Lake Iriqui is southern Morocco's best-kept secret: a 60-kilometre former Saharan lake, now an immense white clay plain ringed by dunes and black mountains, at the heart of Morocco's largest national park. After rains, gazelles — and sometimes flamingos — return to it.
This 4x4 day trip from Foum Zguid takes it all in: the lake crossing on the old Paris-Dakar route, the red rocks of the Moroccan Colorado, the fossil plateau, and a nomad lunch in the shade of an acacia. It is the ideal tour if you are not sleeping in the desert — or the perfect prelude to a night at Erg Chegaga.
Highlights
- Full crossing of the Iriqui dry lake
- Iriqui National Park: gazelles, bustards, acacias
- Moroccan Colorado (Jbel Madouar) and the fossil plateau
- Nomad lunch under an acacia tree
- Back in Foum Zguid before sunset
Itinerary
- 9:00 am
Departure from Foum Zguid
Welcome tea, then south we go. Tarmac gives way to track within twenty minutes.
- 10:30 am
Lake Iriqui
Entry into the national park and the crossing of the immense clay lake — one of Morocco's most surreal landscapes. Photo stops while your guide reads the land: gazelle tracks, desert plants, the story of the lake.
- 1:00 pm
Nomad lunch
Salads, tajine and tea prepared in the shade of an acacia, the way local nomads do.
- 3:00 pm
Moroccan Colorado and fossils
The red formations of Jbel Madouar, then the fossil plateau: ammonites and trilobites in the bare rock.
- 5:30 pm
Return to Foum Zguid
Back to the village through the palm grove, with golden late-day light on Jbel Bani.
What's included
✓ Included
- Private 4x4 with driver-guide
- Full nomad lunch
- Tea and mineral water
- Park access fees
✕ Not included
- Other drinks
- Tips
What you will definitely see, and what depends on the day
Let's be precise, because the desert takes no orders. Guaranteed: the lake crossing, the Moroccan Colorado, the fossils, lunch under the acacia, and landscapes you will not see anywhere else in Morocco. Depending on season and luck: gazelles (most likely early morning), bustards, fennec tracks, and water on the lake, which only returns some winters after heavy rain. Our guides tell you the odds at departure rather than promising a safari: when a gazelle shows up it is a joy, not a deliverable.
For motorhome travellers on the N12
This day trip is built for you too. Your vehicle stays in the village, watched, for the duration; pick-up is at your campsite or our office, at whatever hour fits your leg. Many guests chain it: arrive on the N12 in the evening, lake day the next morning, then onward to Zagora or Tata the day after. Just tell us which direction you are travelling.
The Colorado and the fossils, up close
Two afternoon stops deserve a longer look. First the Moroccan Colorado: an amphitheatre of red and ochre rock that erosion has cut into towers and corridors, walked in half an hour, quietly, because the place demands it. Then the fossil plateau: ammonites and orthoceras locked in the limestone slab, witnesses of a sea that covered all of this hundreds of millions of years ago. You look, you photograph, you leave everything in place: the plateau stays intact because every guide keeps watch over it.
Season and climate
Possible almost year-round, including summer with an earlier start. After heavy rain (rare), the lake crossing is replaced by the rim track.
Frequently asked questions
Will we see wildlife?
Iriqui National Park is home to dorcas gazelles, houbara bustards, fennec foxes and, after wet years, flamingos on the lake. Sightings can never be promised, but our guides know the crossing zones and read the morning tracks.
Can I combine this day with a night at Erg Chegaga?
Yes — that is exactly our 2-day / 1-night tour, which crosses Lake Iriqui then continues to the dunes for a camp night.
Is this suitable for motorhome travellers on the N12?
Perfectly. Many of our guests park their motorhome safely in Foum Zguid and join us for the day — the lake cannot be reached without a 4x4 and knowledge of the track.
Does the trip run in summer?
Yes, with an adapted timetable: 6 am departure, back before the midday heat. You trade the acacia lunch for a solid nomad breakfast, but you gain the finest light of the year on the lake, and a coolness the 9 am departures never see.
Can we add the Jbel Bani rock carvings?
Yes: the "long day" variant adds about two hours to pass a rock-carving site on the way back. A modest supplement (fuel and guide time); ask when booking so the route is planned accordingly.
More questions? See our full FAQ and our traveller reviews.
