Erg Chebbi
(pronounced “Shebby”)
GPS coordinates: 31°06’00.4″N 4°00’06.9″W (31.100112, -4.001907) the closest point to Merzouga
A sea of peach color dunes formed by wind-blown sand. This means that the sand of erg is constantly in move. Erg is surrounded by a stony desert. The height of dunes reaches up to 150 m.
Locals take “baths” of hot sand as a treatment of rheumatism – for this purpose you need to be buried neck-deep in the sand for a few minutes. Usually it is done during the hottest time of the year.
Some tips about walking in desert
– The best way to walk in a desert is to get rid of any shoes. Fine sand permeates anything (probably except special military shoes for desert regions) and rubs down ones feet to blood in a few seconds. So if the temperature of sand allows, walk barefoot like locals do.
– Watch your steps to avoid stepping on a scorpio or any other dangerous species.
– Sun protection is a must. No matter what season do you come to Morocco. It’s very easy to make this mistake when the temperature is less than +20°С. Always wear any headwear and use a sun block.
– Take at least 1,5 l of drinking water per person with you. Desert is full of optical illusions: it may seem that something is close but there may be several kilometers in real.
– Strong winds can create sandstorms. Usually they blow in the winter and spring. During sandstorms it’s impossible to go outside of the hotel.
– There are no bushes in desert, so any garbage can not get stuck there. Be prepared that it will spoil you some pictures.
– If you want to make pictures without any traces – you should visit desert in early morning when winds have erased all during the night.
Map
Take Merzouga map with you – just click the star and it will be saved in your Google account. Any locations in this region that I will add later will appear on your map.
