Private transfer from Merzouga to ImsouaneLuxury Travel

Plan on about 8h30 for the 695 km between Merzouga and Imsouane, following the N13 via Rissani, the N10 / R702, the N10 'Road of a Thousand Kasbahs', the N10 via Taliouine, the N10 through the Souss, the N1 coast road and finally the N1 cliff road. Merzouga is the village at the foot of Erg Chebbi, the tallest sand dunes in Morocco, where the Sahara experience most people picture actually happens.

Who makes the Merzouga to Imsouane trip

Why this trip? People leave Merzouga the morning after the camp, often facing a long drive, so departures are usually early. As for Imsouane, longboarders and surf learners come for the endless bay wave, and everyone else for the harbour fish and the sense of being at the end of the road. It is not an everyday transfer — 695 km is most of the width of Morocco — but it is a real one. It is booked by travellers who finish a desert tour and want to end their trip in Imsouane without doubling back through Marrakech, and by those going the other way who would rather spend one long day in a comfortable car than three on a shared tour bus.

The road from Merzouga to Imsouane

From Merzouga the road runs north past Rissani's market to Erfoud. West of Erfoud the road crosses the pre-Saharan plain, past the khettara irrigation wells and Tinejdad's oasis, to Tinghir. West of Tinghir the N10 passes Boumalne at the mouth of the Dades gorge, the rose town of Kelaat M'Gouna and the Skoura palmery into Ouarzazate. West of Ouarzazate the N10 crosses the high Siroua plateau through Tazenakht, known for its carpets, and Taliouine, Morocco's saffron capital, before descending into the Souss valley at Taroudant. West of Taroudant the N10 runs through the flat Souss valley, lined with orange and banana orchards, to Agadir. North of Agadir the N1 runs along the ocean through Anza and Aourir — the 'Banana Village' roadside stalls — before the first surf villages appear. Beyond Taghazout the N1 climbs above the cliffs past the Cap Ghir lighthouse and the banana plantations of Tamri, with the Atlantic below on the left. Good places to break the drive: the rose valley at Kelaat M'Gouna, the Skoura palmery and a saffron cooperative in Taliouine.

Arriving in Imsouane

Imsouane is a remote fishing village on a headland roughly halfway between Agadir and Essaouira, famous for one of the longest right-hand waves in Africa, rolling into its bay. The village has one access road off the N1; the final kilometres wind down a hillside to the harbour, where most guesthouses meet cars.

Should you split the journey?

At 8h30 this is a full day in the car. We run it in one day for anyone who wants that — with breaks every two hours or so — but many travellers prefer to split it. The natural halfway point is Ouarzazate: Ouarzazate is the classic overnight on the way to or from the desert. Book two one-way legs and the driver meets you again the next morning.

Before you go

The bay wave works best on bigger winter swells; summer is calmer and good for complete beginners. From Imsouane, Tamri's banana plantations and Cap Ghir are on the way south, the argan hills on the way north. The return leg, Imsouane to Merzouga, has its own page and the same per-vehicle pricing.