ERG-CHIGAGA: THE BEST DESERT IN MOROCCO
Are you looking for an off the beaten path Sahara desert experience and high sand dunes? Read this guide to on how to visit Erg-Chigaga (Erg-chigaga), a breathtaking Sahara desert spot in Morocco.
In this guide you will find all you need to know to visit Erg-Chigaga ( Erg-Chegaga). I will explain you how to get there, accommodation options and I will detail what my trip to this stunning desert spot was like and share some photos of my experience, so that I can help you prepare your visit to this unforgettable place.
Erg-Chigaga aka Erg-Chegaga is an off the beaten path desert spot in Morocco. Its beauty and isolation from the main touristic areas make it dream for artists and photographers. The desert camps are in the middle of a sea of sand dunes, some of them reaching out heights of more than 150 meters. The area is surrounded by a Hamada and there are some green area around the dunes. The desert camps are more than two hours driving from the closest town or village, which make it a perfect Sahara desert experience.
ERG-CHIGAGA (ERG-CHEGAGA): A BREATHTAKING DESERT SPOT IN MOROCCO
There are many desert spots in Morocco where you can experience the golden and orange sand dunes and get a taste of the starry desert nights. However most of these desert spots are located too close to urban centers.
For example the Tinfou dunes are barely 6 km away from Tamegroute, Erg-Lihoudi is 45 minutes by car from the closest village and Erg-Chebbi is just a half an hour by camel or one hour walking from Merzouga.
Erg-Chegaga is the only desert spot in Morocco where you are really immersed in the Sahara desert. It is located 60 Km away from the closest town and it takes 3 days by camel and 2 and a half hours by 4×4 to get from M’hamid el Ghizlaine to the camps.
Its dunes are the tallest in Morocco, reaching out more than 150 meters. And as you gaze into the distance you can observe an orange sea of sand dunes ebbing out into the horizon.
This desert spot is a hidden gem in Morocco. If you are looking for seclusion and anauthentic desert experience this desert spot will for sure exceed your expectations.
The organized trips to Erg-Chigaga (Erg-Chegaga) usually take you also to visit an oasis and a lake in the middle of the desert, lake Iriki. You will visit some nomad tribes and bee-keepers and will have the chance to buy some Sahara desert honey.
The night sky in Erg-Chigaga (Erg-Chigaga) is the most impressive I have seen in my life. There is absolutely no light pollution in the area as the spot is very far away from any urban center. It is perfect for astrophotography and sky observation.
WHERE IS ERG-CHIGAGA (ERG-CHEGAGA)
Erg-Chigaga is located 60 Km from the Moroccan town M’Hamid El Ghizlane and not too far from the Algerian border.
This stunning desert spot is located in the middle of the Sahara desert and there is not light or sound that will disturb the most authentic desert experience in Morocco.
I am leaving here a map pin with the Erg-Chigaga location. However, do not attempt to go there on your own as it can be dangerous. There is not geographical orientation signs, as the spot is in the middle of the desert, and many areas are out of mobile operators coverage.
HOW TO GET TO ERG-CHIGAGA (ERG-CHEGAGA)
The only way to get to Erg Chigaga is by 4×4 as once you leave M’hamid El Ghizlaine behind you will be driving across the Sahara desert sand. There is not road after this point.
You could rent the vehicle and get there but yourself but I do not recommend it as you could get lost very easily and remember it is not a very nice experience to get lost in a desert and you will be putting your life at risk.
The best way to visit Erg-Chigaga is through and organized tour. You can book a tour from Marrakech or just get to Zagora and arrange your tour there with one of the many local tour operators. However, if you do not want to miss your spot, I recommend booking in advance. The camps usually get fully booked around Christmas and Easter holidays.
WHERE TO STAY AT ERG-CHIGAGA (ERG-CHEGAGA)
There are all ranges of camps at Erg-Chigaga and it will be usually up to your tour operator booking your accommodation in the camp. But if you would like to make sure you know what you are booking you could also book your camp accommodation on line here.
There many different options and one of the best experiences of a lifetime could be staying at the Erg-Chigaga luxury camp.
A DESERT TRIP TO ERG-CHIGAGA (ERG-CHEGAGA)
A desert trip to the Erg-Chigaga dunes is not only an immersion in the Sahara desert but also an immersion of the cultural nomad life in the area.
I booked my trip in Zagora through Omar Amdiaz and we drove from Zagora to Erg Chigaga on a 4×4 passing by the M’hamid el Ghizlaine, last urban stop before getting deep into the desert.
On the way to the desert we stopped at some nomads desert tents and saw them extracting water from a well. Yes, believe it or not it some times rains in the Sahara desert and there are wells that allow for the nomad tribes inhabiting this area to live.
The Sahara desert used to be a sea and there are lots of fossils in the Sahara desert. Some nomad people sell them to tourist and if you are lucky as I was you can get some as a present. My driver gave me a nice sea snail fossil, probably millions years old, as a present.
Nomads usually take care of goats and I was blessed to be able to have tea with some of the nomad people inside a tent and hold a baby goat on my arms.
On the way to Erg-Chigaga we stopped on the Oum Laalag’s Oasis which is a small oasis with beautiful palm trees, a pond and an old yellow 4×4, where people usually sit to take pictures.
There is a hotel at this oasis where some people who do not want to stay in the camp tents spend the night.
There are some beekeepers at the Sahara desert and my trip brought me to visit some of them and try some of their honey.
My trip started very early morning so I arrived in Erg Chigaga on time to have a lunch and a camel walk around. The site is a sea of orange sand dunes and believe it or not even if we are in the Sahara desert already there is some plants and life there.
Lunch consisted of a delicious Berber nomad lentil soup and dinner of a Moroccan tagine. My guide took me to the highest of the surrounding dunes to watch the sunset before coming down for dinner and some berber drumming.
After dinner I took my tripod and camera for some photo opportunities as the stars view from the camp is absolutely breathtaking.
TIP: Bring Winter clothes as it gets really cold in the desert at night.
After a good night sleep and a traditional Moroccan breakfast I went for a camel ride on the surrounding area before starting the way back to Zagora.
ERG-CHIGAGA (ERG-CHEGAGA) FAQS AND TIPS
HOW TO GET TO ERG-CHEGAGA FROM MARRAKECH
There are three ways to get from Erg-Chigaga to Marrakech.
You can arrange a tour and it will all be taken care of for you:
BOOK:
By bus from Marrakech to Zagora and get to arrange a tour from Zagora with the many local tour operators there or book on line.
You can take a plane to Zagora and from there arrange your tour to Erg-Chigaga.
WHAT ON EARTH IS ERG CHIGAGA?
Erg Chigaga is a hidden gem in Morocco and the most beautiful desert spot in the country.
It is the only desert spot in Morocco far enough from Urban areas to have the best start photography conditions in the country.
IS ERG-CHIGAGA IN THE SAHARA DESERT?
Yes, Erg-chigaga is in the Sahara desert. It is well past beyond 60 Km the pre Saharan area.
The Sahara desert is expanding every year so the limits are a bit difficult to define but Erg- Chigaga is the Sahara desert.
ERG CHIGAGA OR ERG CHEBBI?
If you are wondering which desert spot to chose for your trip to Morocco I would recommend you to visit Erg Chigaga. This stunning desert spot is far away enough from any village or town to give you a true desert experience. It is also less frequented by tourists than Erg Chebbi and you will find the solitude and silence than most people seek when coming to visit the desert.
Erg Chebbi is a beautiful desert spot but it is too close to Merzouga and there have been several issues with overtourism in the area.
Erg Chigaga is without a doubt the most beautiful desert spot in Morocco.
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