The Erg Chebbi is the largest sand sea in Morocco, a run of dunes about 22 kilometres long and 5 wide, with crests reaching 150 metres. Merzouga sits at its western edge, and the camel trains leave from the last houses in the village.
This is the short version: roughly ninety minutes of riding, out into the sand far enough that the village disappears behind you, and up to a high crest for the sunset. The light on the dunes in the last half hour before the sun goes is the reason people come to this part of Morocco.
It suits anyone passing through Merzouga on a longer tour who wants the dunes without committing to a night in a camp, and anyone arriving late in the day.
Meet at the departure point on the edge of Merzouga in the late afternoon, with the exact time set by the season, since sunset moves by more than two hours between summer and winter. The camels are already saddled and the handler helps you mount and adjusts the stirrups.
The train leaves in single file straight into the sand. Within ten minutes the village is out of sight behind the first ridge and there is nothing but dunes in every direction. The ride out takes around forty minutes at walking pace, climbing gradually as the dunes get higher towards the interior.
You dismount at a high crest with a clear western view. There is time here to walk along the ridge, sit, and watch the light change; the sand shifts through orange to deep red as the sun drops, and the shadows in the troughs get very long. Most people spend twenty to thirty minutes on the crest.
The return is by camel in the dusk, reaching Merzouga shortly after dark.
About ninety minutes in total, including roughly forty minutes out, time on the crest for the sunset, and the ride back. It is the shortest camel experience at Merzouga.
It is set by the sunset, so it varies by season, from around 4.30pm in December to around 7.30pm in June. We confirm the time on the day.
The mounting and dismounting are the awkward parts, as the camel rises back legs first and pitches you forward. Once moving it is a slow, rolling walk. Ninety minutes is comfortable for most people; long treks are harder on the legs.
Yes. Some people walk one leg and ride the other. Walking in soft sand is hard work, so most ride out and walk parts of the way back.
Yes, for children who can sit securely. Younger children usually ride with a parent, and the handler leads the camel the whole way.
A scarf or the turban provided for wind-blown sand, sunglasses, and a warm layer for the return, because the temperature drops fast once the sun is down, even in summer.
If you only have an evening at Merzouga, this is the whole point of the place compressed into ninety minutes. You get far enough into the erg that there is no sign of the village, high enough to see the dune field run to the horizon, and you are there for the half hour when the sand turns red. No camp, no overnight bag, no early start.
