Loop Tour of Morocco: Birds, landscapes and culture
Price: 1880€
Deposit: 500€
10 April, 2025
19 April, 2025
10 days
7
420€
This loop tour of Morocco highlights the best our neighbouring country has to offer in terms of natural and cultural heritage. For 10 days, departing from Tarifa, with our vehicle and expert guide, we will explore all the diversity of habitats offered by this magnificent destination.
Merja Zerga lagoon, with its amazing concentrations of waders, gulls and raptors, on top of the very scarce Marsh Owl, the High Atlas mountains, with jewels such as the African Crimson-winged Finch or the Shore Lark together with numerous Red-billed and Alpine Choughs, the rocky desert in Boumalne Dades and the wadis and bluffs with good chances of Phraoh-Eagle Owl, Lanner Falcon and Atlas Long-legged Buzzard, all the way to very dunes of the Sahara desert, where we will take a 4×4 ride targeting the best areas for Crowned and Spotted Sandgrouses, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Streaked Scrub Warbler and countless other species of great ornithological value.
The outgoing character of the people, the safety levels, marvellous sceneries and mouth-watering gastronomy will make us feel most welcome and like at home.
Useful information
Guide(s):
Duration: 10 days
Maximum group: 7 people
Minimum group: 5 people
Accommodation: Comfortable hotels with excellent gastronomy and used on numerous occasions by our Birding Tarifa team. In Ronda Hotel Molino del Puente and in Tarifa Hotel La Codorniz.
Transport: 9-seater van
Meals: Excellent local food both in hotels and restaurants. On all meals there will be vegetarian options and gluten and other food allergies will be catered for.
Climatology: During the tour we will go through a vast diversity of habitats, with temperatures that can be very variable between the mountains and the coast. Even though September is usually a pretty warm month, we recommend to pack some layers particularly for the cooler temperatures up in the mountains and the windy conditions on the coast, as well as light clothing for the hot days.
Difficulty: Easy. This tour is suitable for anybody that can cover small distances on foot over easy terrain. Some car transfer days imply longer drives, but appropriate “comfort stops” will be made for toilets or a coffee.
Day 1: TANGIER – MERJA ZERGA LAGOON – KENITRA
After crossing the Strait by ferry, we will explore the spectacular Merja Zerga and its concentrations of gulls, waders, waterfowl and raptors. We will visit some nearby locations in search of the very scarce Marsh Owl and, then, we will drive on to our hotel. Overnight stay in Kenitra.
Day 2: SIDI BOUGHABA – AZROU
Right after a good moroccan breakfast, we will proceed to drive to the nearby lagoons in Sidi_Boughaba, where we will carry on exploring areas for Re-knobbed Coot, waterfowl and raptors. Then, we will head southeast, to the Middle Atlas, visiting the impressive cedar forest. Night in Azrou.
Day 3: AZROU – ERRACHIDIA
Driving south, we will stop along the way as we drop by the best locations close to Zaida and Midelt, arriving in our hotel in Er-Rachidia. Overnight stay in Er-Rachidia.
Day 4: ERRACHIDIA – ERG CHEBBI
Driving south, we will stop along the way as we drop by the best locations close to Zaida and Midelt, arriving in our hotel in Er-Rachidia. Overnight stay in Er-Rachidia.
Day 5: ERG CHEBBI
Today we will spend the day exploring the desert by 4×4 vehicles, getting to the best locations as we search for Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouses, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Cream-coloured Courser or Egyptian Nightjars, to name but a few. Dinner in the hotel. Night in Erg Chebbi.
Day 6: ERG CHEBBI – BOUMALNE DADES
Leaving behind the dunes and through acacia tree landscapes and astonishing geology, we will make our way to the rocky desert in Boumalne Dades. Later today, we will visit a great spot of wadis and bluffs targeting the legendary Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Lanner Falcons or the Atlas Long-legged Buzzard. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay in Boumalne Dades.
Day 7: BOUMALNE DADES – OURIKA
Very early in the morning, we head off to enjoy the rocky desert at “Tagdilt track”, to then take on the road up the High Atlas. With stops to watch for birds along the way and as we drive over Tizi N Tichka pass. Dinner in our hotel. Night stay in Ourika.
Day 8: VALLE DE OURIKA Y OUKAIMEDEN
Very early in the morning, we head off to enjoy the rocky desert at “Tagdilt track”, to then take on the road up the High Atlas. With stops to watch for birds along the way and as we drive over Tizi N Tichka pass. Dinner in our hotel. Night stay in Ourika.
Day 9: OURIKA – KENITRA
Setting off very early and with stops to enjoy the birds along the way, today is a very important transfer day. Arrival and dinner in Kenitra. Night stay in Kenitra.
Day 10: KENITRA – TANGER – TARIFA
With an early start and depending on available time, we will visit various locations in the marshes outside Larache. Right after, it will be time to head back to the port of Tangier to catch our ferry back home.
Included:
Not included:
Useful information
Guide(s):
Duración: 10 días
Grupo máximo: 7 personas
Grupo mínimo: 5 personas
Alojamiento: Comfortable hotels with excellent gastronomy and used on numerous occasions by our Birding Tarifa team. In Ronda Hotel Molino del Puente and in Tarifa Hotel La Codorniz.
Transporte: 9-seater van
Comidas: Excellent local food both in hotels and restaurants. On all meals there will be vegetarian options and gluten and other food allergies will be catered for.
Climatología: During the tour we will go through a vast diversity of habitats, with temperatures that can be very variable between the mountains and the coast. Even though September is usually a pretty warm month, we recommend to pack some layers particularly for the cooler temperatures up in the mountains and the windy conditions on the coast, as well as light clothing for the hot days.
Dificultad: Easy. This tour is suitable for anybody that can cover small distances on foot over easy terrain. Some car transfer days imply longer drives, but appropriate “comfort stops” will be made for toilets or a coffee.
Birds
African Blue Tit
African Chaffinch
Alpine Accentor
Barbary Falcon
Barbary Partridge
Black-bellied Sandgrouse
Black-crowned Tchagra
Caspian Tern
Common Shelduck
Cream-coloured Courser
Curlew Sanpiper
Dunlin
Eurasian Curlew
Eurasian Wigeon
Fulvous Babbler
Greater Flamingo
Lanner Falcon
Laughing Dove
Little Stint
Marsh Owl
Montagu´s Harrier
Northern Pintail
Osprey
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
Red-billed Chough
Red-knobbed Coot
Rock Sparrow
Ruddy Shelduck
Sanderling
Slender-billed Gull
Whimbrel
Mammals
African Golden Wolf
Balochistan Gerbil
Barbary Ground Squirrel
Barbary Macaque
Barbary Sheep
Fat Sand Rat
Fennec Fox
Lesser Egyptian Jerboa
North African Gerbil
Rüppell´s Fox
Reptiles
Bibron´s Agama
Boheme´s Agama
Common Chamaleon
Egyptian Cobra
Horned Viper
Margarita´s Fringe-fingered Lizard
Moroccan Rock Lizard
Sahara Sand Viper
Spiny-tailed Lizard
Spotted Leopard Fringe-toed Lizard
Spur-thighed Tortoise
Photo Gallery
