Sunset, camel rides and tea in Erg Chebi
Located in Southeastern Morroco and stretched over the nearby Algerian border, Erg Chebbi is a large sea of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. Erg Chebbi dunes cover an area 30 km long and around 8-10 km wide. Even though this is not the true Sahara desert, but only an expanse of it, this sandy strip can be assimilated with a little ecosystem and has all the peculiarities of the genuine Sahara desert. Decades ago, tribal nomads settled here, living a traditional desert existence that has now had to adapt to changing circumstance. Now they are dealing with the hotels and restaurants on the side of the road in Merzouga, a key stop on the Moroccan tourist trail on the edge of a sea of sand dunes. It’s very popular with tourists looking for camel treks, 4×4 excursions and overnight stays in Berber tents. However, the globalization and expansion of mass tourism has created a kind of “desert-front” (akin to a holiday resort’s sea-front) that threatens to degrade the resources of this place.
Sunset, camel rides and tea in Erg Chebi
Located in Southeastern Morroco and stretched over the nearby Algerian border, Erg Chebbi is a large sea of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. Erg Chebbi dunes cover an area 30 km long and around 8-10 km wide. Even though this is not the true Sahara desert, but only an expanse of it, this sandy strip can be assimilated with a little ecosystem and has all the peculiarities of the genuine Sahara desert. Decades ago, tribal nomads settled here, living a traditional desert existence that has now had to adapt to changing circumstance. Now they are dealing with the hotels and restaurants on the side of the road in Merzouga, a key stop on the Moroccan tourist trail on the edge of a sea of sand dunes. It’s very popular with tourists looking for camel treks, 4×4 excursions and overnight stays in Berber tents. However, the globalization and expansion of mass tourism has created a kind of “desert-front” (akin to a holiday resort’s sea-front) that threatens to degrade the resources of this place.
