Merzouga Lodge

A patio a stone's throw from the dunes

Set in the village of Merzouga, Merzouga Lodge is close enough to Erg Chebbi for the walk to the first dunes to be done on foot. Many travellers stop here at the end of a circuit from Marrakech, before or after a night in a desert camp.

The entrance is through a traditional patio, cool even in the middle of the day, where mint tea is usually offered on arrival. The terrace upstairs looks straight onto the line of the dunes: this is where most guests choose to spend the late afternoon, as the sand starts to change colour.

Rooms and air conditioning

The rooms at Merzouga Lodge rely on reverse-cycle air conditioning rather than on the thickness of the walls to handle the desert's temperature swings: useful in summer when days go well past 35°C, and in winter when nights turn decidedly cool.

The decor stays sober — Berber rugs, woodwork, a few copper lanterns — without trying to do too much. The private bathrooms are properly equipped, which matters after a day on the tracks or on camelback.

The restaurant on site

The restaurant inside the lodge serves fairly classic southern Moroccan cooking, with produce bought at the Rissani market. This is not the most original part of the stay, but it saves you having to look for somewhere to eat after a day on the road.

On the menu: slow-cooked tajines, Madfouna (the Berber stuffed bread), harira in the evening when the season allows, and a full breakfast in the morning with baghrir pancakes, msemmen and local honey.

What you can arrange from the lodge

The immediate proximity of Erg Chebbi lets you arrange most of the area's usual activities on site:

What travellers say

With a rating of ⭐ 5/5 from 16 Google reviews, Merzouga Lodge remains a small address but consistently well rated. The comments come back mostly to the welcome and the cleanliness of the rooms — a limited sample, but a consistent one.

GPS location & interactive Google Maps

Find Merzouga Lodge easily using the interactive Google Maps below.