Glamping in Morocco: Terre de Etoiles the Desert Oasis

When planning my trip to Morocco, I pretty much assumed that I could go to all the locations that I wanted to see. Of all those ambitious activities, I was dead-set on spending a night in the Sahara. After all, how could I make it all the way to Africa without seeing one of the most magical places on earth?! Well, it turns out that the Sahara is a 9 hour drive from Marrakech. They don’t call it a trek of a lifetime for nothing! So after some research, I was able to find a desert camp within one hour of the city: Terre de Etoiles.

Terre de Etoiles is located in the Agafay Desert. The ecological luxury camp has been operating out there for over 10 years! When I say ‘ecological’, I mean sustainable. Terre de Etoiles runs on solar power, grows and sources all its produce, and purifies its own drinking water. The grounds and tents themselves are fully equipped with electricity and running water. Lodging is impressive: tile floors, king size beds, showers and toilets.

The food grown and prepared onsite made up some of the best meals I had during my time in Morocco. We had chicken and beef tangine that was to DIE for, as well as a wonderful vegetable couscous bowl. The flavors melted in our mouths! Black olives are the ultimate snack in Marrakech, and Terre de Etoile had the best – not too salty and not too watery, just perfect. Throughout our stay, we had the traditional Moroccan mint tea with each meal, but we also had ‘rosewater’. Rosewater at Terre de Etoiles is essentially water that has been infused with rosemary and mint leaves. It tasted JUST like rose water sans the rose. I was amazed to say the least and have been replicating this at home! Definitely give it a try yourself!

Terre de Etoiles offers many activities that most camps do not. During the day, guests can go hiking, horseback riding, embark on an ATV adventure, meditate, bask under the sun at the pool (yes, you read that correctly!), or even partake in a little permaculture gardening. The list goes on! We spent the majority of our time exploring the campgrounds and relaxing by the pool.

One thing we absolutely could not miss was a camel ride! The ‘excursion’ was about an hour long trek, with our camels being led by a local Berber farmer. He walked us through rocky hills and alongside Berber towns. It was wild to experience true silence – We heard the wind gently whipping pebbles and rocks along the terrain, and occasionally, we heard the bells from herds of sheep passing by in the distance. Every now and then, the camels would grunt and yawn. It was a little eerie, but a surreal experience nonetheless!

As the temperatures dropped and the sun went down, we were greeted by the most beautiful sunset. Watching the sun go down behind the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and turn the sky into a burning, blood orange meets cotton candy pink & blue was so beautiful. The uninterrupted skyline of the desert hills really intensified the view.

Following the sunset, the stars quickly came out and lit up the night sky. I’m convinced there’s nothing like stargazing in the desert; it’s so clear and crisp! A fire was set in the middle of the campgrounds and hotel staff entertained guests with traditional song and dance.

I highly recommend making your way out of the city and into the desert when in Marrakech. Even if it’s just for a night, be sure to experience the magic that is Terre de Etoiles.

xx

 

This post was sponsored by Terre de Etoiles. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.