After a night on the eastern edge of the High Atlas Mountains, we continued along the range toward the Sahara—a beginning, wild and full of anticipation, our excitement barely containable at the thought of the first massive dunes, rising 200–300 meters tall—a contrast between mountains and desert. The five-hour drive led us through a beautiful, dry landscape dotted with picturesque palm oases, rugged and inviting.

Detour and Sunset Arrival

A short detour into the spectacular Dades Gorge broke up the journey—a spectacle of rock and depth. We reached Merzouga by sunset, the gateway to our overnight stay in the towering Erg Chebbi dunes. At the Desert Berber Fire Camp, we had the tents all to ourselves that night—after a 1.5-hour camel ride over 6 kilometers and a delicious dinner, we climbed the highest dune to take night shots of the awe-inspiring, dark starry sky—a moment of wonder beneath a sea of stars rarely visible back home.

001 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
002 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
003 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
004 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
005 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
006 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
007 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
008 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
009 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
010 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
011 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
012 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
013 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
014 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
015 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
016 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
017 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
018 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
019 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
020 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
021 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
022 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
023 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
024 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
025 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
026 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
027 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
028 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
029 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
030 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
031 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
032 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
033 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
034 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
035 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
036 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
037 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
038 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
039 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
040 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
041 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
042 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
043 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
044 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
045 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
046 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
047 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
048 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
049 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
050 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
051 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
052 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara