National Highway N13 near Zebzat

We overnighted in a tent beside towering wind-blown sand dunes of Erg Chebbi in Great Sahara desert (long story at The Great Sahara of Morocco: Canyons of Todra Gorge, Farm on Tinghir Oasis, Amazigh Carpets and Riding Camels Over Merzouga High Erg Chebbi Dunes to Desert Camp Deep in Ocean of Orange Sand). In this photo story we start the day early at sunrise to ride camels back to Merzouga. We then drive to Fes crossing High Atlas and Middle Atlas mountain ranges across Ziz Valley, Al-Hassan Addakhil Lake, Zaabal Tunnel, Enzala Mosque, Midelt, Boulajoul (for lunch), the Monkey Park and Ifrane.

Here is a complete map of our expedition across Morocco, though this post only covers the drive on Merzouga to Fes desert highway.

Sunrise camel ride: Returning from Sahara Desert Erg Chebbi dunes camp to Merzouga

July 15, 2023

We wake up in our tent before sunrise and have a sumptuous breakfast in our Sahara desert camp in wind-blown 1,100 foot Erg Chebbi sand dunes. We are back on camels by 6:10 AM heading back to the little town of Merzouga.

Rayleigh scattering ensures a unique pink and orange colorscape of the Sahara and its dunes light of the dawn.

Sunrise Camel Ride: Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes to Merzouga, Sahara Desert

We bid our camels adieu and get in a modern automobile. Crossing Merzouga gate (Arch of Merzouga) and the town, we are back on Route R702 heading north to Erfoud. From Erfoud, we get on northbound National Highway N13. N13 starts just short of Algeria-Morocco border and connects Merzouga to big northern cities of Azrou and Meknes eventually meeting highway N2  just south of Chefchaouen. N13 intersects Highway N8 At Azrou, which will ultimately take us to Fes in the evening.

Arch of Merzouga

Ziz Valley

We cross Erfoud where we had previously picked up dates, and head north on N13 along the Ziz valley. The stretch of N13 highway between Erfoud and Midelt runs parallel to Oued Ziz (River Ziz) for over 125 miles.

We stop for a coffee at one of the panoramic overlooks of the valley in Ouled Chaker. In the vast hamada of the Sahara stretching to the horizon, a narrow lush green belt irrigated by water of the Ziz along with geometric agricultural plots and settlements of Moroccan-style mud houses make for a striking landscape.

Ziz Valley

The Ziz valley has the highest concentration of date palm trees in Morocco. It is like a long oasis where farmers also grow a myriad of crops.

Ziz Valley

We are the only customers at the cafe, possibly due to Morocco still recovering from effects of the pandemic on tourism.

Café Restaurant Vue Panoramique, Ziz Valley

National Highway N13 at Ouled Chaker in Ziz Valley

We proceed north on N13 from the Ziz Valley scenic overlook towards Hassan Addakhil dam

Highway N13 at Ziz Valley towards Al-Hassan Addakhil Dam & Reservoir

Hassan Addakhil Lake

Driving northbound N13, we cross the town of Errachidia. About six miles later we see the Hassan Addakhil lake.

Hassan Addakhil is an artificial lake formed as the reservoir of Hassan Addakhil dam (Barrage Al-Hassan Addakhil) on Ziz river. The dam was inaugurated in 1971 with the goal of controlling Ziz river flow and flood protection for irrigation and land use in Ziz valley. Hydroelectric power generation is also a benefit of this dam. Curiously, the dam initially leaked water and steps to fix the problem have been taken.

Hassan Addakhil Reservoir

Zaabal Tunnel

We continue across the High Atlas mountain range along Oued Ziz and pass through Foum Zabel tunnel on northbound National Route 13. This tunnel was built by French colonizers in the 1920s and is also called the tunnel of Legionnaire after a French legionnaire who died during construction.

N13 North to Zaabal Tunnel

Part of today's N13 highway essentially overlaps a trans High Atlas road constructed by the French connecting the city of Midelt north of the High Atlas to Errachidia south of the mountains. 

South entrance to Zaabal (Foum Zabel) tunnel, National Route 13 (N13)

Crossing the Ziz River

After exiting the tunnel, we continue north on highway N13 towards Ait el abbas and shortly cross a bridge on the great Ziz river of Morocco. The village of Ait Boudaud is right across on the other side of the bridge.

Ziz River Bridge

Enzala Mosque (Mosquée Enzala)

After crossing the Oude Ziz bridge, we cross this pretty mosque on the east side of northbound  N13 in the small town of Enzala.

Mosquée Enzala, Highway N13, Enzala

Midelt

Midelt is a city of 55,000 in middle of the Moroccan altiplano between Middle Atlas and High Atlas ranges. At an altitude of just shy of 5,000 feet, Midelt is just south of the Hassan II dam and reservoir (Barrage Hassan II) on Moulouya river (Oued Moulouya). Midelt is one of Morocco's major mineral mining and agricultural hubs.

Reaching Midelt implies we have now crossed the High Atlas mountains and the Middle Atlas Mountains are coming up on our road.

We cross the traffic circle on highway N13 at Midelt (Rond-point Imilchil Midelt). National Route 13 heads generally west and northwest towards Azrou at this point.

Midelt Traffic Circle on Highway N13

Boulajoul

It is exactly 12:30 PM when we reach Boulajoul a bit northwest of Midelt. It is a great time to stop for lunch.

We have lunch at Hotel Meteorites Boulajoul. Traditional Amazigh hospitality again makes lunch and interaction with locals a joy. Meteorites cannot be missed from highway N13; it has a red car perched on a tower at one of the corners of its large walled property.

Hotel Meteorites Boulajoul

We are still going strong on Moroccan staples tagine and couscous. The price of a three course meal is still exactly the same as everywhere else: roughly US$ 13.

Tagine and Couscous for lunch (again!)

We are still dressed for the desert camel ride and do not miss any opportunity to show off our newly learned Amazigh sign of peace and wellbeing. We are told by multiple locals we could pass ourselves off easily as Moroccans from Agadir.

Amazigh hand sign of peace, health and blessings

Monkey Park

We are soon on the Middle Atlas mountains. Our next stop is a Monkey Park a few miles before the city of Azrou.

The Monkey Park is at the south end of Atlas Cedar Biosphere Reserve (Reserve naturelle de cèdres) that is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Three-quarters of magnificent Atlas cedar trees are endemic to this reserve which has 12,000-foot mountains of the Middle Atlas range providing water for rich ecosystems. A million indigenous Amazigh people also live inside the reserve strongly holding up nomadic and non-nomadic traditions.

Ifrane

Switzerland of Morocco

We take the exit off highway N13 for National Route N8 towards Ifrane and Fes right after the north end of Atlas Cedar Biosphere Reserve. Ifrane is not too far from here.

The city of Ifrane is distinctly European in ambience. We see a number of vehicles with EU license plates. There is significant tourist traffic from across the strait of Gibraltar due to high-altitude cool climate and spectacular scenery. Michlifen Resort offers golf in the summer and ski slopes in the winter.

We were literally ordered by locals to take a selfie with the iconic stone statue of a lion. This monument is dedicated to the last Atlas lion on Morocco that was shot and killed nearby. The Atlas lion or Barbary lion (or Egyptian lion) is an extinct subspecies. They were reportedly the biggest of lions.

Local legend says the sculptor of the stone lion was a WW-II German POW who was freed in exchange for carving this lion out of stone. It is also believed visiting and taking pictures with the stone Panthera leo leo brings good health, happiness and luck.

Lion of Ifrane

Outdoor seating in front of Chamonix Hotel, Ifrane

We continue on National Route 8 through Ifrane towards Fes.

On our way, we see an exit into the Fes-Taza-Oujda extension of Rabat-Fes A2 tolled expressway. With this extension, Morocco completed its first end-to-end ticket based toll road all the way from Rabat to Meknes, Fes, Taza and Oujda. This will be a great road for our next trip to Morocco.

But for now, we continue on the N8 to Fez.

National Highway N8 from Ifrane towards Fes

Fes - Fes el Bali

We are passing by the New Door of Fes by a quarter to 5 PM. Our riad in Fez is actually inside the historic walled old city medina of Fes - the legendary Fes el-Bali.

New Door of Fes

Here is a video of the Morocco Sahara Desert and Atlas Mountains road trip from Merzouga to Fez.

Watch: Driving the Sahara Desert & Atlas Mountains of Morocco - Merzouga to Fes

 Our story continues in Fes el-bali at "Fes El-Bali: We did not get fazed by the epic maze of Medina of Fez".