Desert, Morocco © Shutterstock
Gateway to the desert
By Aurélie, Africa specialist: “A timeless dream destination, discreet luxury, the real kind. One of my finest travel moments, a true interlude of magic. The luxury of this “house of dreams” lies in its power to carry you into a waking dream. A kasbah beautifully restored with elegance and refinement, at the gateway to the Moroccan desert. Meals staged anew each day — in the dunes, beneath an olive tree, in the gorges, in some charming corner of the palace... The chef's cooking is simple and delicious, with fruit and vegetables from the kitchen garden. The staff are warm and smiling, anticipating every wish. No set hours, no keys, no reception desk — just surprises and pleasures. If you like being surprised, Dar Ahlam will be the place of your dreams!”
Discover this favouriteThe country holds many treasures still hidden from view, and we love revealing them to you exclusively, along with the Moroccan hospitality found in the small villages scattered across desert and mountains. Our sample journey along the southern route lets you see Morocco as no one has seen it before.
Let yourself be surprised by wild beaches, oases, sand dunes, ochre-earth villages and mountains. Discover Morocco’s Grand Sud under exceptional conditions.
An alternation of plateaus, villages nestled in the bends of an oued, valleys with their small, well-kept vegetable gardens. No two days will be alike, each moment a return to the simplicity of feeling.
Far from the crowds of Marrakech and the big cities, amid the dunes, by the ocean, at the heart of the Atlas’s snow-capped peaks, in spectacular, unspoiled oases. This is the Morocco we want you to discover with Étendues Sauvages.
Absolutely. True luxury: a private luxury bivouac set up just for you, for two… or more if you wish!
Amid the dunes, under a remarkable starry sky.
The camp includes tent-rooms with full bedding, a lounge tent, a sanitary tent, and a logistics and kitchen tent.
A logistics team, a guide and a cook take care of making your stay comfortable.
The more people there are, the more the logistics cost is shared.
Likewise, the second night costs less than the first, as much of the cost is tied to setting up the camp.
From Marrakech, you can reach the Agafay desert, some thirty kilometres away, on the first foothills of the High Atlas range. This rocky desert has a moon-like landscape set among rolling hills of white and ochre dunes. Admire the contrast between the Atlas’s snow-capped peaks and the warm desert colours at sunset.
Dreaming of the endless dunes of the Sahara?
Allow at least 4 hours from Marrakech to cross the Atlas and reach Ouarzazate, then the Zagora desert, the closest part of the Sahara to Marrakech, at around 7 hours (360km). The route takes you through stunning Atlas landscapes, then the Skoura palm grove and the traditional town of Ait Ben Haddou. A stopover here is highly recommended!
This desert has fewer dunes, however, than the Merzouga desert, 10 hours from Marrakech (550km), the most striking part of the Moroccan desert — the desert as we picture it in our imagination!
One or more overnight stops are even recommended, to visit Ouarzazate, the Drâa Valley, the Dadès Gorges, the Valley of the Roses, the Todra Gorges and the town of Ait Ben Haddou.
A full week can easily be devoted to exploring the Moroccan desert.