From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara


merzouga 0050

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.

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031 sahara desert sunset stars morocco - From the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara
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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
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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
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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
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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