2 Days From Ouarzazate To Merzouga Desert

2 Days From Ouarzazate To Merzouga Desert

• Departure from Ouarzazate.
• Duration: 2 days/1 night.

ITINERARY:

OUARZAZATE – SKOURA PALM GROVE – ROSE VALLEY – TODRA GORGES – ERG CHEBBI DESERT – RISSANI – DRAA VALLEY – OUARZAZATE.

End of tour: Ouarzazate.

The word Erg is used to define a desert when it is sandy. The word Erg is a word of Arabic origin (arq). It is opposed to the hamada, a term used to define a stony desert.

Sand is the result of the extreme fragmentation into tiny grains of rocks deposited on the plain during the rainy season as a result of extreme temperature changes that expand and contract the materials every day until they weather and abrasion. The sand is carried long distances by the wind and tends to form deposits, which we call dunes.
The two most significant Erg of the Moroccan Sahara are Erg Chebbi, which is accessed from Merzourga and Erg Chegaga from the city of M’Hamid.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

DAY 1.- OUARZAZATE – SKOURA PALM GROVE – ROSE VALLEY – DADES VALLEY – TODRA GORGES – MERZOUGA DESERT (ERG CHEBBI).

The design of the route is intended that along the way you can enjoy the varied, rich, extraordinary natural, human and cultural landscape of southern Morocco, dominated by the Atlas Mountains and the struggle for life in a nature in which the presence of water and desert is the cause of strong contrasts.
Our first stop will be in the palm grove of Skoura, framed by the imposing massif of M’Goum to the north and the desert chain of Jebel Saghro to the south is an immense palm grove with more than 140,000 palm trees. What distinguishes Skoura from other palm groves in the south is the great concentration of Kasbahs that it houses in its interior, a rich architectural heritage that speaks of the splendor of more glorious times that, unfortunately, is being lost for lack of conservation work and funding that allows them.

Skoura is one of those visits that require a quiet walk to enjoy its great beauty, how you can create an artistic and harmonious environment with the most basic materials provided by nature, and above all tells us about a way of life in a time that seems to have been suspended. It is a jewel outside the conventional tourist circuits in Morocco that grows around an oasis populated by palm, almond and olive trees planted in the twelfth century by the Almohad sultan Yaqub al-Mansour. Unfortunately, the length of the route does not allow us to explore it in more depth. We will stop at a

viewpoint from where we will have a panoramic view that will allow us to get an idea of its great extension.

Inside the palm grove there are several dozen kasbahs, but the best known and most visited is the Kasbah of Ameridil, which we will visit.

The Kasbah of Ameridil is one of the best preserved. It began to be built in the late eighteenth century, around eight houses joined by the facades to which were added watchtowers at each corner and in the central areas of the walls. In the 20th century the construction was extended. The most modern part, which houses a riad, is the one that can be visited. They have a small exhibition of traditional tools.

We will follow the road through the Valley of the Roses, located at the foot of the High Atlas, at the confluence with the Dades Valley. The name of the Valley responds to the fact that the main crop of the area is the rose, which occupies hundreds of hectares of land. The best time of the year to enjoy the site is from mid-April to mid-May, the flowering season.

The distillation of essences and the production of perfumes is the most important industry in the area.

The rose grown here is the damascena rose, one of the most sought-after species in the world because of its intense perfume. It is also one of the most resistant species to cold and drought. It is believed that this variety of rose was introduced in the 11th century by one of the commercial caravans from Mecca.

It takes one ton of rose petals to produce one kilogram of rose essence. Harvesting is a hard and essentially feminine activity. Harvesting a kilo is a labor that takes more than an hour.

The best known village in the valley is Keela M’gouna for hosting one of the most important festivals in Morocco: “the festival of roses”, which is held every year on the first weekend of May.
We continue to the Dades Valley, a valley that takes its name from the river that flows through it.
Curiously, this valley lacks of date palms, something unusual in southern Morocco, however there are abundant fig trees, so this valley is also known as the Valley of figs, although we also find other crops, such as wheat, chopped corn and figs.

other crops such as wheat, poplar, birch, walnut and almond trees. Where the water arrives it is an orchard, where it does not, it is a desert.
Silence surrounds the impressive landscape, spectacular rock formations border the winding course of the river, which winds its way through golden and reddish cliffs.
We will pass through Boumalne Dades where we will make a stop to contemplate the so-called ”monkey fingers”. The cliffs of Tamlalt are curious formations of red sandstone in vertical and rounded shape. Seen from a distance and due to their grouped disposition, they look like a group of fingers sculpted in the rock, hence they are known as ”monkey fingers”. They are one of the great attractions of the Dades Gorges. From this area the earth turns red due to the presence of iron oxide in the rock.
It will be from the Dades from where we will leave to one of the strong points of the South: the Todra Gorges, which is part of the ecosystem of the Tinerhir Oasis.
The course of the Todra River has formed a gorge of vertical walls of enormous proportions (300 m) and great beauty; fifteen kilometers from Tinerhir the gorge is narrowing by the passage of the river, which in this section is very shallow, creating a closed passage that when traveled on foot makes the height of the canyon is perceived more impressive and is aware of our small size.
The Todra Gorge is a famous climbing site in Morocco but above all, it is a unique place. We will take a short walk, about half an hour, in this part where the canyon narrows, so that you can appreciate in all its details the rugged beauty of the landscape. The Todra Gorges, unlike the Dades Gorges, are seen from below. The Dades can be seen from above, after traveling a winding and somewhat dangerous road.
In Todra will be where we stop for lunch, after which, we will go straight to Merzouga. We will change the car for camels to make a crossing, which will take us about an hour, to the haima camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. On this route you will make a stop to contemplate the beautiful sunset that characterizes the sunset in the desert.
You will spend a magical night in the Sahara, we will dine under the stars, enjoy the gastronomy, the music and above all, the Berber hospitality.

DAY 2.- ERG CHEBBI- RISSANI- DRAA VALLEY-OUARZAZATE.

This day we recommend you to get up early to see the sunrise behind the impressive dunes of Erg, a spectacle of nature itself. You will never forget it.
After a refreshing breakfast and shower we will be on our way to Ouarzazate. We will pass through the always attractive pre-desert landscapes and the villages of Rissani, Alnif, Tazzarine and N’Qob, although we will only make a brief stop in Rissani, one of the oldest cities in Morocco and capital of the Alaouite dynasty. It was an important commercial center of the country during the 14th century, where the caravans coming from the Sahel loaded with precious goods, gold, spices and slaves stopped. Essential stop to visit its traditional Souk, the market held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, considered the largest in southern Morocco. One of the most unusual images of this market is the parking of donkeys.
We will stop for lunch and in the early afternoon we will drive through the Draa Valley. This route, which is approximately 200 km long, is one of the most beautiful routes in Morocco.

This beautiful valley that runs along the river of the same name. It is the longest river in Morocco and crosses the whole country as far as Mauritania. The river, almost 400 km long, remains invisible in the intermediate stretch between Agdz and M’hamid for more than 60 km, its course runs subway, the landscape before the eyes is arid, hostile and desolate, to re-emerge from Agz, which literally and accurately translates as “resting place”, from this population nature overflows by the presence of water. Palm groves and fields of crops cover the horizon as far as the eye can see, in an outpouring of life that would not be possible without the presence of the river. Fortified villages and kasbahs follow one another along the Valley, in a landscape of great beauty marked by the strong contrast between the desert and the green vegetation that grows under the protection of the river, evidence of the boldness and magnificence of life, which is able to emerge even in a hostile environment. In this area abound, along with palm trees, fruit trees, mainly fig and pomegranate trees.

We will make a stop to see the Kasbah of Tamnougalt, declared a World Heritage Site. It is the most important enclave of traditional Moroccan architecture on land and one of the most beautiful in the south of the country. Its location is privileged, at the crossroads of a road that has been used for centuries by caravans coming from Asia.

caravans coming from Asia, hence the name of the village, which translates as “crossroads” or “crossroads”.

The urban expansion of the Ksar reached its peak in the 16th century, when the Kasbah was built, when a member of the Mezguita family settled in the ksar.

The Ksar provided protection to the caravans, offered them lodging and thus the town became an important center of trade, which enjoyed prosperity thanks to the collection of customs duties on all goods and merchandise passing through that route. The kasbah of Tamnougalt stands out for the extraordinary decoration of the walls and the height of its towers.

We will arrive in Ouarzazate at the end of the day, after passing the mountain pass of Tizi-n-Tinfifite, at an altitude of 1,660 meters.

The circuit INCLUDES:

• Arrival and departure transfers to your hotel/riad.
• Transportation throughout the tour in private high-end vehicle with air conditioning and driver guide in the language of your choice: Spanish, English, Italian or French.
• Visits detailed in the program.
• One night in desert camp, half board (dinner and breakfast).
• Excursion through the desert dunes by camel (one camel per person), at sunset or sunrise, as circumstances dictate.
• Free time to visit the visits detailed in the program, as well as stops on request to walk or take pictures.

The circuit does NOT include:

• Drinks.
• Tips for visits.
• Half day lunch.
• Everything NOT specified in “the price includes”.