It is the gateway to the Sahara and the most convenient stopping off point before travelling on to the sand dunes.

Zagora is on the route to the end of the road in M?Hamid (the south by south east edge of Morocco), it is south east from Marrakech (about 8 hours?drive), accessible also from Taroudant (about 8 hrs), both routes heading via Skoura/Ouarzazate (about 4 hrs).

The best dunes are near M'Hamid, a minimum of 80 minutes' drive away at Erg Lehoudi, near the hamlet of Oulad Driss. For those wishing to reduce their journey, the small Tinfou dunes about 20 kms to the south are an inferior alternative with just a small dune field. The Djebel Zagora (the mountain opposite the town) and the Draa valley palmery are worth exploring on foot or mountain bike.

En route from Ouarzazate (close to Ait Benhaddou) or Taroudant, Tamegroute is worth a visit. It is renowned for its distinctive green pottery and the Koranic library visited by scholars throughout the Islamic world housing, for example, rare 12th century hide manuscripts, it should be noted that the library is sometimes closed.

Occasional sandstorms can bring travel to a halt. In autumn, at the time of date harvest, flies can be a problem. Behave sensibly to avoid sunstroke ? the only well equiped hospital in the desert is in Ouarzazate.