M'Hamid el Ghizlane

M'Hamid is where the surfaced road stops. The Draa, which rises in the High Atlas and is Morocco's longest river, reaches here and then loses itself in the sand - only in exceptional years does any water continue west towards the Atlantic. The village is a strip of low buildings, palms, a Monday souk and the old ksar of M'Hamid Bali on the far bank, and it exists now largely as the staging point for the desert: camel treks and four-wheel-drive runs out to Erg Chigaga, Erg Lihoudi and the Iriqui plain start here, and every second building is an agency. The palmeraie is in poor condition from drought and sand encroachment, with dunes visibly moving into the gardens at the edge of the village. A desert music festival, Taragalte, is held here most years. The frontier is not far south and the routes out are checked.

History

The Arabic name means "plain of gazelles". Little is written about the early history of the place, but its wide palm groves make early settlement, around 3000 BC, likely; since the second half of the 20th century the spreading sand has threatened the village and its population has steadily fallen (Wikipedia, M'Hamid El Ghizlane).

What's there

• The end of the road - where the tarmac and the Draa both stop.
• A river that vanishes - the Draa lost in sand short of the Atlantic.
• The old ksar - M'Hamid Bali on the far bank of the riverbed.
• A desert staging post - camel and vehicle routes to Chigaga and Iriqui.

When to go

October to April. A day, or overnight before a desert trip.

Before you go

Agency touting in the village is persistent and quality varies enormously - book with a known operator. The palmeraie is visibly failing from drought and sand. Summer heat is extreme. Routes south are near the frontier and involve checks.

Nearby

Erg Lihoudi is north-east; Erg Chigaga is west by piste.

Key facts