Things To Do in The Dra Valley

The Dunes -- The 40km-long (25-mile) Erg Chigaga dunes -- some climbing to 300m (985 ft.) high -- are about 55km (34 miles) south of M'hamid and can only be reached by 4WD or camel. Closer and smaller dunes can be found at Erg Lehoudi and Erg Messouira, 8km (5 miles) north and south of M'hamid, respectively. Erg Lehoudi, especially, gets its fair share of day-trippers from Ouarzazate and Zagora.

Jebel Zagora -- This small mountain rises up behind Amezrou to keep watch over the valley, and is worth climbing for the sweeping views of the Dra Valley to both the north and south. Seeing the valley from up high, the historical importance of controlling this route throughout the ages becomes obvious. At the moment, a ghastly half-built concrete shell of a hotel has been stubbornly left standing while the owner continues to look for ways to acquire the planning permission he was initially denied. A road from the north side of the Jebel leads up to this point. If you're driving, the road continues from there but is dangerously narrow.