Errachidia is a regional administrative town in southeastern Morocco, and for most travelers its relevance is practical rather than sightseeing-driven: it is home to the closest commercial airport to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes, and it sits along the scenic Ziz Valley, where dense palm groves follow the Ziz River between rows of kasbahs and mud-brick villages.
The drive from Errachidia toward Merzouga passes through the Ziz Gorges and past the Legionnaires’ Viewpoint, a lookout built during the French colonial period that overlooks one of the longest continuous palm groves in Morocco. Heading the other direction, the road connects through the Middle Atlas to Fes, making Errachidia a natural link between northern Morocco and the desert.
Because of its airport, Errachidia is a practical starting or ending point for desert tours that don’t need to include Marrakech or Fes at all — useful for travelers with limited time who want to fly in, spend a night or two around Merzouga, and fly out again.
