Erg Chigaga Sahara Desert

Morocco is a dream tourist destination with diverse landscapes and natural beauty. It boasts the Atlantic Ocean, Middle Atlas, Rif Mountains, and the Sahara desert, each contributing to its rich flora and fauna. The north has lush forests, while the south features cork oaks. The Atlantic hinterland has steppes, and deserts host palm trees. Stunning scenery inspires adventure travel, ancient Berber sites, and oases, offering activities like trekking, skiing, and hot air ballooning, ideal for weddings or memorable photos.

One of those above listed enclaves is located in the desert, in the Erg Chigaga, best known for being the little sister of the Erg Chebbi located near Merzouga; but which has become famous for the originality and beauty of its dunes. The Erg Chebbi is one of the two great ergs that Morocco has, the Erg Chigaga is the other. But unlike the first, the Erg Chigaga is not affected by the massive tourist influx of visitors, who walk without rest the dunes of the Erg Chebbi in full. Although the sand of the Erg Chigaga is a little less golden, it is not just the color or size of the dunes that makes someone choose one or another erg; what makes the difference is the absence of people, the silence overwhelming in the Erg Chigaga, where time stops, where life disappears. And discover such an enclave in which you can feel all these sensations is a privilege that is only at your fingertips, if you put aside comfortable life and tourist circuits visiting the Grand Morocco.

Erg Chigaga vs Erg Chebbi

A couple of hundred kilometers away from Erg Chigaga lie Erg Chebbi, another mesmerizing chain of dunes. Exceeding 200 meters in height and engulfing a series of oasis and kasbahs, Erg Chebbi is the tallest dune in Morocco, and is usually the one tourist flock to. Indeed, accessibility differences and tourist infrastructures have made it so that nearly every tourist visiting the Moroccan Sahara journeys to Erg Chebbi. For every camel trek and every night spent by the dunes in Chigaga, the same can be found a few hundred kilometers above: guided tours departing from Merzouga all the way to the heart of the dunes. Souks have also been constructed at the edge of Erg Chebbi, touristifying its atmosphere. Because the whole sand dune is now a touristic attraction, there is high speculation of what lies behind those orange-colored incased dunes. Local Berber families have taken advantage of this increasing wealth in the region, creating lodges and offering touristic services, such as quad-biking, sand surfing, or excursions.

Although the Erg Chebbi dunes might be the best-known, Erg Chigaga is, without a doubt, the least touched. Few tourists venture out to this unparalleled beauty. Quieter, really untouched, those dunes sum it all: awareness of sunset and sunrise hues illuminating its peaks and sides, birds catching the first rays of sun on the other side of the dunes, the look of surprise and emptiness in those who bear witness to such a beauty of nature. Most people venture to spend a night by the dunes, although hiking expeditions traversing those areas are spreading rapidly.

A Journey to Erg Chigaga

Are you taking another plunge into the unknown? “What unknown?”, you may ask. You’ve heard of Marrakesh, you’ve gazed dreamily at the photo of the giant dune outside of Merzouga, at Ait Benhaddou, in the Dades, or for those of you lucky enough to go a little further you’d have visited the Erg in the Tadrart, just on the Algerian border, or the Libya border near Kebili. Yet Erg Chigaga, to me, the most magnificent, beautiful, breathtaking Erg of all is still unknown. Not for long, as more and more eager travelers venture on and off the beaten path. Are you ready to join? Come, come, come! I see you smiling at my few French words! No need to necessarily speak French to explore this little piece of paradise. Only speechless by the sight of the towering dunes. Why is it that Chigaga remains so unknown?

The final stop on the Tour is at the Restaurant Café near Lake Iriqi, then the large town of Mhamid, the last on the road. It’s the “typical little Berber village, with dusty narrow streets, dry palm-leaf huts, and tasty authentic food. From here it is the last leg from Mhamid to the Erg Chigaga, an adventure in the majestic desert, ranging from stony plateaus to the high dunes of the Erg Chigaga. A journey unlike any other. Have you ever been to the dunes in the winter? Dunes high enough to touch the clouds, who could compete but Chigaga? Close your eyes, and imagine. Leave the city behind. Rent a Quad, a motorcycle, or perhaps a 4*4 but whatever it takes just venture up to the Erg Chigaga. Would you eventually find the path to Paradise?

Essential Information for Visitors

When visiting Erg Chigaga, it is worth mentioning that it takes some time to reach and to plan your route carefully. Every adventure in the Moroccan Sahara is unique, as this desert is by far the largest and most variable in the world. A journey to Erg Chigaga is not to be taken hastily; rather, one should stick around a few days to explore the area and let the tides of time fill your present. Chigaga welcomes every visitor with open arms, regardless of motives: free spirits, adventurers, craftsmen, sultans, gypsies, artists, lovers, drifters, mercenaries, or nomads in search of a temporary home – everyone finds its peace in Chigaga.

Best Time to Travel The desert center – Erg Chigaga – with its high dunes is favorable to visit from early October to mid-May. Temperatures vary from –4°C at night and 20°C during the day in December to 1°C at night and 36°C during the day in April and October. Travellers may experience warm wind a few times throughout the winter, though this is rare. However, in summer months, Chigaga is deserted because of harsh heat and the threat of plague infections.

Travel Accessibility The vast expanse of dunes is only accessible on foot, on a camel or in a vehicle. Adventurers can travel from M’Hamid by camel, walking, or independently with their backpacks toward Chigaga. There is a fully equipped lodge in Chigaga where visitors can feel at home and reset for a few days. Chigaga is easily reachable from M’Hamid or Foum Zguid, or by renting a vehicle from Merzouga.

What to Pack It is highly advisable to rent a driver with camel-men from these villages in order to visit the region or to go to the dunes. Boots or sandals, sunglasses, sun-protective clothes and headscarves are recommended for the activities.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Erg Chigaga is from September to May when temperatures are pleasant in the desert. The summer is too hot, although definitive temperatures can be variable in the shoulder months as well. December, January, and February can be chilly and rainy, particularly during the nights, when lows can reach the freezing point.

While snow is unlikely in the Sahara Desert, it did snow on the nearby Atlas Mountains in December and January and even in the Sahara in Tunisia in January. It will not bother you too much if you are not well-equipped for colder weather conditions. However, it is worth noting that desert indoor temperatures are generally lower than outdoor temperatures. During those cold months of winter, it is very recommended to bring a warm sleeping bag and wear warm clothes. You can usually rent equipment in Merzouga. As regards the shoulder months of March to May and September to November, it could be also useful in autumn, especially at night, to take a fleece sleeping bag and a little warmer clothes since the temperature differences between day and night are still high.

Travel Accessibility

The first and most important decision that the visitor has to make before embarking on a trip to Erg Chigaga is to choose which way to take to reach your destination, as five main routes link Marrakech or Ouarzazate to the sand dunes. Three of these doable paths for those who wish to drive without assistance are open all year round. The regular route leads to the Lbouir, northeast of Erg Chigaga. This fairly accessible connection during the winter, where there is more chance to cross some tourists coming to the approaches of the dunes, follows the Draa Valley northwards from Marrakech to reach the Saharan town of M’Hamid, and then takes the piste direction to Tamegroute before continuing due eastward on the Lroudeane track until the dirt road, thus poised to the dunes, ending on its north-central part. After a brief stop at the camp, it is easy to reach the summit of Ouled Driss in 30 minutes. This east-facing ridge has a surprisingly large elevation difference at sunrise and sunset, especially if settled back from its top, making Erg Chigaga one of the most photogenic sand dunes over all the Moroccans. The track remains closed from spring to the end of fall for two reasons: too much risk-taking for the course of plowing the Ladrar Ziz, a tidal wave of Saharan sand flowing south to carry on, and the ensuing dust storms, which, on the one hand, are not favorable for getting rid of the road on the northern faces of the dunes, themselves too dry and severe.

What to Pack

If you are wondering what to pack for your trip to Erg Chigaga, let us provide you with some recommendations. First, you will need to pack warm clothes for the evening and the nights when, even in the summer, the thermometer can drop to a chilly 5 °C. Layers are essential for having a comfortable experience during the hottest hours of the day and are also advised for the reviews of the other seasons. The best choice would be long sleeve, cotton, light or white clothing that can shield you from the midday sun, while also being not too hot. Socks and a hat are also important because dust in transit can get everywhere and become a real nuisance. Bring your sunglasses and sunscreen because a sunburn can ruin your trip. If you plan to drive around, we recommend you to have a cool box with cold drinks at your disposal to plan stops: it is important to keep hydrated. On the bottom shelf you can also use it to store fresh fruit and keep it cool to resist the desert heat.

If you plan to spend more time in the surrounding area to contemplate the magnificent sunsets and sunrises or the stars and the moon of Erg Chigaga, we recommend you to bring a good sleeping bag. In the case of a one-day excursion, we advise you to check that the dune portion you want to visit is not too far from the starting point, to avoid walking long distances with the heat. It is also important to have a bag to carry drinks and food while hiking or taking pictures. Wash your feet with water or wipes as soon as possible to prevent grains of sand from sticking to them after accessing the dunes.

Camel Trekking Adventures

The soft golden sands, colorful landscape and vast horizon of Erg Chigaga make it one of the best places to trek on a camel in Morocco. These majestic creatures, adapted to handling the desert climate, have cautiously become the backbone of the dusty dunes of Morocco. However, very few places still offer camel trekking in an authentic Berber style such as Erg Chigaga, the lesser-known yet beautiful stretch of sand dunes. The desert adventure on camelback begins at the tour company, where the camels are lovingly taken care of, and participants are given a demonstration of the activity. Tour guides will lead the camel caravan through the endless sand dunes as they touch on subjects, such as the flora and fauna of the desert region, the geography of the land, and the lifestyle of desert Berbers. Participants will then be dropped off at the sand dunes where they would spend some time exploring the area on foot and soaking in the breathtaking landscapes. Experience a sunset in the Sahara Desert like never before from the comfy height of a camel. A crimson-hued sunset will mark the end of the tour but not before witnesses through an epic grand finale as the descending sun slowly disappears and the skies revolutionize into a riot of colors. Gaze upon the vast horizon as the sun distantly dies down showcasing the regions majestic landscapes and shedding an ethereal glow to the dunes. Enjoy camel trekking towards a traditional Berber camp, made up of luxurious tents filled with handcrafted memories of past nomads, where participants would spend the night being entertained by local musicians and storytellers around a campfire. Enjoy hearty traditional dishes and afterward retire for the night under a starlit sky of magical proportions.

Guided Camel Tours

Visiting Erg Chigaga with camels is the best way of discovering the Great Dunes. The early morning sunrises and the sunset light make color changes in the sand dunes that are absolutely beautiful. While you have of course certain time constraints, as you have to return to your hotel, you can plan in advance how you want to optimize the time and the light to admire this incredible Saharan setting.

Most camel treks last 2 to 3 hours, whether it is the morning tour or the afternoon/evening tour. A couple of tour operators offer sunset snack/tapas tours, but what appears most recommended is to take a simple sunset camel trek. This tour allows you to return to the camp before dark, having plenty of time to enjoy the sand dunes and the panoramic views before it is time to have dinner and go to bed.

During the tour, you will ride the camel both ways (to the dunes and back, of course), but you will spend some time out of the saddle, to rest from a long day, back to back with the camel, enjoying the astounding views and taking photos of your travel buddies riding the camel during the sunset. Some operators allow a stop in a hotel en route and drink a beer, but you might want to take your drinks with you. Wind can change the sand dunes quite dramatically, but heat can prevent you to fully enjoy it. On cloudy days with moderate heat and wind, you can definitely try camel trekking with children as young as 4 years old.

Multi-Day Trekking Options

While the Erg Chigaga dunes are often explored in the company of a guide, you can also opt for an unaccompanied multi-day excursion for a real self-discovery experience. The easiest starting point for all this self-exploration is the village of M’Hamid. Here too, sand dunes are easily accessible and most tours last just one or two days. You’ll most likely encounter a larger number of fellow travelers, followed by a more touristic atmosphere, mostly due to the larger number of touristic offices. After all, this is known as the gateway of the Sahara.

For overnight desert camping, it’s best to head southwest in the direction of Erg Chigaga, where it gets easier, lonelier, and quieter with every footstep until you immerse yourself in true desert solitude. Among these dunes of Erg Chigaga’s more northern reaches, you’ll often be alone for what feels like an eternity and then – suddenly – come upon other explorers. While most of them seem to pass through this area in their 4×4’s or on guided camel tours, increasing numbers of hikers are entering the Sahara under their own power these days, drawn by the mythical lure of wandering alone in the vast, undulating space for days on end.

Be sure to bring plenty of water! Between M’Hamid and Erg Chigaga, no rivers or oases entice you to linger. Also be careful not to misplace your only map, if you’re relying on that prediction. Better yet, don’t forget to pack your best skills in orientation and future forecasting if you’re hitting the desert trail without a written guide. For transport, it’s advisable to have the services of a local agency for transport of your luggage. Very few hikers complete the entire Erg Chigaga trek equipped with their own bags – chances are you won’t find them again!

Camping Experiences in Erg Chigaga

As one of the widely-known and most visited tourist attractions in the Sahara Desert, Erg Chigaga is also reputed for its different types of camping experiences, ranging from traditional nomadic camps to fully-equipped luxury desert camps. While trekking for two or more days to reach the sand dunes by foot and to stay at a traditional nomadic camp is the most suitable option for adventure junkies, travelers seeking a little comatose relaxation after a long day of camel trekking could also find their ideal stays at fully-equipped luxury desert camps. Stargazing opportunities in Erg Chigaga is also another highlight.

Nomadic Camping

A nomadic desert camping in Erg Chigaga offers real Berber nomadic living experience. Nomadic camping can be arranged under canvas tents with inflatable mattresses, sleeping bags, and pillows. Such camping may not offer the standard luxuries (except for basic toilet facilities and traditional food preparation) the luxury desert camps have, but travelers could be served with hot Mint tea after a long day of trekking. A nomadic camping is usually organized with trekking services covering a two-day stroll to Erg Chigaga from M’Hamid village. Backpackers can start their journey early morning from M’Hamid village and trek through the Molay Bougmez oasis and the lagoons of Iriqui and end their trek on a nomadic camping near the dunes at dusk. Alternatively, travelers can start the journey in early afternoon and spend the first night at a nomadic camp located between the dunes, and then reach the main cluster of the sand dunes in the afternoon.

Luxury Desert Camps

While nomadic camping in the desert may provide a traumatizing experience for travelers who are carrying all their luggage (including water supply) by foot, luxury desert camps in Erg Chigaga have sprung up providing hearty food and room-like accommodation. Luxury desert camps are equipped with deluxe tents and ensuite bathrooms. Visitors have the option of booking in for a single day trip, where they can be picked up by either jeep or camel from the Erg Chigaga dunes. However, the more reasonable way would be to opt for a two-night package, where the visitors can arrive in the camp either by camel or jeep rides before dinner, spend the following day enjoying the unique Saharan desert landscape, have dinner, and leave either by camel or jeep on the second morning on the last day of the trip.

Stargazing Opportunities

Due to the continuous dry and warm weather in Erg Chigaga, the atmosphere is generally cleared of moisture contents allowing for countless visible stars. The abundance of bright visible stars has also made it a popular destination for astronomers and astrophotographers. Travelers do not need to be worried if previous star-gazing experience is required or that all equipment needed to view Mars and Saturn are included in the tour packages. All camps in Erg Chigaga have arranged for mobile telescopes.

Nomadic Camping

Sahara nomads are cosmopolitan people who travel between different parts of the Sahara over the seasons but are often observed in Morocco and Western Sahara. Their unique and relatively rare way of life is well known in these regions. Nomadic camping takes you to immerse yourself in this one-of-a-kind culture. You get to sleep and eat in a nomads’ camp; share a meal with the locals in the real-adventure atmosphere; drink mint tea, take photographs of these simple yet warm, helpful people during sunset; join them for camel rides along the dunes and back to the camp; have fun dancing around campfire in the evening; try to understand their conversations, the art of doing handmade things, and maybe join them or help them out with their work; walk in the vastness of the desert and experience it for days and nights; plunge into another world.

Why is nomadic camping special? Spending time with true nomads increases your chance of seeing more than a group for tourists being moved in escort of western-style service people. It helps you to be in contact with this ancient, timeless, and quiet way of life, pure of tourism show. So many little things: magic tea, saguaro children, the smell of the desert, a smile, a right silence, and maybe life-changing thoughts. A wonderful journey into different people and a different way of life will surely give you a new dimension of thought, bring more openness to others, and allow you to see the world from another point of view.

Luxury Desert Camps

Due to its remoteness and the unique landscape it contains, Erg Chigaga offers a limited number of luxurious desert lodges and camps. The increasing interest among luxury travelers looking to escape the crowds of more popular desert locations has put Erg Chigaga on the map. The large sand dune field is now an attractive alternative to the dunes at Erg Chebbi, where recent decades have seen many traditional desert camps being transformed into luxurious hotels that have negatively impacted the region’s original charm. Erg Chigaga still conveys this aura of authenticity which stands behind these luxury desert camps.

Luxury desert camps do provide a rebellious yet cozy atmosphere in the stunning wilderness of the Moroccan Sahara. Camp visitors will find accommodation in huge suites of luxury tents fitted-out with en-suite bathrooms, hot showers, and beautiful furniture. The tents are often built similarly to Berber tents and decorated with traditional carpets and lamps. The camps feature large external dining rooms and lounges perfectly located to enjoy the beautiful views of the adjacent dunes. At sunset, camp staff light fires outside, and visitors can contemplate the stunning saffron-tinted color of the dunes as the sun goes down.

Adventurers will still discover the thrills of sleeping in the desert and climbing the dunes to see the unbelievable starry skies that only the Sahara can offer: Each night is different, with different constellations appearing for you depending on the season and on the moon phase. And if you choose to try the food prepared by the camp staff, it almost certainly will be delicious. The onboard chefs normally explore the Moroccan cuisine of tagines, prepared in traditional ovens, and offer tasteful soups and salads, including plenty of spices from the local culture.

 Stargazing Opportunities

You can enjoy incredible stargazing opportunities wherever you set your tent in the Sahara, but you will probably get the best views if you are camping in Erg Chigaga. Just as the dunes of Erg Chigaga loom large during the day, so it is at night. When the Sun sinks below their crests, they catch fire; they glow mauve practically the whole night. There is no light pollution. No tree, village, or mountain interrupts your view of the immense, black, star-studded sky vault.

Stargazing enthusiasts know that you can’t beat the clean, crisp air of the Sahara for celestial views. If only the major tourist hubs of the Moroccan city of Marrakech and the dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga would invest in the required infrastructure to dim the city lights at night! Tamanrasset in Algeria, just to the south of Erg Chigaga, or Aourir near Agadir to the west, are better positioned, being further away. But with the nearest town being Mhamid, usually around 45 minutes up lunch, Erg Chigaga is arguably the best location in all of Northern Africa to see the stars.

For desert-lovers, the moon can be a double-edged sword. Its bright light can wash out the stars. While some think the Sahara is magic by day, it transforms into a completely different world at night. You can barely see the contours of the dunes made of fine quartz and silica particles, but their wind-shaped moonscape-like crests shine bright in all white. Little light spills over from the nearby settlement of Mhamid where a few bedouins still live. Just the flickering light of a shepherd’s fire in the distance reminds you of human presence.

4×4 Adventures in the Desert

Building a “real” desert adventure is a little more complicated than simply camelling out in Erg Chigaga. No doubt about it, riding on a traditional Moroccan camel, the dromedary, can be a great experience. But riding in the warm midday sun while the “real” nomads of the Sahara trek safely in the shade of your tourist vehicle goes against the principal of fairness and the best of Moroccan desert hospitality — sharing the comfort and safety of our modern life with those who have been doing it tough for centuries. Early and late in the day the camels and their passengers find more than enough opportunities to mingle and share smiles and laughs.

One of the best ways to see the dunes, if not the best, is to initiate an adrenaline ride and bounce your body halfway to the sky as you 4×4 on sandy virgin tracks through no-man’s sectors. If the 4×4 ride is exciting, it is more to watch out for the skilled driver who knows the sand and knows how to maneuver his powerful vehicle — and maintain it — to avoid being stuck hours in the desert heat. Endurance participants agree that the unique draw of the dunes and the mystical quality of the desert have a strong pulling effect. If you’re stereo-typical of the modern demand for speed, the experience strikes you harder in a vehicle. It frees you to learn and still observe fast. You can go deeper and farther. Some are promptly satisfied, come back and brag about the experience. Others are not so quickly conditioned and want — need — to go deeper and farther and longer and longer after going fast.

Only the wind changes the dunes for hundreds of thousands of years. Otherwise, the airy purity today is as it was then. Contact with the sublime should be an integral part of the experience. You must put your feet on the cool dark ground colored by shreds of tiny powerful crystal flecks, snuggle your nose into the powdery sand and inhale deeply, sink your fingers in and let the grains slip slowly through your open hand.

Exploring the Dune Fields

Dune fields are not usually accessible from the main tracks. Specialized vehicles need to be used through certain passes. The jumps of a car, hush of an engine, wheel movements on the sand give a new perception of the Saharan scenery. Emerging from the warm, pale, yellowy color of the sand and the untouched character of strange sandy shapes molded by the wind contrast sharply with the horizon. West of Mhamid and the Oued Drâa, the whole dune area is divided into three sectors. Each of these three parts can be reached by car from Mhamid, or may be visited in three-days camel treks. Erg Chigaga is the most important dune field before all the unbridged impenetrable dunes stretching to the Algerian border. It is a major excursion spot. However, the very fact of this converging of groups may lead to the destruction of what has made Erg Chigaga’s surprise in comparison with Erg Chegaga: the relative beauty and tranquility of the dunes unlike the overcrowded and rutting of Erg Chebbi. It is a shame to have to watch the fringes on the excesses of civilization: the sound of engines, colored tents that erupt on the plateau, and finally the white of rubbish not collected by anybody. Leaving Mhamid and the Drâa, the dunes become more and more opaque. No road in the valley or in dunes. People drive toward the east on dirt tracks that wind through the feet of dunes and wrongly take Saharan jolts. Camel caravans and minibusses offer transfers to the dunes at the edge of three tourist companies, usually located at the hotel. The hillocks are white. They look like the piles made by mice. Their height reaches 10 meters. Overlooking the cord of dune hills, the ascent and sunset facing the mass of dunes, the flight of winds at the moor. The foot of the hillock and delicate contours allows you to imagine a massive dormant beast.

Off-Roading Tips

This is probably a very good time to leave you with some of the “written industry” guidelines for driving off-road in the dunes and other sandy areas. Please excuse me if I seem to repeat some things already said in other sections, but often people tend to browse the pages instead of reading everything (which is too bad, it would be interesting to know whether you like the beauty of this adventure, and not just effectively get to know about Erg Chigaga). When visiting remote areas such as Moroccan Sahara it is important to show respect for the environment and the locals. To start with, let’s take this occasion to remind you that those tracks mean that someone is most probably living in that location. It is best to stick to what seems roads and/or tracks. If you feel like you are leaving a route with the tour, you should head for the closest route, even if it means going north-east for several kilometers. Aim in the safest direction, in which a meeting can be arranged (preferably away from scenery that may be damaged at the time you want to meet with the director, as we have piloted in places to prove all of this).

Get used to the sand using the same turns made on gravel roads or other smooth surfaces that you intend to cross with your vehicles. Watch your speed! It is more pleasant to head for the dunes at a slower speed at first. Try to find the first dunes without too much sand to start getting familiar with the cuts sides of the dunes. Then, on your way back, you can explore the first dirty dunes you found. Find a spot where your vehicles meet, and a route you still want to travel. Be sure that the route works both ways, but do not hesitate to take simple walks on foot near the vehicles to scout it, and to check that it isn’t blocked by bushes.

Activities in Erg Chigaga

Traveling to the desert just to discover sand and stones and spend days there is quite boring. That’s why we are going to describe more activities that you can do during Erg Chigaga desert trek. You can enjoy unique activities that do not clearly exist in other deserts of the world.

8.1. Sandboarding Although sandboarding is quite common in tourist cities, it is considered unique by many travelers because it is a quite recent activity in the desert. However, it has started to invade Erg Chigaga. Don’t miss the experience of sandboarding! Just a few meters from your camp reach the highest considered dune in Erg Chigaga and rent a snowboard.

8.2. Sunset Watching In order to discover the desert landscape in an outstanding lighting, it is advisable to reach the sunset viewpoint. Climbing the rocky mountain you will have an amazing view of sunset colors painting sand dunes in Erg Chigaga on the background. This spot is recommended because you will have a perfect view without any dunes blocking your panorama. Indeed sunset watching is one of the most beautiful activities to do in Erg Chigaga.

8.3. Experience the Silence People come to Erg Chigaga to feel and experience the silence. As for tourists, they usually arrive with a tour in camel shape or 4×4 shape. So Erg Chigaga during the night is 100% nature. You will not hear the sound of a single camel snoring. How many camps have you seen that nobody is taking care of? How many times have you been to a place which has several dozen of dusks or broken camels? Erg Chigaga reminds us that a desert should be of duff sand and red/white bouda, especially during the day when it is excessively windy.

 Sandboarding

When most people think of snowboarding, they probably think of the snowy mountains. But did you know that you can also snowboard in Africa? That’s right! Sandboarding is a relatively new sport that originated in the deserts. And Erg Chigaga is the perfect place for new and experienced sandboarders alike. We like to think of sandboarding as snowboarding’s smaller, sassier sister. Whether you’re shredding powder or sliding down sand dunes, there’s no denying that both sports are absolutely exhilarating. Sandboarding is one of our absolute favorite things to do in Erg Chigaga. There’s something so magical about gliding down the steep, high dunes, with massive plumes of sand rising up around you.

Sandboarding is the perfect activity for adventure seekers, adorable kids, and inactive Grandma. There are many steep, high dunes in Erg Chigaga that you can slide down. If you’re feeling really wild, you can even try sandboarding in the early morning or late afternoon and add some sunburn to the mix! Sandboarding is the perfect antidote to the long rhythm of the days spent lazily lounging in the desert, sipping mint tea and trying out different flavors of the delectable food. Sandboarding in Erg Chigaga is something the whole family will remember. And it’s one of the less scary things to do in Erg Chigaga, too! Kids and adults alike can get on the sled and slide down the dunes. It’s really just like a giant inflatable water slide, only better.

Sunset Watching

There is probably no better site for watching Moroccan sunsets than the dunes of Erg Chigaga. Those vast ocean-like dunes with the shimmering sand, in a landscape marked only by the soft shapes of the mountains and the dry horizon, provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience of beauty and peace. As the sun lowers in the sky, preparations of allegedly musicians sitting under a tent begin. At first, we feel the atmosphere: the immensity of the space around us, the increasing cold of the shadow land, and the warm shade of the descending sun on our faces. Is this really the end of another day? Then, the first sounds of the bendir are heard, soon to be followed by the silky melodic sounds of a flute.

As night gently descends upon Erg Chigaga, sand from the shifting dunes flows softly over the unnamed paths down, creating thin live sand streamers in the evening light, in a mix with shadows from the men in their light blue djellabas and burnouses preparing the tent for the bewitchers with their floored musicians. Performing improvisations in still not heard lyrics, in Saharan Arabic and Berber, songs of these captivating Mendoub and Kehir, as if possessed by the wind, flow over us, driving every worrisome thought out of our heads. A commentary on the peaceful but rich traditional life, in a language completely strange and unnecessary to understand.

Experience the Silence

It is this silence, more than anything else, that creates a special atmosphere, and it is simply impossible to miss it while you’re in Erg Chigaga. The sounds of civilization and other tourists are absent. While spending some time here you can really listen to yourself, and after a while you’ll even start to hear your blood pounding and the rhythm of respiration. The kind of magical experience and feeling this silence gives you is hard to describe or explain. The nearest civilization is miles and miles away, the rumors of the city are gone, and instead you are surrounded by the dunes, the desert, the sun, and endless, empty space. You and the boundless desert – this is how the feeling is expressed best. You’re like a little twig in a tremendous ocean. Everything is the same color and texture, beautiful in its unity but terrifying in its enormity. Walking around for days in the soft sand or simply lying in the daytime sun or at the night starry sky gives you a totally different perspective on time. It is interesting to think about how time is always directly relative to what is happening in our and around our lives. When something amazing, extraordinary, or otherwise out of the ordinary happens, it contracts in our memories and seems to have taken no time. For example, that special moment you remember from your youth or a split of a second when everything slowed down at a car crash. Or moments of happiness with your girl, or when you were the highest most thrilling point of your life, every second seeming like an eternity. While in Erg Chigaga, you are not bombarded with your usual daily routine of boring, time-consuming tasks. You’re not in a hurry and need no appointments. You’re not going to waste time doing the things a soldier on the parade must do, or the soldier in the war must do; the people who are terribly aware of its value and do use it with contemptuous contempt and rage. No social pressure is there, thus the theory is suspended. Time gets relaxed and expanded. They say time flies the slower you move and in Erg Chigaga, where sometimes you do just a little more than moving your eye, it literally stops.

Cultural Insights

9.1. NOMADIC TRADITIONS

The Erg Chigaga region boasts a rich Berber tribal history. Here, the nomads lead a simple way of life, surviving from simple means, moving with their camels around the desert in search of water. The living conditions are tough, with little contact with the outside world and no access to nearby markets where they could find supplies. Despite some Berbers being settled in modern towns, many of the nomads continue moving from place to place. Typically, they move between different oases or move up to the mountains during the summer. If you get lucky, you can meet the nomads while driving through the desert. But if you want to see how the nomads really live, you can join a small trip into the deeper dunes. If you are not lucky enough to meet nomads in the desert, visiting a Berber museum or a museum in the small village of Mhamid will introduce you to Berber culture, traditional clothing, tents, artistic styles, objects, and rural life.

9.2. LOCAL CUISINE

Depending on how deep you go into the desert, you may spend one or more nights camping out and sleeping under thousands of stars and waking up to some of the best sunrises ever. Of course, staying in the tourist part is less authentic, but allows for easy access to the dunes. If you did not spend the night in a Berber tent or camp in the dunes, then visiting one of the local shops is the next best thing. Thankfully, the cuisine here is surprisingly varied compared to similar places in other parts of the world. Over the years, the local trade has become well-established. Tagine and couscous dishes are a great option. However, thanks to the proximity to the ocean, seafood is a great specialty on the coast as well, and if you are lucky, you might find some food stalls near the port preparing fresh fish or calamari. Traditionally, Berbers eat bread and other staples with boiled meats or vegetable stew. Breakfast is typically bread with jam, butter, or cheese next to some tea.

Nomadic Traditions

The ongoing metamorphoses of the Berber nomadic lifestyle have captured the interest of anthropologists and researchers working in Morocco. Well-respected in the southern oases and plains, nomads had to enter into alliances with reliable city dwellers from the mid-nineteenth century onward. On a cultural level, the Southern regions’ wealth of rugs, jewelry, tents, etc. reflect a fiber art in constant transformation, influenced by exchanges between the nomadic and sedentary spheres and, since recent times, involving tourist demand. In agricultural areas, the nomads served as breeders, allowing the cultivation of cereal crops and, for some, the production of palm oil, distinguishing them from flat and highland nomads whose camels depended on trade. Planted on the land borrowed by sedentary Berbers from city-dwellers or authorities, thanks to the mediation of brokers or people settling among them, desert nomads relied on the vision of paradise presented by Islam to offset their isolation.

Morocco has a great abundance of jewelry representing nomadic Berbers’ know-how. Thus, we will find the twinkling necklaces of the Ait Sabaa of the Anti-Atlas, the silver necklaces of the Ait Haddou, the large necklaces of the Chaoaib, etc. The size of the ornamentation and the motifs used differ from tribe to tribe; it is easy to distinguish the types from the Ait Aissa, the Ait Ouaouzeht or the Rusmat. Nomads, and especially nomadic women, use rings as their primary decoration. Depending on social class, the rings are old or modern; nomadic women often wear wedding rings, and others display rings whose production costs are in the theme. The achievement of one’s identity through a name, a number, or identification cards is characteristic of industrial societies. Nomadic Berbers reserved the right to wear silver jewelry to the use of those who, by their ancestors or the goldsmiths of the Old World, hold these ornaments that bear witness to their social status.

Local Cuisine

When you are in the Sahara and that you are hungry, you want to eat Sahara. Often the food made in the camps offers the traditional recipe of the nomadic people. Couscous or tajine and bread will be on the menu. It is often very good. These dishes may seem like a lot of work, but with some tips you easily prepare them yourself. You’ll make family or friends discover delicious dishes. Although these words sound Eastern imported or borrowed, they belong to the Berber language. Couscous is a round grain flour with a predominant cereal taste for the desserts is the basis of many Sahara meals. The vegetables of the South are these used in winter and in summer. These are zucchini, carrots, turnips, beans, peas, potato, onion, dry raisins, almonds. Couscous is eaten with a stew prepared and flavored with a spice mix such as cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, caraway, chili or sweet pepper, ginger, nutmeg, saffron. In the Sahara, it is common to eat for lunch a plate of tajine hot during the day, because tajine is a slow preparation that allows you to share a rich meal of family or friends.

More generally, the library is that of the Mediterranean basin. Olives and dried figs must be found in the warehouses. You can also taste dried apricots, fresh or dried dates. Even in the desert where the heat strikes, bread accompanies every meal of the day. It is a Berber tradition. The Berbers of the Sahara are known to prepare a traditional round bread, cooked in hot sand just from their camp. It takes place in a lidded container with hot stones below and above. To allow the dough to rise, the cook prepares the dough the day before, at dusk so that the bread is ready for the meal the follow.

 Planning Your Visit

The erg Chigaga is somewhat remote compared to other sites in the Moroccan Sahara, particularly from Marrakech. Getting to Erg Chigaga requires a full day of travel or overnight to semi-desert areas, which are devoid of tourist attractions. To make the travelling more enjoyable, we suggest visiting the area of Lake Ifni on the way. The optimal and traditional route leads through the border city of Taroudant, where you could spend one night.

From Taroudant the direct road to the town of Taliouine is picturesque, but an alternative route would take you through the huge area of rose, argan and saffron production, which are the landmarks of the area. Going from Taliouine to the town of Taznakht, next to the big quartzite plateau, worth taking a small detour for grabbing the view from lookout point. The two ways from Taznakht to the town of Foum Zguid both lead through the mountains. Following the Dunes of Chigaga trail, continuing from Foum Zguid to Erg Chigaga is said to be more scenic, while the one leading to the town of M’Hamid is an alternative with no dunes sight.

While travelling alone and/or driving by yourself may be fine in many parts of Morocco, in these desert regions it is quite risky. Thus it is best to travel in groups to share expenses and secure a car. It is also relatively common to rent a car with a driver, which is often recommended. Getting to the dunes by 4×4 or camel caravan from M’Hamid, Beher Loutani, or from the dunes area, and crossing the country to Erg Chegaga points out that the dunes are just a landmark in the desert, not tourist attractions with facilities.

Itinerary Suggestions

Our first option takes us to the heart of Erg Chigaga directly from Mhamid, via Sakia Lhamra, following the shortest, but hardest route. This trek is 50 km long, but visitors who need extra time in the dunes could consider extending it to one night in the erg. We therefore recommend this option for experienced trekkers, ones used to heat and sandholing. Reaching Erg Chigaga’s center and famous dunes of Laghlam during the sunset can be pretty amazing! The second option can be done in two, three or four days. Leaving Mhamid on a first, long trekking day, we will reach the source of the Old Saoura River, an important former oases trade route. We will spend the second (and even third) night at Erg Chigaga’s incredible Laghlam dunes called Arifiyin lying East of Chigaga, before heading back home following a longer, but less rough route.

We also recommend a trek circling Erg Chigaga in a bigger loop. Itinerary options abound around Chigaga! First, we can cross the dunes visiting the lakebed called Iriki, and entering Chigaga from the North, via the supposedly horrific villages of Bojt Taleb. Or on the contrary, we can do a longer trek, following the same route for both ways. Several guides will make sure you navigate through these twisted, chaotic roads dotted with abandoned villages. There are enough things to see or discover in the region to fill our visit of Erg Chigaga with surprises, as we will meet the Bougara people who still treasure their lively traditions. It will definitely help us understand what is behind the idea of preserving this place.

Safety Considerations

In this article, we are going to give you some deep thoughts and wisdom you might want to consider on your visit. The Erg Chigaga might feel like a remote place and that you’re far away from the busy world, but accidents still happen and first aid is sometimes an operation that might take a while. Traveling through desert tracks, spotting wild animals, visiting remote Kasbahs, and meeting nomads can be such beautiful experiences. But pay attention to your personal health and know your physical limits. Be informed about your health status important related aspects. Since it’s sometimes hard to get a doctor or a pharmacy, be sure to have in possession everything you might need according to your personal health situation. Exotic bug bites, minor wounds, and small infections can quickly turn from something easy to treat into a big problem outdoors. This is why we recommend having a first aid kit available and filling it with enough antiseptics, plasters, and band-aids.

When going hiking, an experienced guide can often decide what is too much for you or not, but this does not mean that you should rely on him entirely. Be prepared and take enough food and beverages with you. In summer, the temperatures can reach about 45°C/113°F, while in winter they can go down to 0°C/32°F at night. Be well equipped according to the season, since the temperature differences between nights and days can vary a lot while away from possible heating opportunities. At nights, the temperatures may get lower than you expect and leave you freezing. Don’t forget to take good hiking shoes and avoid exposing your face, neck, and arms from being too much exposed to the sun. When going on group trips, make sure that in case of any problems everyone knows where to meet up. Also, tell someone else where you’re going.