Tinfou Dunes

Tinfou is a modest patch of dunes - a few hundred metres across and perhaps thirty metres at the highest - sitting on the flat south of Zagora with hammada all around it, and it exists in the itinerary because it is the closest actual sand to the road for anyone who has driven down the Draa and does not have time to go on to M'Hamid or across to Merzouga. It is not an erg and should not be sold as one; it is a dune field you can walk over in twenty minutes. What it does give you is the texture - the ripples, the sharp crest line, the heat coming off it - and a sunset with nothing in the way. A couple of auberges sit beside it offering camel rides and a night in a tent. If you have a day to spare, Erg Lihoudi or Erg Chigaga further south are far better; if you have two hours on a driving day, this is what there is.

What you actually see

• A small dune field - a few hundred metres across, walkable in twenty minutes.
• Hammada around it - flat stone desert on every side of the sand.
• Auberges alongside - camel rides and tent nights offered at the edge.
• An unobstructed sunset - nothing between the dunes and the horizon.

When to go

October to April, at either end of the day. Two hours.

Honest expectations

It is small and is often oversold as a desert experience. Camel and camp operators at the roadside are persistent. Litter around the auberges is a problem. Erg Lihoudi and Chigaga further south are considerably better if you have the time.

Nearby

Zagora is north; M'Hamid and Erg Lihoudi are further south.