Updated: 11 November 2026
Quiet dunes in the Foum Zguid desert
In southern Morocco, beyond Foum Zguid and the Iriki plain, lies a dune field few travellers have heard of: Erg Lmhazil. You will see it written Erg El Mhazil, Elmhazil or Lamhazil on maps and websites; the place never changes.
Beside Erg Chigaga (Chegaga), the south’s great dune sea, it is the little brother: smaller, less visited and hardly documented. People who come here want what the famous spots no longer give: an evening without noise, a campfire, a very dark sky and crests to walk with nobody else around.
It is also a place to set off on foot. Several of our treks pitch their first camp here, then continue by camel caravan towards Erg Elhaj Ahmed, Erg El Ghoule and the El Grisim oasis; the longest route finishes at Chigaga.
The route from Foum Zguid across Lake Iriki
No paved road reaches the dunes. You go by 4×4, with a driver from the area, on a track that crosses the salty, crazed flats of Lake Iriki in Iriqui National Park and ends at a camp set among the sands. On the way back the track climbs over dry plateaus.
Journey time depends on the route and the stops. These are the markers from our itineraries:
| Trip | Stated timings |
|---|---|
| Foum Zguid desert, 2 days / 1 night | Leave at noon, cross the former lakebed, pause at a marine fossil site, arrive among the dunes at about 4 pm |
| Iriki park trek | 2 pm start by 4×4, night camp in the dunes |
| Hike and nomad school | Leave early in the afternoon through Iriki park |
Arriving from Marrakech (over the Tizi n’Tichka) or Agadir? The transfer by way of Tazenakht and Foum Zguid is part of our treks. Every outing from the village is laid out on Foum Zguid desert: itineraries and prices.
A night in camp at Erg Lmhazil
Here is how the Erg El Mhazil adventure, two days and one night, offered from €130 per person, unfolds:
- First day: the 4×4 leaves Foum Zguid and runs across the salty expanse of Lake Iriki; you drop your bags at a camp in a hollow of the dunes. The sun goes down, a camel ride is available as an option, then comes a traditional meal and an evening by the fire.
- Second day: sunrise, breakfast, and the drive back over dry plateaus to Foum Zguid.
The alternative, two days in the Foum Zguid desert (from €120), includes a stop at a marine fossil site on the way out. Next morning, after dawn at about 6 am, you pass through the village of Zaouiat Sidi Abdenabi, call on a nomad family and eat lunch at Laajamiya oasis, reaching Foum Zguid again at about 5 pm.
To be clear, this is not a luxury camp: the bed is a tent, or open sky on some treks. Ask what the bedding covers before you book, and pack warm clothes in winter.
Lmhazil or Chigaga: which erg?
From Foum Zguid you can reach either one, but they do not make the same promise.
| What matters | Erg Chigaga | Erg Lmhazil |
|---|---|---|
| Mood | Wide open space, sunsets from the crests | Silence, a simple camp, a launchpad for treks |
| Scale | Morocco’s biggest erg, roughly 35 to 40 km by 15 | A distinctly smaller field |
| Dunes | Often 60 to 80 m, a few higher | Pleasant ground to cover on foot |
| Getting there | 4×4; 2.5 to 3 hours of track from Foum Zguid, or via M’Hamid | 4×4 from Foum Zguid across Lake Iriki |
| Crowds | Moderate, with more camps | Very few |
| Shortest option | from €100 for a day, from €140 with a night | from €120 with a night |
First time in the south and hungry for big dunes? Aim for Chigaga, the south’s great erg (track details in Erg Chigaga from Foum Zguid). If you would rather have a peaceful night, some walking or a beginner’s trek, Lmhazil fits better. Our seven-day trek from Agadir links the two.
Walking from Erg Lmhazil with camels
The ground invites walking, and several of our treks in the Moroccan desert start here. Camels carry the gear; you keep a small daypack.
- Nomad school, 3 days: you sleep first at Lmhazil, walk nearly four hours to Erg El Ghoule, and on the final day two hours lead to a nomad school, which you enter if conditions for visitors allow.
- Iriki park, 4 days: dunes, unhurried walking, a nomad oasis, then a night at Zaouiat Sidi Abdenabi in an earth-built guesthouse.
- Heart of the dunes, 5 days: the route links Lmhazil, Erg Elhaj Ahmed and Erg El Ghoule before the El Grisim oasis; on the menu are bread baked under the sand and the tea ritual.
- Agadir to Chigaga, 7 days: the whole journey, reaching Chigaga through the tamarisk dunes.
The stages described run from two to four hours of walking, a pace that suits anyone in decent shape. Ask for each day’s detail before deciding.
Erg Lmhazil stays: length and price
| Price | Stay | Length | Departs from |
|---|---|---|---|
| from €120 | Two days among marine fossils, Lmhazil dunes and an oasis | 2 days / 1 night | Foum Zguid |
| from €130 | Camp at Lmhazil, the one-night adventure | 2 days / 1 night | Foum Zguid |
| from €250 | Walking and a visit to a nomad school | 3 days / 2 nights | Foum Zguid |
| from €300 | Four days on foot in Iriki park | 4 days / 3 nights | Foum Zguid |
| from €640 | Five days across the heart of the dunes | 5 days / 4 nights | Agadir or Marrakech |
| from €740 | The grand Agadir to Chigaga crossing | 7 days / 6 nights | Agadir |
Every departure is private. Prices are per person and confirmed before booking, by WhatsApp on +212 649 598 615 or from the contact page.
Best season and what to pack
Aim for roughly October to April. In summer the mercury often climbs past 40 °C at midday and walking becomes an ordeal; in winter the nights can approach freezing. Spring sometimes brings sand-laden winds. After exceptional rain, Lake Iriki may keep a little water and the track can change.
- Shesh scarf, sunglasses, sun cream, hat.
- A warm top such as a fleece or thin down jacket for after dark, plus a woolly hat in winter.
- Supple, light walking shoes for treks.
- Head torch, water bottle, your usual medication.
- A small bag to carry your rubbish out.
Caution and respect for the place
Smaller than Chigaga it may be, yet Lmhazil is still remote desert. Never drive there alone: it is easy to get stuck and the tracks merge on the Iriki plain. Go with a local driver-guide, keep spare water and do not rely on a phone signal.
With nomad families and at the school, follow your hosts’ rhythm: ask before taking a photo and let your guide lead the meeting.
Travellers’ questions
Erg Lmhazil, El Mhazil or Elmhazil: which spelling?
They are all fine: each is a transliteration of the same dune massif near Foum Zguid. Depending on the itinerary or website you may also meet Lamhazil. Local operators use Erg El Mhazil most, while Erg Lmhazil is the form people often type into search engines. Whichever you choose, you will end up at the same dunes.
Where are the Erg Lmhazil dunes?
They sit in the Foum Zguid desert of southern Morocco. The approach is a 4×4 journey out of Foum Zguid, passing through Iriki park and the wide lake plain. Since no tarmac road leads there, the journey is made with a driver who knows the state of the tracks.
Should I pick Lmhazil or Chigaga?
For sweeping panoramas, Chigaga: the country’s largest erg, with dunes often 60 to 80 m high. For tranquillity, Lmhazil, smaller and ideal as an off-the-grid night or the start of a trek. Either way you set out from Foum Zguid and cross Lake Iriki.
How much is a night at Erg Lmhazil?
Two one-night options leave Foum Zguid: from €120 per person for the version that adds fossils, a village and an oasis, and from €130 for the camp devoted to Lmhazil. Three days of walking with a nomad school start from €250. We confirm every price before you book.
Is there a day trip to Lmhazil?
No: our Lmhazil programmes last at least two days with a night in camp, because evening and early morning are the finest times in the dunes. If you only have one day, look at a return trip to Chigaga from Foum Zguid (from €100), or at the Lake Iriki plain.
Do I need to be athletic to walk from Lmhazil?
No. Camels carry the luggage, and the stages we describe amount to roughly two to four hours of walking a day, sometimes called easy-going. Good general health is enough, yet sand tires the legs, so request the stage details first.
When should I go to Erg Lmhazil?
October to April, when temperatures let you walk comfortably. Winter nights can approach freezing, so bring layers; in spring, sandy winds are possible. Summer, often above 40 °C, suits only the short formats, and even then it is best to start early. Ask us which month suits your plans.
