Erg Esmar

Draa Valley


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 particularly photogenic at sunset.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Draa Valley attractions

1. Erg Chigaga

10.25 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…

2. Erg Ezahar

11.06 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…

3. El Mesouiria

18.46 MILES

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…

4. Erg Lehoudi

23.89 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…

5. Ethnographic Museum

24.55 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…

6. Iriqui National Park

27.4 MILES

Morocco’s largest national park – covering a land mass of 123,000 hectares – and uniquely Saharan, Iriqui was created in 1994 to protect the biodiversity…

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