Cycling the Sahara Desert • Bicycle trip in Morocco

Cycling the Sahara Desert - bicycle trip in Morocco
Cycling the Sahara Desert - bicycle trip in Morocco
Cycling the Sahara Desert – bicycle trip in Morocco

Traveling slowly, humbly and with the simple company of a bicycle can be very rewarding. A few years ago I decided on biking the Sahara Desert tracks from Erfoud all the way to Erg Chebbi Dunes.

Erfoud is a Moroccan desert city where I lived for 4 years. This city is the entrance point to reach Erg Chebbi Dunes also known as Merzouga Dunes. A small section of the itinerary is done on asphalt but quickly the road changes to rough desert tracks, sand, and rocks.

Erg Chebbi Dunes are located on the southeastern part of Morocco just aside from the Algerian border. From my house and back, the trip was roughly 100 km / 62 miles.

When biking Sahara Desert, the weather conditions can be very tough due to the dry air, strong direct Sun, harsh terrain and strong chilly winds.

Travel by Bicycle in Morocco
Travel by Bicycle in Morocco

This trip is not as easy as it seems, because it is very easy to dehydrate, get thirsty and tired. Exhaustion and fatigue strike fast. But the exoticism of travel is remarkable.

Traveling by mountain bike in the Sahara Desert, along with dunes and camels is a fantastic way to enjoy life while traveling independently in Morocco.

The reason for this page is to motivate you to discover the region where you live. Usually, we have so many nice places around our home, that we can just go and enjoy traveling with a bicycle – relaxing and enjoying life.

Around the same date in 2008, I made another trip deeper into the wilderness, but with a moped. It was my unbelievable Motorcycle Adventure In Sahara Desert.

NOTE: these pictures were taken with my old cell phone so don’t expect the best quality.

  • Mountain bike and camels in Sahara Desert
    Mountain bike and camels in Sahara Desert
  • Bicycle ride the Sahara Desert in Morocco
    Bicycle ride the Sahara Desert

Map and Itinerary

  • Map of Merzouga and Erfoud region - Itinerary of traveling by bicycle in Morocco
    Map of Merzouga and Erfoud region – Itinerary of traveling by bicycle in Morocco

Section 1 – Erfoud to Carrière de fossiles

End of the road from Erfoud to Carriere de fossils
End of the road from Erfoud to Carriere de fossils

Approximately 15 km of asphalt until reaching Erfoud’s “Carrière de Fossiles” – one of the most famous Morocco’s fossil beds. This segment of the road is very beautiful because it mixes red color rocky mountains and sand. Erfoud is famous for its many marine fossil quarries because they contain fossilized colonies of invertebrate mollusks of incredible diversity. More than 500 million years ago in the Paleozoic era, the sea covered much of the globe including Morocco and the region of Erfoud.

Section 2 – Carrière de fossiles to Derkaoua

Erfoud Fossil beds in Sahara Desert
Erfoud Fossil beds in Sahara Desert. Desert tracks with some deep sand. Some nomad children selling local handicrafts. Two water wells and a few camels.

Section 3 – Derkaoua to Erg Chebbi Dunes

Erg Chebbi dunes and the road coming from Erfoud
Erg Chebbi dunes and the road coming from Erfoud. Mix of rocks, desert tracks, volcanic cobalt landscape and camels.

Desert Biking in Morocco

Stop sign written in Arabic
Stop sign in Arabic. In the middle of nowhere, just when the asphalt ends, there’s a stop sign written in Arabic.
Biking Sahara Desert
While biking the Sahara Desert it is very important to keep up with water and energy loss. After the first section of my trip, I stopped to eat some fresh dates and drink some water.
Road from Erfoud to Derkaoua
Road from Erfoud to Merzane (Derkaoua).
Desert Tracks from Erfoud to Fossil beds
Desert Tracks from Erfoud to Fossil beds.
Mud house in Sahara Desert
Mud house in Sahara Desert. This is a small shop selling fossils like trilobites, ammonites, orthoceras and crinoids.
Travel by bicycle in Morocco
Travel by bicycle in Morocco is an amazing experience. Biking in Sahara Desert is a hard yet fulfilling experience. This part of the road has a lot of sand. Sometimes it is just better to walk along with the bicycle by your side.
Road just before reaching Derkaoua oasis
Road just before reaching Derkaoua oasis.
Sahara Desert water well
Sahara Desert water well. This well is maintained by desert shepherds as they use them to give their thirsty camels something to drink.
Sahara Desert vegetation
Sahara Desert vegetation.
Merzouga desert tracks
Merzouga desert tracks. In this picture you can notice some purple rocky mountains on the horizon. Those belong to Algeria and are the actual natural border with Morocco.
Speedometer and odometer of my bicycle
Part of my bike equipment consists of a nice and simple odometer/speedometer; this way I can entertain myself following how fast I go and how many KM I’ve accomplished.
Erg Chebbi Dunes and tracks
Erg Chebbi Dunes and tracks. The enormous quantity of orange sand starts to be noticed on the horizon.
Camels on the tracks to Merzouga Dunes
Camels on the tracks to Merzouga Dunes.
Biking Sahara Desert along with camels
Biking Sahara Desert along with camels.
Erg Chebbi Dunes and tracks
Erg Chebbi Dunes and tracks.
Erg Chebbi Dunes and tracks
Erg Chebbi Dunes and tracks
Road sign of hotel Auberge Cafe du Sud
Road sign of hotel Auberge Cafe du Sud
Dunes in front of hotel Auberge Cafe du Sud
Dunes in front of hotel Auberge Café du Sud. In terms of services, this hotel in Morocco offers you accommodation, swimming pool, camel trekking experiences, exclusive luxury bivouacs (Berber camps) in the dunes and a restaurant.

Read my page: Mind-blowing Sahara Desert Hotel

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