Foum ZguidMorocco Iriqui National Park
Discover Morocco’s Iriqui National Park
iriki National Park, between Foum Zguid and Mahamid Elghizlane.
Iriki National Park is one of the largest lakes in North Africa, it was created in 1994, contains 123,000 hectares, and occupies the space between the Draa River and the southern slope of the Anti-Atlas, in the provinces of Zagora and Tata. The park is characterized by the typical desert landscapes of southern Morocco. In the wet season, the Iriki Lake, a temporary wetland, serves as a stopover and wintering ground for numerous migratory waterbirds (pink flamingos, coots, and geese), lending the park significant ecological importance. The rehabilitation of this wetland is one of the main objectives for creating the park.
The vegetation is represented by the wooded steppe and savanna of Acacia raddiana. The dune environments are predominantly covered by Tamarix. The Iriki National Park is home to a diverse fauna, including Dorcas gazelle, Barbary sheep, hyena, houbara bustard, and a variety of reptiles such as lizards, Cerastes, monitor lizards, chameleons, geckos, and different types of snakes. The planned reconstitution and reintroduction of certain rare species that have disappeared from Saharan fauna, such as Oryx, Addax, and Red-necked Ostrich, will confer invaluable value to the region.
Apart from a few sedentary families within the park, the entire population of the area is made up of nomads. Most of these nomads, originating mainly from M’hamid El Ghouzlane, practice transhumance along the Figuig – TanTan circuit. The Iriki area is the main grazing area due to its good pastoral potential.
The richness of the landscapes and cultural heritage of the region gives this park significant ecotourism potential, which will be a lever for local economic development. Furthermore, the Iriki National Park is part of the effort to develop tourist circuits in the southern region, linking Merzouga, Zagora, M’Hamid El Ghouzlane, Foum Zguid, Tata Guelmim, and Tan Tan. There is currently a remarkable tourist momentum in the discovery and adventure tourism sector in these regions, which could ultimately be an important lever for the promotion and valorization of Saharan spaces.
The lake, typically dry but occasionally filled with a shallow layer of water during winter, presents a scene akin to a magnificent movie set. Its vast expanse against the backdrop of the surrounding landscape creates a striking sight. Unfortunately, because of climate change, it is very rare when it rains in the Sahara in general which makes the lake all the time dry. This hard climate also makes it hard for the animals. So we find each year fewer and fewer animals. In the south of the lake, there are the dunes and in the north, there are the mountains of Jabel Bani and the village of Zawiat Sidi Abd Enbi, which is a small village on the edge of Jabel Bani, contains around 35 families. The village of nomads changed from free nomadic to semi-nomadic, who became attached to the land and agriculture. The nomads keep the goats and dromedaries as a source of life but start to make a little bit of agriculture to produce vegetables for the family. The desert of Lake IRIKI has a very beautiful diversity, there are mountains, reg, hamadas, a beautiful oasis in the middle of nowhere, and beautiful dunes. This is what makes this area the perfect place for camel trekking and unique desert expeditions since this desert is still a version. However, it is still not famous not many tourists discover the area. I am not talking about the passing road in the middle of Lake IRIKI that leads to Mahamid Elghizlane. A lot of people know the passing road in the middle of Lake IRIKI, but they don’t know the area because in the area only the locals can know the beautiful places. Lake IRIKI desert contains a very rich history before the lake and after the lake, the nomadic history, the commercial caravans that passed through Lake IRIKI also, the engraving stones, the fossils, and the painting stones. It is also the perfect place for researchers and scientists to discover these hidden interesting treasures. The perfect place also for star gazing, and shooting stars. We invite you as local nomads from the dry lake IRIKI, to visit us here and discover the beauty of of this beautiful desert
