We leave the suitcases in front of the entrance. They will be delivered to the rooms by camping employees. The staff welcomes us with tea and nut balls in the style of Ferero-Rocher. The manager immediately suggests Hammam and relax after traveling in the SPA. Those who do not want to use this option can relax in the interiors of luxury tents. Because the tent in the desert has King-size bed, air conditioning and bathroom with a shower. They can also lie in the pool and relax with the sounds of Latino music, looking at the next camps building.
Since there is a SPA, there must probably be a gym – some would think. And nothing would be wrong. The desert is not an excuse to leave the training. Nor to be offline. Tourists can keep photos from camel rides, sessions against the background of the east and west of the Słońiec, boasts of drinks sipped over the pool or report evening artistic performances.
How many deserts in the Agafay desert?
Have you forgotten after this description that I am talking about the desert? Me too. After five minutes, the promise of peace, quiet and rest in the wilderness went into oblivion. Instead, I found myself in another luxurious place for wealthy visitors from Europe – by the way, there was also an ATM. Although the standard of the place made a huge impression on me and a lot of work was put into providing comfort to tourists, I felt disappointment.
Agafay is basically a semi -argue area, away from Marasez 30 minutes. Instead of extensive dunes, we have a surreal landscape consisting of stones and rock formations. Some say it looks like the surface of Mars. The exceptional geology of the desert results from its history as a prehistoric lake, which dried up thousands of years ago. Erosion and time shaped the landscape into a fascinating number of ridges, canyons and plateaus. Once these areas played an important role in ancient trade routes connecting Marrakech with neighboring regions. Today there are Berber villages and camping for tourists. And especially the latter.
Tourists are still not enough. They exchange subsequent expectations
When I try to find more information about the Agafay desert, I am flooded with the slogans of travel agencies. “Hide in the desert and spend the night under the starry sky Agafay”, “Experience a magical evening in the desert”, “calm down in the Berberian village” And so on, and so on. Are these slogans still current? Maybe there are really campsites that fulfill these promises. The place where I stopped had a different character and you can see that it was created in response to the expectations of tourists.
I knew the standard would be high. However, I did not expect so many amenities. And they turn out to be insufficient for some. Visitors still want more and turn the desert into an amusement park. Just look at Google’s opinions to understand why the campsites in the desert resemble 5-star hotels.
“Bathroom with a very poor shower”, “there is a lack of hot water in the shower” – I read. According to African Development Bank Group, Morocco has just entered the sixth year in a row of drought, and the water reservoirs in the country are filled on average to a quarter of their capacity. Indeed, we have the right to complain about poor water pressure in the desert. It’s good that at least there is a swimming pool.
“We had to pay for a private room in which we could dance and play to the hour that suited us, because customers at midnight complained about noise” – further tourists complain. This time, Latino music resounded at the pool during the day – according to the wishes of the group from Spainand in the evening there were pyrotechnic shows with techno music, abdominal dance shows and performances of local music groups.
Observing the area after dusk, it could be seen that in this part it is hard to find a scrap of the desert that would not be illuminated by the lights of the next camping. Up to 23 on each side there were also sounds of music, which made you feel like Ibiza. Because that’s what accommodation in the desert is booked.
“There is no air conditioning in the rooms”, “Wi -Fi does not work”, “you can’t pay by card” – another visitors from Spain, Germany or France calculate. Stars in opinions fall, and Morocco stands on the eyelashes to meet the expectations of foreign guests. In February 2025, all “errors” were repaired. As I mentioned at the beginning: there was also hot water, Wi-Fi, ATM and air conditioning. But do we really need it in the desert?
The real experience of the desert in Morocco
I understand that we are easy to get used to comfort and many people need to be in constant communication with the world. We want holidays to provide us with further entertainment and stimuli. Agafay at the moment meets these expectations. On the other hand, it would be worth considering whether the value of the desert would not be to preserve her authenticity? Because all-inclusive hotels with loud music, animators and all amenities are already galore. However, places where you can calm down and appreciate the beauty of the nature surrounding us is less and less in the world.
Three years ago I had the opportunity to spend the night in the camping in Merzouda. It was an experience that has remained with me to this day. Amazing silence, starry sky, evenings by the fire and cool mornings. No coverage and communication with the rest of the world. Despite the fact that the tents also had a high standard, they remained tents, and I felt that I was in the desert. If I had to choose today, I would come back there. Agafay did not give me such a feeling.
Considering the fact that more places for tourists are still being built there, I wonder how the desert will look in a few years. Meanwhile, every new day brings new groups and new expectations.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
