Zagora
Mustapha's home valley, and the old caravan road that once led all the way to Timbuktu.
Zagora is where I grew up, and I still think the Draa Valley is the most beautiful road into the Sahara — hundreds of kilometres of palm oasis threaded along a river that, in a good year, still reaches the sand. The old sign at the edge of town used to read "52 jours" to Timbuktu by camel; the caravans don't run anymore, but the road they followed still does.
It's a quieter, less-visited desert gateway than Merzouga, with smaller dunes nearby at Tinfou but a genuinely different feel — this is a valley of villages and kasbahs first, dunes second. If you want the Sahara without the crowds, this is where I send you.
Ride the dunes at dusk
A camel caravan over golden sand as the sun drops behind the erg.
The Draa Valley road
Hundreds of kilometres of palm oasis and kasbah villages, best driven slowly over a full day.
Tamegroute & its library
A centuries-old Quranic library of illuminated manuscripts, still working, in a small desert town.
Tinfou dunes
Smaller than Erg Chebbi but closer to Zagora, good for an easy sunset walk without the crowds.
Warm days and cold clear nights, the same desert season as Merzouga.
Hot afternoons — plan around dawn and dusk.
Consistently over 40°C — better months for the mountains or coast.
Zagora as the quieter desert road
The Draa Valley offers an alternative desert route to Merzouga's — heading south from Ouarzazate rather than east, and best combined with time in Ouarzazate itself or looped back through the mountains.
Mustapha's home valley — he knows this road well.
Envie d'explorer Zagora ?
Donnez vos dates à Mustapha et il fera de Zagora une étape d'un voyage qui ne ressemblera qu'à vous.