Merzouga in June

June brings the great Saharan heat to Erg Chebbi, with daytime highs around 39°C and the sand and air radiating intense warmth. The desert is only comfortable at the very edges of the day: a sunrise over the dunes or a sunset camel trek can still be magical, but the midday hours are genuinely harsh and best avoided entirely. Nights, by contrast, stay warm rather than cool, so the deep relief of the winter desert is gone.

This is a month that demands caution and careful timing. Camel trekking and 4x4 trips into the dunes should be kept to the early morning and the late, cooling afternoon, with plenty of water, sun protection and a relaxed pace through the day. The great dunes remain spectacular under the blazing, cloudless skies, and the warm nights keep stargazing pleasant, but the heat is the defining feature of any June visit to the Sahara.

June is a mixed month — rewarding only for heat-tolerant travellers who plan dawn-and-dusk activities and treat the midday sun with real respect. As high summer begins, Merzouga is quiet and uncrowded. For those determined to come, the classic desert experience is still possible in carefully chosen hours; but for most travellers, the cooler months from autumn through spring offer the same golden dunes in far safer, more comfortable conditions.