M’Hamid El Ghizlane is a small oasis town placed in southern Morocco. The town, with 7500 inhabitants, has cafés, hotels, restaurants and several quirky shops where you can buy refreshments, top up on your toiletries and even find a Sahara souvenir! The ancient quarter, Ghizlan kashba, is also nearby.
M’Hamid is the last village before the Sahara desert and it is a safe place, located 24 kilometers from the Algerian border. It is easily accessible from Ouarzazate (250 km) and Zagora (100 km) by bus. M’Hamid is on the edge of the Sahara, one of the reasons why so many tourists choose this village to begin their Sahara Desert journey.
BY AIR:
The nearest airport is Ouarzazate. From there, you can reach M’Hamid by bus or rent a car. We can also arrange a private taxi to pick you up at the airport and drive you to M’Hamid.
BY BUS:
The bus company CTM has a daily direct bus. The journey starts at 11:30am in Marrakech, you can also board the bus at Ouarzazate at 16:30pm, and Zagora at 8pm. You arrive at M’Hamid at 9:30pm. You can get your ticket online.
The company SUPRATOURS also has a direct bus Marrakech-Zagora every day. From there, you can take a collective taxi to get to M’Hamid. You can book your ticket on their website.
BY COLLECTIVE TAXI:
Departures from Zagora to M’Hamid every thirty minutes or hourly from the grand-taxi rank. The same companies also make many departures from Ouarzazate and Marrakech.
BY CAR:
From Marrakech, you follow the national route 9 to Ouarzazate, then Zagora and finally, drive along the Draa Valley until M’Hamid.
We can also organize to pick you up from Marrakech or any other part of Morocco by a very comfortable Toyota Prado with a professional driver who speaks English and French.
STAY AT OUR CAMP
If you plan to explore the Moroccan Sahara Desert, we can offer you the best accommodation to feeling you perfectly immerse in the edge of the desert. The camp will be a perfect base to start your journey.
All our rooms are beautifully decorated with traditional items, and you just have to open your window to spot the dunes spreading far! You can choose between rooms with private bathroom or shared bathroom if you travel on a budget.
Solo travelers, couples, families, or groups of friends, you can all stay with us. We also arrange a wild variety of excursions to make you discover the famous Erg Chigaga, among other tours. Email us to book your next stay! desertpure@gmail.com
The main attraction is, of course, the Erg Chigaga dunes, 40 km of golden sand up to 300 meters high. However, Erg Ezahar is also a great destination for remote camping. Those wishing to capture a sunset perched on top of these dunes will not be disappointed. Nothing else can quite compare to trekking by camel, climbing to the top and being rewarded by the view of the sun setting over an enchanted horizon.