Day trip
The Agafay desert
Under an hour from Marrakech, and it is not sand. It is a stone desert, and that is exactly what makes it possible in a day.
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0
What it actually is
Agafay is a desert of stone and clay, not dunes. The golden dune photographs you have seen come from Erg Chebbi, a day's drive east. Agafay starts about forty kilometres from Marrakech.
The landscape is lunar, grey and beige, folded into dry hills, with the line of the Atlas behind it. Late in the afternoon the light rakes across the relief and the whole thing turns orange.
When to go
Late afternoon, for the light and for the temperature. At midday in summer there is no shade and nothing to see.
Spring is the best window, while the hills still hold some green. In high summer Agafay is an oven, so go early or go late.
The mistake to avoid
Do not confuse Agafay with the Sahara. If you want the big dunes, that is a minimum of two nights and a long drive, not an afternoon out.
Agafay is an excellent half day. It is not a substitute for the desert, it is a different thing.
Common questions
Is Agafay a real desert?
Yes, but a stone desert rather than a sand one, sometimes called a hamada. The dunes are much further away, towards Merzouga.
How long do you need?
Half a day is enough from Marrakech including the drive both ways. Many visitors go late in the day and come back that evening.
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