El Mesouiria

Draa Valley


Located just 8km northwest of M'Hamid, El Mesouiria is an option for an easy overnight camel trek. Dunes range between 60m and 80m in height and are characterised by their white sand and a smattering of tamarisk trees.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Draa Valley attractions

1. Erg Lehoudi

5.59 MILES

The 100m-high Erg Lihoudi, located 8km northeast of M'Hamid, are some of the most easily accessible dunes in the area. Characterised by their white river…

2. Ethnographic Museum

8.7 MILES

Inside the Ksar Ouled Driss, 5km before M'Hamid, you'll find this rare example of a 17th-century ksar (fortified village) that still has around 150…

3. Erg Esmar

18.46 MILES

This collection of small dunes, rising to just 80m, are well off the main radar with no permanent camps. With its mixture of red and white dunes, it's…

4. Erg Ezahar

23.26 MILES

This tall 'screaming' dune set amid a sea of smaller dunes wails eerily when the wind kicks up. Located 65km southwest of M'Hamid, it takes three days to…

5. Maison de Poterie

25.48 MILES

Abderrahman Bassou will walk you through the rustic pottery-making process, including sitting in a hole in the ground to work the wheel. Oxidised copper…

6. Zawiya Nassiriyya

25.64 MILES

Non-Muslims cannot visit the green-roofed mausoleum but the remarkable library inside the adjacent Quranic school is open to all – providing the keyholder…

7. Tinfou Dunes

25.98 MILES

The great sand seas of M'Hamid and Merzouga can make the Tinfou Dunes, around 7km south of Tamegroute, seem like a child's sandbox – especially on busy…

8. Erg Chigaga

27.86 MILES

The area's star attraction is the misnamed Erg Chigaga, not a single dune (erg) but an incredible stretch of golden sand sea some 56km southwest of M…