Merzouga is a Saharan settlement in southeastern Morocco's Drâa-Tafilalet region, sitting at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes near the Algerian border. It is Morocco's primary gateway to large-scale sand dunes, distinguished from rival desert outposts like Erg Chigaga by one advantage: the paved N13 highway runs directly to the dune edge, so standard vehicles reach kasbah hotels and camp staging points without the multi-hour off-road transits other desert regions demand. Getting there still takes commitment. The nearest airport, Errachidia, is a domestic hub reached via Casablanca; travelers routing through Marrakech or Fes face seven-to-ten-hour drives, typically broken with an overnight stop along the Dades or Todra gorges or the Ziz Valley.

Once there, the appeal is dune-fringe camel treks at dawn and dusk, private tented bivouacs in dark-sky dune valleys, and 4x4 or quad excursions to fossil beds and old kohl mines. Khamlia, a Gnawa music village, sits seven kilometers south; Hassilabied, four kilometers north, holds the area's boutique riads and palm oasis. The climate is severe: summer highs exceed 39°C, and several luxury tented camps close between late June and August, shifting guests to air-conditioned kasbah hotels. Spring months bring occasional sandstorms that disrupt transfers and flights. Peak season runs October to April.