The Sahara from Agadir: Desert Journeys from the Atlantic Side

Most desert trips in Morocco start in Marrakech, so travellers staying on the Atlantic coast often assume they must go north first. They do not. From Agadir the roads run straight into the south, and the way there passes towns most Marrakech itineraries never see.

Three routes to the dunes

South-east to Erg Chegaga. The most natural desert route from Agadir runs through the foothills of the Anti-Atlas by Tata and Foum Zguid, then out to Erg Chegaga, the larger and wilder of Morocco's two great dune seas. Our two-day trip is the shortest way to a night in the dunes from the coast; the three-day version adds a night at the edge of the desert and the 4x4 crossing from M'Hamid.

East to Zagora. Through Taroudant and Taznakht, a town known for its hand-woven carpets, the road enters the Draa Valley from the south and follows its palm groves to a desert camp near Zagora. It is a gentler, more intimate desert than the great ergs, and it fits in two days.

The long arc to Erg Chebbi. By Taroudant and Taliouine, the saffron-growing town, to Aït Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, then east through the Dades and Todra gorges to the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga. It is the most varied of the three and needs three days at the least, or four to drive it without hurry and come back by the road of the kasbahs.

Day trips from the coast

If you have a free day rather than three, the country inland from Agadir rewards it.

• Taroudant. A market town inside long earthen ramparts, often compared to an older, quieter Marrakech. Our day trip includes a walk along the walls and time in the souks.
• The Souss Valley. The argan forest south of Agadir is part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The Souss Valley day visits a women's argan cooperative and shares a family lunch.

From Agadir to the imperial cities

If the old cities matter more to you than the dunes, Agadir works as a starting point for them too. Via Marrakech and the Middle Atlas, our journeys reach Fes in four days, Chefchaouen in five, and all four imperial cities, Marrakech, Meknes, Fes and Rabat, in six days.

Which to choose

For a first night in the desert with little time, Erg Chegaga in two days. For the gentlest drive, Zagora. For the most to see on the way, the arc to Erg Chebbi over four days. Tell us where you are staying and when, and we will collect you from your hotel in Agadir.