Dakhla (01-08 Jul 25):
Dakhla's history in a few lines:
Origins:
Founded as Villa Cisneros by the Spanish in the 19th century, the area had already been inhabited by Berber tribes and used as a strategic point on Saharan trade routes.
Middle Ages:
Before European colonization, the region was part of nomadic territories linked to the caravan routes between the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa.
20th Century:
Under Spanish rule until 1975, Dakhla developed as a fishing port and military base, maintaining an economy linked to the sea.
Present:
Today it is an emerging destination for adventure tourism, famous for its pristine beaches, water sports such as kitesurfing and its marine biodiversity, combining Saharan tradition with modernity.
Family trip... we discovered this place by chance. The flights are very cheap and there are plenty of hotels to choose from. We booked everything just a month in advance. There isn't much information online since Ryanair only started this route in January 2025, so here's a summary:
Perfect/absolutely perfect place If you like wind sports, It's like Cádiz, with easterly winds for 300 days a year. It's the birthplace of kitesurfing.
Choose a hotel near the lagoon, as ours appears right next to it on Maps, but it's actually in the middle of the desert; in other words, it's too quiet a place to do any kind of activity., The Dunes of Dakhla It is a hotel dedicated to total disconnection; there is no entertainment like in other hotels. They offer a free airport shuttle service; just send a message to the hotel and they'll arrange everything. If you want to break from this isolation, there's a shuttle service available that takes you to the beach at the PK25 hotel in the morning (around 10:00 AM) and picks you up in the afternoon (around 5:00 PM, this is negotiated with the driver, haha). Since the PK25 hotel belongs to the same group, you can use everything except the buffet, which costs €12.50 per person for members of the group. However, your hotel will prepare a picnic lunch for you to enjoy at the other hotel without any problem.
If you choose this hotel (The Dunes of Dakhla):
Meal: Full board (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) at whatever time you specify. They only serve Moroccan food, which is very tasty, and for dessert, they give you a whole melon. For breakfast, they'll give you a French omelet if you ask for it, although it's embarrassing to do it every day. They don't provide water or napkins; you have to ask for them., It must be because of the culture.. They always do everything with great kindness and a smile on their face.
Rooms: You sleep on a very hard bed and very soft pillows. fine. Some single beds don't come with a bed frame; they're directly on the floor. It's spacious, but the water pressure isn't very strong, and the drain doesn't work well because of hair or whatever else gets stuck in there (it's true they don't clean as well as we do). With the wind we get in this country, it sounds like the roof is going to blow off; it makes a startling noise, but after a few nights, you get so used to it that it becomes like a lullaby.
There is a swimming pool with many sun loungers full of sand (you're in the desert, it's logical).
Once a week (on Thursdays) they hold an event at this hotel, and people from other hotels attend (the only ones you'll find on days if you don't leave the hotel, as this hotel isn't usually a popular choice for the reasons mentioned earlier). You walk up to the top of a small hill (be careful with your footwear!), are greeted by three locals in traditional dress, a pianist, and enjoy the sunset to the sound of music and tea. Then there's a special dinner (also delicious and plentiful) and a different show each week. We were seated rather far away, almost on the stage, while those from out of town were seated almost directly in front of the stage. We felt this was a bit distasteful, as we were staying there and everyone else was visiting.
We were seated at the same table as two people from another hotel who were eating from the communal plate with their hands (because they were locals and that's their culture). It was quite disgusting, even though they were very nice and friendly. We didn't understand why they were seated with us at our family table, because there was plenty of space and they weren't from the same hotel.
The hotels are all very similar; don't expect resorts like we're used to, they're more like campsites. We were left wanting to visit the Attitude (unbeatable location and also of the group) and the one at the reception of the PK25 (which is one of those considered among the best online), confirmed to us that the Attitude It was much better.
Excursions are a must; you absolutely have to take the full-day tour. We had booked ours from here, and the hotel suggested we do it with them, which was a great idea. We took the tour and added another day to visit the souk. I'll leave the details here in case you're interested. Just so you know, you have to pay in cash, but that was the case with the other tour we booked and all the others we saw. It cost us 1,700 MAD for the group. To get an approximate price, it's best to round up by dividing by 10. (We gave them a tip because everything was fantastic).
We visited the 4 most typical spots, apart from stopping wherever we felt like to take photos, look around or simply stroll without any problem.
The Imlili Desert: In the middle of nowhere in the desert there are small ponds full of tiny fish where you put your feet and they cleanse you of all impurities and dead skin. It's a very strange sensation that you get addicted to, but it doesn't hurt at all, although it is scary.
Puerto Rico Beach: another beach in the middle of nowhere where we took a dip, but the incredibly strong, unpleasant wind and freezing water are ever-present. It doesn't live up to its name.
The White Dune: although the wind is strong there too, it's well worth a visit and taking some amazing photos. You'll see lots of holes in the ground made by crabs and razor clams.
Assmae Fountain or "Sulfurous Water Jet": the smell is very unpleasant. They spray you with a huge hose, claiming it's great for your skin and has healing properties. The water comes out very hot and with a lot of force, but with the wind and the feeling of cold, it's quite welcome. On a 5x5 meter stretch of asphalt, they throw you down on a mat, and that's it. There are no luxuries, but the laughs you have are totally worth it. It costs 15 MAD per person, less than €1.50. It's the only place where you have to pay extra. The owner is incredibly unfriendly; he didn't even smile at us. It was a fun experience, though.
We also booked the 1-hour quad bike excursion through the hotel, which was a mistake. It was the same price as on another website, but then they charged us an extra €10 for transport to the site, which they hadn't mentioned before. It included three single quad bikes and one double, and it was really cool. It cost us 170 MAD + 100 MAD for transport. I recommend contacting them via WhatsApp at +212 661-118174; they speak Spanish, are very friendly, and will help you with anything.
The island itself is quite unremarkable; it reminded us a lot of Cape Verde. However, there's construction everywhere; it's really booming right now.
Important: although the weather doesn't change, during the day it's around 25 (feels like 200º) although the wind helps, it helps to keep it from being so high that you want to leave as soon as possible 🤣 and at night it's around 20, but in the mid-afternoon 6-7pm it gets quite chilly, a sweatshirt is almost mandatory and long pants depend on how sensitive you are to the cold.
The beaches are great, but you can't really enjoy them when the wind is blowing in the Levante style because it's incredibly awful, as we've said.
We read somewhere that the souk was a bit smaller than Marrakech, but we completely disagree. It's just three small streets of market stalls; it's not worth the visit. However, throughout Dakhla, you don't feel unsafe or experience any significant discrimination against women, unlike in Marrakech, for example. Here, it's as if everyone is just looking out for themselves.
The hotel voucher stated "Does not include local tourist tax (€28.26)." But the truth is, they never charged us for it...
Dakhla goes very well with Agadir If you're looking for a peaceful route along the Atlantic coast focused on surfing, wide beaches and a mild climate, then Marrakech is a great option because it adds a perfect contrast between desert, culture and one of the most vibrant cities in the country.
Flight: €44/person round trip with Ryanair.
Hotel: Les Dunes de Dakhla: €342/person. 7 nights full board with Catch it. Airport transport is included with this company.
Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Passport: Valid throughout your stay, entry with your ID card is NOT allowed.
Visa: There's no need.
Travel insurance: Travel insurance is recommended. The best-known and most comprehensive options are: Iati y Heymondo, If we don't need very comprehensive insurance, we'll get it with Globalfine which is much cheaper.
Vaccines: There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry.
International driving permit: There's no need.
Badge: Moroccan Dirham (MAD).
Payment card/currency exchange: we always go with Revolut definitely.
Roaming: NO There is, so if you have data enabled you can take a nice little gift back.
GPS: Maps.me Download the maps for Spain and they work great offline, whether you're on foot, by car, or on public transport.
There's no word guide since everything was done with organized tours, and the souk is very small, so there's nothing noteworthy. The rest of Dakhla has absolutely nothing to offer; it's practically all desert or under construction.
Other destinations in Morocco: 
