina valley, dotted with kasbahs scattered across the landscape, particularly those of Anemiter or Tamdaght, to reach the ksar of Aït Ben-Haddou. This fortified Saharan town, surrounded by ramparts, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been used as a backdrop for numerous film productions. Enjoy a meal en route in a typical inn.

Finally, we arrive in majestic Ouarzazate.

Ouarzazate has been inextricably linked with the cinema since 1984. Set between the mountains and the desert, its landscapes and ideal climatic and economic conditions have for years made it a magnet for major film producers and directors from Hollywood and elsewhere. You can visit the sets of such major productions as Lawrence of Arabia, Asterix and Obelix, Mission Cleopatra, Tea in the Sahara, The English Patient, Babel and Gladiator.

Dinner and overnight in Ouarzazate

Leaving Ouarzazate, we cross a small wadi, then grey, arid hills. At Agdz, 70 kilometres away, we discover a real masterpiece: the beginning of the Drâa valley, Morocco’s longest river, which rises in the snow-capped Atlas mountains and flows into the Atlantic Ocean north of Tan Tan, after feeding arid desert lands under palm trees. This paradox continues right to the end of the road: on the left, the magnificent landscape of the palm grove with its date palms, olive trees, fruit trees and market gardens, and on the right, relentless drought and arid land. The Drâa Valley is also renowned for its splendid adobe Ksour and Kasbahs, of which Tamnougalt stands out.

We arrive in Zagora, the regional capital, where an old sign welcomes us, pointing the way to Timbuktu, 52 days away. This encounter with the magnificent Sahara desert awakens deep emotions in us. Zagora was once the departure point for the great camel caravans that crossed the Sahara to Mali.

Our next stop is Tamegroute, a peaceful village renowned for its green ceramics and ancient Koranic library.

Just 90 km south-east of Zagora, and just a few dunes from a vast desert that leads to the Moroccan-Algerian border, you finally arrive at the peaceful oasis of M’hamid El Ghizlane (or M’Hamid des gazelles), where the road ends and the desert begins. You will then continue your journey over desert tracks for around 2 hours to the great dunes of Chegaga.

Erg Chegaga, one of the two great dune deserts of the Moroccan Sahara, can be reached after about fifty kilometres from M’Hamid on the track between Reg and sand. It is made up of several closely interlaced ergs, stretching over some forty kilometres in length and fifteen kilometres in width. Some of the dunes reach an impressive height of 40 metres, equivalent to a 16-storey building, with a maximum altitude of 520 metres.

Enjoy a camel ride to admire the magnificent sunset over the dunes. Afterwards, you can enjoy a delicious ftour and a lively evening around the fire to the sound of nomadic music. Finish your day by spending the night at the fixed bivouac Le Charme d’Aladdin, located at the foot of the great dunes, in a tent with a private bathroom. Discover the authenticity and beauty of the desert during this memorable experience.