Tinfou

The hamlet of Tinfou is famous for the unique (and very small) sand dunes that circling winds have deposited 2 km (1 mile) north of the Tamegroute–M'Hamid road. Beyond the dunes the sheer cliffs of the Djebel Tadrart Massif loom darkly on the horizon, while to the south and west is the high surrounding plateau of the Djebel Bani Massif. The dunes are a result of the Drâa River's narrow slot in high ground, a gap that sucks wind and sand from the desert and sticks them onto the moist edge of the Drâa palmery here. However, only if you have no time at all should you be satisfied with getting this far and turning back. The Tinfou dunes simply aren't the desert, and offer only the slightest taste of the real thing. Stay the course until you get to M'Hamid.