Last reviewed: October 2026.
Morocco’s two best-known Sahara dune seas are Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga, and Erg Chigaga, near M’Hamid El Ghizlane. Both are beautiful, but they feel very different. A note on fairness: our camp is in Erg Chigaga, so we are not a neutral voice. The facts in the table come from public sources, and our view follows.
At a glance
| Erg Chigaga | Erg Chebbi | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Draa region, about 56 km south-west of M’Hamid El Ghizlane | Near Merzouga in the east; Erfoud is about 60 km to the north |
| Size | The largest of Morocco’s major ergs | About 28 km north to south and 5–7 km wide |
| Highest dunes | Ask us about the dunes around our camp | Up to about 150 m |
| Getting there | Final stretch by 4WD from M’Hamid | Merzouga is the main tourist base on the western edge of the dunes |
| Visitors | Less often visited by tourists than Merzouga | The better-known and busier of the two |
Sources: Erg Chigaga, Erg Chebbi and M’Hamid El Ghizlane.
Choose Erg Chigaga if…
- you want a remote, quiet desert with fewer visitors;
- you enjoy the journey itself, including a 4WD ride across sand, dried riverbeds and rocky plateaus;
- a dark night sky and silence matter more to you than being close to shops and cafés.
Choose Erg Chebbi if…
- you prefer a base with more services close by, such as the town of Merzouga;
- you want the best-known dunes in Morocco and do not mind sharing them.
Our view
If you want solitude, Erg Chigaga rewards the extra distance. The journey is part of the experience: about 60 km of off-road driving from M’Hamid, with no mobile signal once you arrive. Read the practical details in how to get to Erg Chigaga, check the best time to visit and see what a stay costs on our prices page.
Compare the Erg Chigaga camps, or contact us with your dates and questions.