Road between Zagora and Mgouna

Hi there, Can you tell me if the road between Zagora and M'Gouna is easy or difficult for a 4x4? How much time and how many kilometers should I plan for? I’m traveling in May. Thanks!

Hi, Your question about a single trail doesn’t give much to go on...

You’ll need to give a few more details if you’d like some help! 😊

Hi there, I was told you can take a track from Zagora to head up to M'Gouga without going through Ouarzazate.

My dear Francette, it seems I'm more motivated than you to find what we're talking about... 😄

Okay, I'll try to formulate the question myself...

Is there a trail starting from Zagora that goes to M'gouna? The answer is no, it's a summit, you have to go on foot...

Is there a trail from Zagora to M'gouna (Kelaa M'Gouna)? Not 100%. The tarmac has taken over the trail almost everywhere... But there's still the Saghro trail to do... A beautiful trail, the tagine trail... To take after Nkob in the direction of Agdez... The trail crosses the Aglouzi plateau and at the village of Tagmout, you head toward M'Gouna...

Where is the M'gouna valley?

Same as option 2, but after Kelaa, take the tarmac of the Valley of Roses to the M'gouna valley via the Tizi Ait Hamed pass... See a variant that would start from Tagmout, where there's also a trail going toward Skoura. From there, you can connect via a trail to Amejgag and finish on the tarmac of Ait Hamed...

Will that work with this?

You think that’ll work?

Uh... with who?

Hello, so there are indeed some leads. Thanks a lot

You seem to know it well, and I'm interested! We're planning to take the off-road route from Merzouga to Zagora via Tafraoute to spend the night there—what do you think of the track and how difficult is it? After Zagora, we'll loop through Erg Chegaga to sleep, then Foum Dzuig, and return to Zagora. We have a 4x4.

This trail has almost no difficulties except for a slight section... Basically, from Merzouga, it's paved for a little while... "things" move fast in this area, and as I write this, I don't know how far the paving has gone. But it shouldn't be far from the first village, which is Ouzina... After that, the trail is prepped for paving, so it's easy but really annoying... A magnificent power line also shows you the way... You'll reach another village: Remlia... There's a little restaurant to grab a cold drink if needed...

After Remlia, if you want to head to Tafraout... there's a 1 or 2 km section depending on the trail you take that will be the only difficulty... It's the dry riverbed with lots of different paths... Try to find a landmark to get closer to the mountain on your right (to the north) to follow it. In a 4x4, I don't see how you could go wrong, but be careful... For info, I took this route in an unprepared 205 for a raid, so in a 4x4... There's mostly a chance to do some sightseeing by exploring the riverbed if you take the wrong paths, but in a 4x4, I'll say it again... "it'll" work out.

After following the mountain, there's a hostel that had its heyday in the past... Auberge de la passe de M'harech... You'll see a first hostel on a slight promontory, with "riad" written in white on the stone... Keep going further... it's nice and pretty around there... Brahim is a good guy, plus there's a small pool...

After that, you'll backtrack... You'll have to cross the riverbed, nothing too complicated... It's dusty though... Try to visualize ahead; you'll spot a kind of marabout and a big lone tree... The trail is over there, you'll find it easily... Then... straight on to Tafraout...

It's a piece of cake, you won't have any issues...

For the trail from M'hamid to Foum Zguid via Chegaga... In a 4x4, it's not complicated... The last time I took this trail was last May at 45°C... in a 205, but prepared this time. If a fool in a 205 can make it, you'll make it in a 4x4... The only slightly annoying part is the hamada, not many landmarks... I don't know what you use for navigation, but this trail is easy to follow if you have Osmand... The great guru Gandinoche also made a GPS available for his fans that shows this trail and even where to take a piss...

Really nothing nasty in a 4x4, classic trails where you'll hardly find yourself alone...

Uh ... with who?

Francette said "I'm interested"...

Thanks so much, you're the best! Have a great evening

This trail has almost no difficulty except for a slight section... Basically, from Merzouga, it's tarmac for a little while... "it" moves fast in this area, and as I write this, I don't know how far it's gone. But it shouldn't be far from the first village, which is Ouzina... After that, the trail is prepared for tarmac, so it's easy but really annoying... A magnificent power line also shows you the way... You'll arrive at another village: Remlia... There's a little restaurant to grab a cold drink if needed...

After Remlia, if you want to go to Tafraout... there's a 1 or 2 km section depending on the trail you take that will be the only difficulty... It's the dry riverbed with lots of different paths... Try to find a landmark to get closer to the mountain on your right (to the north) to follow it... In a 4x4, I don't see how you could go wrong, but be careful... For info, I went through there in a stock 205 (not a rally-prepped one), so in a 4x4... "it" will be fine.

Once you're alongside the mountain, there's a hostel that had its heyday in the past... Auberge de la passe de M'harech... You'll see a first hostel on a slight promontory, with "riad" written in white on the stone... Keep going further... it's nice and pretty there... Brahim is a good guy, plus there's a small pool...

After that, you'll retrace your steps... You'll have to cross the riverbed, nothing too complicated... It's dusty, though... Try to visualize ahead; you'll spot a sort of marabout and a big lone tree... The trail is over there, you'll find it easily... Then... straight on to Tafraout...

It's a piece of cake, you won't have any issues...

For the trail from M'hamid to Foum Zguid via Chegaga... In a 4x4, it's not too complicated... The last time I did this trail was last May at 45°C... in a 205, but prepped this time... If a fool in a 205 can make it, in a 4x4, you'll be fine... The only slightly annoying part is the hamada, not many landmarks... I don't know what you use for navigation, but this trail is easy to follow if you have Osmand... The great guru Gandinoche also made a GPS available for his fans that shows this trail and even where to take a piss...

Really nothing nasty in a 4x4, classic trails where you'll hardly ever find yourself alone...

Thanks so much, it really feels like I'm there! Well, I'm heading to this region for the very first time in three weeks... with a basic rental car, like a Dacia Sandero. Originally, our route was planned from Merzouga to Zagora via the northern road... but I must admit your description of the trail above really interests me... Do you think it's possible to take it in a "normal" car, not prepped, not a 4x4? And how much time should I plan to reach Zagora?

Hi there! A "normal" car... no way. 😉 Big Cat has a normal car... but he’s not normal himself, so it works...

From Merzouga to Zagora via dirt track, you’ll encounter three potential problem areas if it’s rained: Crossing the Gheris after Ramlia—even with a 4x4, you might have to forget it sometimes Crossing the Lake Maider just after crossing the Gheris—normally dry, otherwise muddy The exit from Tafraoute via Lake Aguelmame Sidi Ali—normally dry, otherwise... Alternative to Ramlia: Merzouga - Outtara - direction Tagueroumt (paved road), at point 31.1549169, -4.4698065 take a left onto a track that leads to the M’harech pass, avoiding the Gheris. Alternative to Lake Maider: about 2 km before the hostel, a track on the left leads back to the P7110 If Lake Aguelmame Sidi Ali isn’t "drivable": go around to the south—there’ll be tracks that bring you back to the Tafraout-Oumjrane track OR take the paved P7110 then the N12, etc. Time-wise: never done it either—either we’d made a stop or we weren’t going to Zagora. Rough guess: a full day of driving, 8+ hours depending on difficulties and stops

Personally, an alternative route: From Zagora, take the RN 12 via Taghbalte, N'Kob, heading toward the beautiful "Tizi n'Tazazert" pass, Boumalne Dades, and El Kelaa des Mgouna.

Hello A "normal" car... no. 😉 Big Cat has a normal car... but he’s not, so it works... 😏😏😏

Well, well, you... 😏

Anyway, I’m glad you say I have a normal car because that’s not the word my wife uses to describe it... I’m more used to hearing "junk heap," "pile of rust," "wreck," and most often "mobile dumpster"...

Hey Seb,

Hmm, I think it’s pretty ambitious with a Dacia and no experience to tackle the oued crossing before Remilia... Marabu’s right—if it’s rained, it’ll be tough. But more than that, it’s a total maze of tracks going every which way. Info about the tracks can be outdated after just a few months, and a route that was doable in a sedan in February might not be even a month later (sometimes even a day later). The weather’s way better at reshaping terrain than excavators... I haven’t been to the area since this spring, so take my info with a grain of salt...

By the way, does anyone know where the tarmac will cross the oued?