Zagora, Sahara on the Moroccon Side

Zagora, Sahara on the Moroccon side, was one of the easiest places for a long-stay.

We stayed a couple of months in a Saharan oasis called Zagora. The place was beautiful, peaceful, and hassle-free, and there were an abundance of inexpensive dates, couscous, and awesome fresh vegetables and fruits available in the local market they call souk.

Morocco was one of the easiest countries for us for long-stay. We got a renting agreement in a beautiful house in one day and Saharan people turned out to be very honest. We had no troubles whatsoever. Well, our shoes got stolen from the corridor one day, but our landlord captured the thief and got our shoes back. Another minuscule nuisance were children who begged for sweets, pens, and money.

Sahara is in many ways as if straight from the tales of Arabian nights. The sky is deep blue and the mountains contrast with enormous sands. Here and there you can see beautiful green oasis with palm trees and rivers. Donkeys and camels saunter leisurely around. Moroccan houses are eye-catching with their pillared verandahs, archs, and hand-carved motifs. Locals were not in a hurry and they quite openly drank alcohol and smoked weed. This would have been unheard of in some other Muslim countries like Malaysia where drug traffickers are hanged.

Moroccan government lets EU citizens enjoy the country for 90 days for free. Visa-runs are allowed and it should also be possible to prolong the stay with a visit to a police station. However, we decided to continue our way. The weather started to be too cold in November. The temperature dropped to five degrees at night and without heating and insulation in houses it can be rather uncomfortable. When we will go to Morocco next time, we will choose spring or autumn and explore Western Sahara which has both the Saharan sand and the sea.