Sandboarding in Morocco is an option for everyone, regardless of your level. And beyond the adrenaline it brings, in this country it has an extra bonus: doing it in unique settings, often on the dunes of the legendary Sahara Desert. We’ll cover that in the following lines, so if you like thrills, take note and add this activity to your travel itinerary.
What is sandboarding?
To understand what sandboarding is, you just need to look at the name: sand, the English word for ‘arena’, and boarding, which can be translated as ‘board’. In other words, it’s the sport of sliding down a sandy slope on a board—in this case, down dunes. And it’s the warm-climate equivalent of snowboarding, which involves descending snowy slopes.
Both sports share clear similarities, such as the main piece of equipment: a long board with foot bindings, designed to glide easily, as well as to allow jumps and turns depending on each rider’s skill.
However, there are also important differences, and not only in terms of the setting where it’s done: sand doesn’t allow as smooth, fast, and responsive a glide as snow, so the feeling is one of greater slowness and safety, which can be a positive point for beginners. In any case, depending on the condition of the dunes and each person’s skill, the descent can become an extreme experience, like zip lines.
That said, all descents are carried out under safe conditions, with the appropriate protective gear required in each case, such as a helmet. It’s also recommended to wear comfortable clothing, goggles to keep sand out of your eyes, and sun protection, as the activity takes place outdoors, with no shaded areas and high exposure to UV radiation.
Some places to go sandboarding in Morocco
The places to go sandboarding in Morocco are, logically, those with dunes. They don’t necessarily have to be vast dunes, but they do need to be high and uneven enough to allow for a fast descent. Their proximity to tourist destinations is also key, as it encourages the creation of specialist companies and professional instructors to run the activity.
In this regard, Merzouga is a real benchmark, as you’d expect: this is where you’ll find the country’s most famous dunes (Erg Chebbi), stretching across more than 20 km of terrain. And since they’re a tourist attraction in their own right—with desert camps inside and kasbah hotels around the perimeter—sandboarding is one of the many activities on offer here.
Another important place where sandboarding is done in Morocco is Tifnit: a fishing village on the Atlantic coast, about 40 km south of Agadir. The dunes here aren’t very extensive, but the proximity to the sea and the windy coastal atmosphere encourage the formation of tall hills of golden sand: the descents here aren’t long, but they are fast and exciting.
And north of Agadir, on the way to Essaouira, there’s another popular spot for sandboarding in Morocco: Timlalin, near Imsouane, where coastal dunes are also commonly used for quad and 4×4 tours.
In short: it’s an activity with lots of options in Morocco and it’s suitable for all ages, from children to adults, with no prior experience needed—just one requirement… that you want to have a great time!
