We were yet again on a road trip through Morocco, this time our journey would take us all the way to Mauritania, but before, we wanted to explore the northern parts a bit more. Moulay Idriss made its way onto our map, because we wanted to see for ourselves, what made this city so holy.

We arrived in Tangier with the ferry from Geneva and had already passed beautiful Chefchaouen. Moulay Idriss would be our next destination before continuing to Fez. We heard that it was considered an alternative to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca by many Moroccans. It was here that Moulay Idriss I, the great-great-great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, arrived in 789, bringing with him the religion of Islam, and starting a new dynasty. In addition to founding the town named after him, he also initiated construction of Fez, continued later by his son, Moulay Idriss II.

Given its picturesque setting, colourful streets, historic core and Moroccan importance, it’s a mystery why not more tourists visit. It’s lack of popularity is a good thing though, because you can often have the place all to yourself. And it’s safe to say that the city will surprise you with it’s beauty and calm atmosphere.

The colourful streets of Moulay Idriss seem like another Chefchaouen, but instead of blue, cyan is the main colour in use here.

For some (Western) visitors, Moulay Idriss may still be too “dirty” or “undeveloped”, yet it is exactly that, that makes it authentic and gives it its charm.

Moulay Idriss was off limit to non-Muslims after 3pm until 2005. This was because of the town’s holiness: it’s a pilgrimage site, the burial place of Moulay Idriss I. In 2005, Muhammed VI, the current king of Morocco, issued a decree to open the town to non-Muslim visitors as part of his plan of Western-oriented reform.

The sheer endless streets of Moulay Idriss reminded us of colourful Chefchaouen, but also a little bit of the Medina of Marrakech.

Donkeys can be seen everywhere in Moulay Idriss. They’re used to transport everything from people, shopping, luggage, beds, fridges, tables due to the hilly nature of the town.

In the medina quarter of Moulay Idriss you will find many colourful streets that are the perfect photo spot.

Due to Mouy Idriss’ location high above, the views are absolutely spectacular.

One reason the Romans chose Moulay Idriss was for its potential for making olive oil, which is today the town’s primary product.

Moulay Idriss is reachable by just a pair of roads and spreads across two foothills of Mount Zerhoun, at the base of the Atlas Mountains.

The Mosque and Mausoleum in Moulay Idriss.

The archaeological Site of Volubilis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Volubilis is a partly excavated Roman city, commonly considered as the ancient capital of the Roman-Berber kingdom of Mauretania.

While the streets in the Medinas of Marrakech, Chefchaouen or Fes are invigorating, they can also be exhausting. Moulay Idriss is the perfect spot to get away from the bustling city life, while still being in a city.

The Legend Of The Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes.

Morocco might not the the first destination that comes to mind when thinking about skyscraper high sand dunes, but think again! With Zagora and Merzouga you’ll find two great gateways for a true Sahara desert experience. Our road trip would lead us to Merzouga, a small village only approximately 20km from the Algerian border and on the edge of Erg Chebbi.

A Moroccan legend says that the Erg Chebbi sand dunes were sent by God as a punishment because a wealthy family refused to accommodate a poor woman with her son. Moroccans believe that the dunes piled up outside Merzouga and buried them underneath to teach them a lesson so that they would never refuse to help a tired traveller ever again.

The sand dunes here fulfill Morocco’s promise as a dream desert destination. But unlike in the old days when my parents travelled through Africa, Merzouga is now easily accessible due to the paved road. This has it’s prince: during high season convoys of 4WD’s race across the area and you won’t be able to get photos without people in them (like the ones below).

In winter, temperatures are only slightly above 10 degrees during the day, which keeps many tourists away. For us, it was perfect, because we had the dunes to ourselves. Driving into Merzouga, we immediately recognised the only open Quad shop: Sahara ATV Quad Adventure.

Off We Go: Sand Dunes, Here We Come!

We booked a two-hour ride and only a couple of minutes later, we were on our way. Mohammed was our guide and I’m sure that at first he though something like “here we go again with two chicks who probably don’t know how to drive…”. Well, he realised pretty quickly, that we were not your ordinary girls. Faster, higher is what we wanted. Mohammed took us to the very top of the sand dunes and we had the most spectacular view of the area! With only the sound of the wind, not a single person in site and the taste of sand in your mouth made the experience absolutely unforgettable!

The dunes of Erg Chebbi reach a height of up to 150 meters in places and altogether it spans an area of 50 kilometers from north to south and up to 5–10 kilometers from east to west.

The highest dunes are those near, or just south of, Merzouga itself, peaking with the aptly named Grand Dune de Merzouga, a golden mountain recognisable.

Erg Chebbi is one of Morocco’s two Saharan ergs near the small village of Merzouga. And erg is a large sea of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. The other is Erg Chigaga near M’hamid (south of Zagora).

On top of the highest sand dune of the Erg Chebbi. What a view?!

A berber walks along the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi.

When trying your luck with the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, be sure to know what you’re doing, or you’ll end up digging…

The view from up the top of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes was absolutely sunning. On one side, you see the Algerian border, on the other side the village of Merzouga and Hassilabied.

The Erg Chebbi sand dunes are spectacular at any time of day, but late afternoon was really the best time to view them.