“Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen”
-Louis L’Amour
After spending the night exploring Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakesh and enjoying a delicious dinner of felafel and camel burgers, we woke up early to begin our journey to the Zagora Dunes through the High Atlas Mountains.
We stopped for breakfast and then spent the morning winding through the Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass which reaches an altitude of 2260 meters and is the highest major mountain pass in North Africa.
Passing through Berber villages, herds of sheep and men with little stalls selling geodes and orange juice, we made sure to make a few stops to take in the spectacular views. One shop sold argan oil products, from hair and face masks to cooking oils. A bunch of women were actually breaking down the argan tree kernel and making it into a paste right there in the shop.
We eventually made it to Aït Benhaddou village which is a fortified city located along the old caravan route from Marrakech to the Sahara. Aït Benhaddou has been used for many movies and television shows over the past few decades. We ate lunch on a beautiful patio with a nice view of the nearby Kasbah. A guide then led us through the clay city, showing us old Berber artifacts along the way. When we reached the top of the hill perched on top the city, we were able to take in the miles and miles of desert landscape that surrounded us.
Before heading on our way, the guide offered my boyfriend three million Dirhams and a camel to keep me. Although I would have loved to stay in morocco, I am glad he didn’t take the deal (was going to say wasn’t interested in the deal, but I don’t think thats 100% true).
After another hour or two of driving, we made it to our camels that would take us the rest of the way to the desert camp we would call home for the night in the Zagora Dunes.
We watched the sunset over the Sahara and had some time to take in the view of the ocean of sand that surrounded us. Dinner was some of the best tagine I ate all trip, followed by a fire where everyone hung out, met one another and danced to some traditional Berber music. We called it an early night since we had to wake up early the next morning to take in the amazing sight of the sun slowly rising over the desert.
Our camels took us back to meet our driver and we started our trek back into Marrakech. We made our way back through the Draa Valley, again twisting and turning toward the small village of Ouarzazate where we stopped for lunch. We made another stop or two on the way home looking at Moroccan furniture and art, all of which I wanted to take home with me if I only had access to a cargo ship.
The short time I spent in the Atlas Mountains and Zagora Dunes is a time I will never forget and I can’t wait to return and explore more of Morocco one day!
If you are looking to visit the Atlas Mountains and Zagora Dunes, I highly recommend booking with Marrakech Tours. We had an unbelievable time and this company really went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly. The driver even picked us up at the airport the day before we began the tour and dropped us off at our riad, making a plan to get us the next morning .
Have a question about our trip? Feel free to comment below!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren has enjoyed exploring from a young age when she started traveling and learning about different cultures around the world. She loves experiencing all that a place has to offer, from it’s art, music and food to it’s architecture, and way of life. From shark diving in the Caribbean to camel trekking though out the Sahara to chugging beers at Oktoberfest, Lauren seeks adventure and excitement everywhere she goes.
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