The reason most travellers stop in Erfoud is what lies around it. Merzouga and the great dunes of Erg Chebbi are 50 km south — the classic Saharan landscape of orange dune crests against a thin line of palm. Rissani, half an hour down the road, is the historic capital of the Tafilalet, with a sprawling souk (busiest on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday), the ruins of medieval Sijilmassa, and the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, the founder of Morocco's current Alaouite dynasty.
