Guelmim

Southern Moroccan market town at the Sahara's edge, long a meeting point for nomads and traders.

Guelmim (also spelled Goulimine or Goulimime) sits at the edge of the Sahara in southern Morocco, historically the meeting point between nomadic and settled populations. This is the gateway to the desert south, though you are still far from the dunes — for a real Saharan experience, head to Merzouga.

The main reason to come is Saturday market day, when people from across the region descend on the city. This is your chance to see real nomads in their indigo-dyed garments — the "Blue Men" of the desert. In earlier days the dye would tint their skin, hence the name. Watch out for staged tourist shows where locals bring visitors to tents outside town for a theatrical "Blue Men" experience; the Saturday market is the real thing. If you can time your trip to coincide with the regional moussem in June, the spectacle is even greater.

Guelmim is also a good base for visiting nearby Sidi Ifni, a former Spanish enclave that still has a distinctly colonial feel to it.

Guide

Getting Around

Everything in Guelmim is within walking distance of Place Bir Anzarane, where Avenue Hassan II meets Avenue Mohammed V. The bus station (gare routiere) is to the east, and grand taxis stop a short walk to the southwest. The camel market is further north.

Guide

Getting There

Multiple buses run north to Agadir daily (about 8 a day), with four continuing to Marrakesh and one all the way to Rabat. Going south, you can take a bus to Dakhla — a long ride, but it puts a lot of desert behind you. If you are heading to Mauritania, Smara makes a better stop than Laayoune, though it is slightly off the main route. There is one daily bus from Guelmim to Smara via Laayoune.

Guide

Things to Do

The weekly Saturday market is the reason most travellers pass through Guelmim, and it does not disappoint. Nomadic traders from across the deep south arrive with camels, goats, and goods, and the market sprawls across several blocks near the city centre. The best hours are early morning before the heat builds and before tour groups arrive from Agadir.

The camel market (souk des chameaux) runs on the same day, a short walk north of the centre. Even if you have no intention of buying anything, the spectacle of hundreds of camels being traded, argued over, and led through narrow lanes is worth the walk. This is a functional livestock market, not a tourist display.