Idehan Murzuq

The Idehan Murzuq is one of the two great sand seas of southwestern Libya, covering a very large area south of the town it is named for with dune ridges running for hundreds of kilometres and rising over a hundred metres, separated by corridors of gravel. Nothing lives in most of it. Crossing requires a properly equipped convoy, and the appeal is the scale and the emptiness rather than any particular thing to see.

What you'll find

• The dune ridges - lines running for hundreds of kilometres across the sand sea.
• The scale - a sand body covering a very large part of southwestern Libya.
• The gravel corridors - the flat ground between the dune systems.
• The emptiness - country with no settlement or vegetation across most of it.

When to go

November to February is the only sensible window. Summer heat is lethal. Sandstorms are common in spring.

Things to know

This is a full desert expedition requiring a convoy, fuel, water and guides; going alone would be reckless. Permits are required. Travel in Libya requires arrangements through a licensed operator.

Nearby

Murzuq is north, and Wadi Mathendous is northwest.

Key facts