At a Sahara camp, the sand fly is the bite to plan for.

A few, and many desert travelers never notice them. The bite to plan for at a Sahara camp is the sand fly's, which spreads cutaneous leishmaniasis, a skin infection endemic at Morocco's highest rates around Zagora and in Errachidia province, where Merzouga lies. Morocco has no malaria and CDC recommends no malaria medicine, so the routine is covering up after dark and watching any sore that won't heal.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis, province by province

Phlebotomine sand flies are tiny, silent flies that bite from dusk to dawn. In the pre-Sahara, Phlebotomus papatasi carries Leishmania major, a parasite of desert rodents that causes skin sores in people. CDC's Morocco page lists leishmaniasis without naming regions.

From 1995 to 2022, mean incidence of this form was highest in Zagora province, at 51.94 cases per 100,000 people, followed by Errachidia at 39.7, Ouarzazate at 27.71 and Tinghir at 15.57, according to a study published in Parasite in August 2026. Errachidia province, home to Merzouga, Erfoud and Rissani, recorded 7,034 confirmed cases from 2010 to 2025. It peaked in 2010 at 860 per 100,000 and has declined overall since, with higher rates in rural municipalities than in the towns.

Zagora's last big outbreak came in 2017–2018. The regional health delegation recorded 4,402 patients from October 2017 to March 2018, 55.1% of them in rural Tinzouline in the Draa Valley. Ouarzazate province had 5,326 cases from 2009 to 2024, peaking in 2018 at 244.87 per 100,000 before a gradual decline, with the highest rates in eastern municipalities including Skoura Ahl El Oust. Rates have fallen since the 2018 peak.

Malaria isn't part of the desert picture. The World Health Organization certified Morocco malaria-free in 2010, and CDC's Morocco page has no malaria section and lists no malaria areas. On yellow fever it says "Vaccine is not recommended" and "Vaccine is not required." Our Morocco briefing covers the rest of the country.

Camp nights and oasis villages

Mosquitoes tend to be scarce in the dry interior, except around some water sources. Sand flies are the night biter. Around houses in 10 Zagora villages in July 2019, Ph. papatasi made up 46.65% of the catch. That makes oasis villages, palm groves and kasbah guesthouses in the Draa and Ziz valleys likely more exposed than a camp on the open dunes of Erg Chebbi.

Before sunset, put repellent on ankles, wrists, neck and face. After dark, wear long sleeves and trousers, treated with permethrin at home (never on skin), and keep the tent or room closed. Sand flies are small enough that many bites go unnoticed. Flies around food are the usual camp complaint, and some camps and riads have had bed bugs, so check the bed on the first night.

Watch any bite that turns into a sore. A sore that hasn't healed after a few weeks, even one that appears after you get home, is a reason to see a doctor.

When to go

December to February is the lightest stretch, with desert nights too cold for sand flies. The Zagora sand fly season runs from April to November with peaks in June–July and late September–October, so May to October camp nights carry the most exposure, and a late-autumn camp is still inside the season. Errachidia's cases are recorded mostly in winter, likely because sores show up weeks or months after summer and autumn bites.

Where you're going

How the main desert stops compare.

Starting in Marrakech? The Marrakech briefing covers riad nights and the Agafay camps.

What travelers report

Paraphrased from TripAdvisor threads and linked so you can read them in full. Neither is dated, and sand flies are small enough that many bites go unnoticed.

• Morocco itinerary (Marrakech and the desert) · mid-October

  A traveler on a mid-October itinerary reported seeing no mosquitoes, and another poster said that inland, where it is drier, mosquitoes are not usually a problem except around some water sources. TripAdvisor ↗

• Merzouga desert camp

  A traveler who had been bitten by sand flies after a camel trip to a desert camp asked how common leishmaniasis is in the area. One reply called it quite common and another pointed to WHO's view that it is a serious public health problem in Morocco, while a poster who had been to southern Morocco many times said they had never really had a problem with bites; the practical advice was to see a doctor. TripAdvisor ↗

One rule outlasts the trip. Any fever during or after the trip means a doctor visit, and so does a skin sore that hasn't healed after a few weeks. Tell the doctor you slept in the Moroccan Sahara.

Traveler questions