Travel planning

The southern provinces cover a huge area, and distances between towns are long. A little planning goes a long way. This page covers the essentials; each city guide has local details.

Getting there

By air. Three airports have regular flights:

• Dakhla (VIL): several daily flights from Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc, plus direct international routes from France, Spain and the Canary Islands on airlines including Transavia, Binter and Ryanair.
• Laâyoune Hassan I (EUN): flights from Casablanca and links to the Canary Islands.
• Guelmim (GLN): flights to Casablanca.

International routes are often seasonal and change from year to year, so check current schedules with the airlines.

By road. The N1 runs down the Atlantic coast from Agadir through Guelmim, Tan-Tan, Tarfaya, Laâyoune and Boujdour to Dakhla. South of Tiznit it has been rebuilt as the 1,055 km Tiznit–Dakhla expressway, which makes the long drive much easier.

By coach. CTM and Supratours run long-distance coaches between Agadir, Marrakech and the main towns of the south, including overnight services to Laâyoune and Dakhla.

Getting around

• Car hire is available at the airports and in the main towns, and it gives the most freedom. The coast road is paved; desert tracks need a 4×4 and local knowledge.
• Grands taxis (shared long-distance taxis) link nearby towns; petits taxis work within cities.
• Organised trips are the easiest way to reach the lagoon islands, dunes and remote beaches.

Fill up whenever you can on long stretches, and carry water.

When to go

The Atlantic coast is mild all year, cooled by ocean currents. Days are rarely very hot, but evenings and mornings can be cool, damp and windy.

• Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons everywhere.
• Summer is pleasant on the coast but very hot inland, around Smara and Assa.
• Winter is mild on the coast and cool at night in the desert.
• Kitesurfers should aim for spring to early autumn, when Dakhla’s winds are most reliable.

Where to stay

Laâyoune and Dakhla have the widest choice, from business hotels to guesthouses. Around the Dakhla lagoon, kite camps and eco-lodges offer bungalows on the water. Near Guelmim, family-run guesthouses in the Asrir and Tighmert oases are a memorable alternative to town hotels. In smaller towns such as Smara, Boujdour and Tarfaya, choice is limited, so book ahead or plan day trips.

Practical tips

• Documents: carry your passport at all times. There are police checkpoints on the main roads, and officers will ask for it and sometimes note your details. Allow time for this on long drives.
• Money: the Moroccan dirham (MAD) is the currency. ATMs are reliable in the main towns but scarce elsewhere, so carry cash for rural areas.
• Dress and customs: the south is conservative. Dress modestly away from the beach, and ask before photographing people.
• Photography: don’t photograph military sites, police, checkpoints or official buildings.
• Connectivity: mobile coverage is good in towns and along most of the main road, but patchy in the desert.
• Safety: check your government’s current travel advice before you go, and use local guides for desert trips.