Merzouga is a small village in southeastern Morocco

Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

, about 35 kilometers
southeast of Rissani

Rissani

Rissani is a town in eastern Morocco, located near Erfoud. It is in the region of Er-Rachidia, and is the closest town of significant size to the Erg Chebbi, the largest sand desert in Morocco...

, about 45 kilometers from Erfoud

Erfoud

Erfoud is an oasis town in the Sahara Desert, in in the Meknès-Tafilalet of the Maghreb region in eastern Morocco. It is located at .Erfoud is divided into several districts: Hay Salam, Hay Jdid, Hay Ziz, Hay el Bathaa, Hay Annahda, Hay el Hamri....

, and about 50 kilometers from the Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

n border.

The village is known for it's proximity to Erg Chebbi

Erg Chebbi

Erg Chebbi is one of Morocco's two Saharan ergs – large dunes formed by wind-blown sand –. The other is Erg Chigaga near M'hamid....

, a Sahara

Sahara

The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...

n erg

Erg (landform)

An erg is a broad, flat area of desert covered with wind-swept sand with little or no vegetative cover. The term takes its name from the Arabic word ʿarq , meaning "dune field"...

, and it is for this reason a part of the itineraries of many tourists visiting Morocco. Merzouga has the largest natural underground body of water in Morocco

Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

.

In 2006 Merzouga experienced devastating flash flood

Flash flood

A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...

s, displacing 1,200 and resulting in some deaths.

Near the dunes of Erg Chebbi

Erg Chebbi

Erg Chebbi is one of Morocco's two Saharan ergs – large dunes formed by wind-blown sand –. The other is Erg Chigaga near M'hamid....

 there are some other less known villages: Hassilabied

Hassilabied

The village is located on the bottom of Erg Chebbi, a Saharan erg in south-east Morocco near the Algerian border.It most famous well known nearby village is Merzouga. Other villages around the dunes are: Tanamoust, Takoujt, Khamlia, Tisserdmine.....

 4 km away, Tanamoust

Tanamoust

The village is located on the bottom of Erg Chebbi, a Saharan erg in south-east Morocco near the Algerian border.It most famous well known nearby village is Merzouga. Other villages around the dunes are: Hassilabied, Tanamoust, Takoujt, Khamlia, Tisserdmine....

 3 km away, Takoujt

Takoujt

The village is located on the bottom of Erg Chebbi, a Saharan erg in south-east Morocco near the Algerian border.It most famous well known nearby village is Merzouga. Other villages around the dunes are: Hassilabied, Tanamoust, Takoujt, Khamlia, Tisserdmine....

 1.5 km away, Khamlia

Khamlia

The village is located on the bottom of Erg Chebbi, a Saharan erg in south-east Morocco near the Algerian border.It most famous well known nearby village is Merzouga. Other villages around the dunes are: Hassilabied, Tanamoust, Takoujt, Khamlia, Tisserdmine....

 7 km away and Tisserdmine

Tisserdmine

The village is located on the bottom of Erg Chebbi, a Saharan erg in south-east Morocco near the Algerian border.It most famous well known nearby village is Merzouga. Other villages around the dunes are: Hassilabied, Tanamoust, Takoujt, Khamlia, Tisserdmine....

 15 km away.

External links

• Merzouga at Wikitravel
  Wikitravel
  -External links:* *...