Can you spot the two nomads with their mules transporting goods across the mountains?
The inaugural Mines & Dunes takes riders into new terrain, never before explored by any of our adventures. For a few kilometres, the route even follows a single trail still used by nomads transporting goods with their mules.
The start of the inaugural Mines & Dunes is just a few hours away in Tangier, Morocco!
The tracking is ready. The wait is almost over. On 3 October, the inaugural Mines & Dunes adventure begins.
Starting in Tangier, northern Morocco – the gateway to Europe and a city with a rich cinematic history. Tangier has featured in James Bond’s The Living Daylights (1987) and Spectre (2015), while Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) also takes the story to Tangier.
From Tangier, the route heads south through the Rif Mountains, then across the Middle Atlas, before reaching the vast landscapes of the Sahara.
The road route continues even further, climbing over 2,700 m High Atlas mountain passes before descending towards the desert.
At the end of the journey lies Rekkam Boudnib, the finish of both routes: 1,540 km by road or 969 km by piste (gravel) – with the alternative piste option reaching approximately 1,150 km, depending on the route.
And what a finish it is.
Rekkam Boudnib is an oasis in the desert, the perfect place to recover after an epic ride through Morocco’s mountains, pistes and desert landscapes. It is a well-earned final stop after the challenge of Mines & Dunes.
3 October. Tangier. Morocco. The first Mines & Dunes adventure begins.
The journey begins where the Rif Mountains meet the Mediterranean – Nador, a vibrant coastal city in northern Morocco. Often overlooked by travelers rushing to the desert or the imperial cities, Nador is a place full of quiet surprises and authentic Moroccan charm.
Nestled on the shores of the beautiful Mar Chica Lagoon, Nador offers a unique blend of mountain views, seaside light, and Berber culture. The early morning streets buzz with the scent of mint tea and fresh bread, while fishermen return from the lagoon with their catch of the day.
For us, Nador is more than just a starting line – it’s a gateway. From here, the Trail of the Southern Oasis stretches south through dramatic landscapes: from rolling Rif hills to dusty plateaus, palm-filled valleys, and the silence of the Sahara beyond.
It’s the perfect place to take a deep breath before the adventure begins – a reminder that every epic journey starts with a single pedal stroke.
How to Get There
Ferry:
to Nador from Sete, France, Barcelona and Almeria in Spain
to Melilla from Almeria, Malaga and Motril in Spain
Airports:
Nador (20km) , Melilla (15km) and Oujda (100km)
Airlines:
to Nador: Ryanair (flights starting from €35.- Euro), Eurowings, Brussels Airline, Royal Air Maroc, and more
Introducing Trail of the Southern Oasis – a new Morocco-BikeAdventure event for true explorers. Starting 29 March 2026, this inaugural ride leads you through palm-filled valleys, ancient kasbahs, and endless desert horizons.
It’s more than a route – it’s an expedition into Morocco’s hidden south.
12 days, 9 hours, and 45 minutes. That’s how long it took Ana and Oscar to complete their 1,830 km route of the Morocco Bike Adventure, collecting 366 points, passing through 6 checkpoints, and riding 14 piste segments with a total of 306 km of off-road terrain.
A remarkable achievement – not only because they finished strong, but because they did it together.
Preparation: One Year of Dedication
Ana and Oscar spent almost a year preparing for this event. Training in the windswept plains of La Mancha, Spain, they thought they knew what strong winds felt like – until they met the Sahara. “The winds in Morocco put everything in another relation,” they said. Nothing could truly prepare them for the brutal, sand-laden gusts of the desert.
Their bikes were prepared meticulously. For an entire month before the start, they worked side-by-side with their bicycle mechanic to customize and optimize every detail for the Moroccan terrain. Their preparation paid off – they had zero mechanical issues throughout the entire route.
They chose to travel light – no sleeping bag, no bivy, no tent. Every night, they found a room to sleep in, had a hot shower, dinner, and breakfast before heading out again. “Next time,” they laughed at the finish line, “we might take a tent.”
On the second day, in the intense heat of the Rif Mountains, Oscar suffered from dehydration. Focused on reaching the day’s target, he forgot to drink enough. But together, they managed, adjusted, and pushed on.
A Honeymoon Like No Other
Just two weeks before the start, Ana and Oscar got married. The Morocco Bike Adventure became their honeymoon. Riding as a pair is a completely different challenge than riding solo – it requires patience, understanding, and teamwork. But they embraced it fully, supporting each other through the highs and lows of the journey.
When they crossed the finish line, they did so hand in hand, smiling widely – tired, dusty, but deeply happy.
The Essence of Adventure
What stayed with them most wasn’t just the landscapes or the challenge, but the people they met along the way. They were touched by the kindness and joy of local families – especially children who, despite having little in terms of modern comforts, radiated genuine happiness.
Ana and Oscar’s story reminds us that the Morocco Bike Adventure is more than a race. It’s a journey – through nature, through culture, and sometimes, through life itself.
Congratulations Ana & Oscar! You inspired – well done!
From the moment Andy rolled out of Tangier, it was clear this wasn’t going to be an ordinary ride. His mission: to cross Morocco by bike, avoiding asphalt as much as possible, tracing a line through remote pistes, rocky passes, and forgotten valleys – the kind of route where you don’t just ride through the landscape, you become part of it.
Armed with determination, a tent, and a bike that wasn’t entirely on his side, Andy took to the wild trails. Nights were spent under the open sky, pitched up in the middle of nowhere, with only the wind and stars for company. It was solitude of the best kind – until the bike started whispering trouble.
A misbehaving hub became a daily gamble. Most of the time, it would catch. But then – without warning – it wouldn’t. A few times a day, the clutch would fail, leaving him dead in his tracks. No bike shop for hundreds of kilometers. No quick fix. Just Andy, his tools, and an unreliable drivetrain.
Still, he pushed on.
From the Rif to the Middle Atlas, then down into the edge of the desert, he kept the wheels turning over loose stone and windswept piste. But with the worst of the terrain still ahead – and the clock ticking – Andy made the hard call in Boudnip: stop the ride before the ride stopped him.
Instead of risking breakdown in no-man’s-land, he boarded a local bus bound for Sidi Ifni, just in time to welcome the Spanish couple arriving for their own Morocco Bike Adventure. From rough trails to rusting buses, Andy stayed true to the ethos of the ride: adapt and survive.
His ride may have ended in Boudnip, but the adventure? It’s far from over.
The Morocco Bike-Adventure is never predictable – and for experienced rider Mex, this year’s edition proved just how relentless the piste route can be.
From day two, Mex was already battling mechanical issues, with broken spokes plaguing his rear wheel. Ever the resourceful adventurer, he managed to replace them several times along the route, pushing on with determination and skill. But the piste doesn’t show mercy.
While riding towards the hauntingly beautiful desert sculptures – La Cité d’Orion, The Golden Spiral, and Stairway to Heaven – created by German artist Hannsjörg Voth, the battle with his bike took a final turn. More spokes snapped, and this time the rim itself gave way. It was game over.
That meant the end of the Morocco-BikeAdventure 2025 for Mex – at least this time around.
This isn’t Mex’s first dance with the challenge. He completed the road route twice, first in 2022, finishing first after just 11 grueling days. He also started the piste version twice, drawn by its raw beauty and brutal demands.
Before switching to human-powered adventures, Mex explored remote corners of the world by motorcycle, with Mongolia among his many stops. He’s no stranger to long days, harsh terrains, and the unknown.
Even though this year’s ride didn’t end at the finish line, Mex’s journey is a powerful reminder of what the Morocco-BikeAdventure is all about: pushing limits, embracing uncertainty, and riding into the wild with everything you’ve got.
This year’s Morocco Bike-Adventure is proving to be as demanding as ever – and then some.
The route is already pushing riders to their limits. Andy is currently facing a mechanical issue: his freewheel isn’t engaging properly, making it difficult (and frustrating) to keep momentum while pedaling. Out here, even a small mechanical problem can become a serious obstacle.
On top of that, riders are battling unusually high heat and humidity, adding another layer of difficulty to an already tough adventure. These extreme conditions are testing both physical endurance and mental strength.
But as always, this is part of what makes the Morocco Bike-Adventure so unique – it’s not just a ride, it’s a true challenge.
We’re sorry to share that Sergio Pradera had to scratch on the very first day of the route due to health reasons. Sergio was the only rider taking on the Road Route in this year’s Morocco Bike-Adventure, and we were excited to follow his journey through the scenic asphalt tracks of Morocco.
We wish Sergio a speedy recovery and hope to see him back at the start line in the future—stronger than ever.
The piste category of the Morocco-BikeAdventure introduces a brand-new concept this year: riders build their own parcours using 50 pre-defined piste segments.
For 2-Continents riders, the Moroccan route is fixed and, with one exception, mirrors last year’s edition. What’s new? Expect to ride through: Stairway to Heaven, Golden Spiral, City of Orion, and La Cárcel Portuguesa.
At 08:00 on Sunday morning, five determined riders set off from Tangier, marking the official start of the Morocco-BikeAdventure.
Four participants are tackling the adventurous piste route, while one has chosen the scenic but no less challenging road route. With the sun already shining and temperatures warmer than usual for this time of year, the day promised both beauty and endurance.
A steady tailwind helped push the riders forward – but offered little relief from the rising heat. As they left Tangier behind, the bustle of city life quickly faded. Within moments, riders found themselves immersed in the vast, open countryside of northern Morocco – where the real adventure begins.
The Morocco-BikeAdventure! That’s a legendary one. Desert heat, mountain climbs, remote roads, and some real soul-searching on two wheels. Total contrast to the Alaska-Divide – and just as epic in its own way.
The Morocco-BikeAdventure is the first and only bikepacking route that crosses the rugged Rif Mountains and the remote Middle Atlas. This journey takes riders deep into the heart of Morocco – through regions rarely touched by tourism, where the raw, authentic spirit of the country still lives.
The blue city on the route 150km after the start and checkpoint one fo the piste and the road route. Most riders reach the town at sunset and stay the night at Chefchaouen. It is the last chance to find a touristic accommodation along the route for a while.
It is the chief town of the province of the same name and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue, for which it is nicknamed the “Blue City”. It was founded in 1471 by the Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, a distant descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. The original settlement consisted of just a small fortress, now referred to as Chefchaouen’s Kasbah. The fortress was erected to help defend the area from potential attacks by Portuguese invaders; at the time, Portugal was launching attacks against northern cities and towns in Morocco.
For the 2025 edition riders get a collection of 55 piste route segments with a total length of 3,500km to build your own route from Tangier to Sidi Ifni.
Choose the sections you like to ride and connect them to your route to the finish in Sidi Ifni. It’s up to you what distance you cover on paved roads.
The mainroad RN2 from Tétouan to Chefchaouen is forbidden. As alternative tot the new piste section riders can take the RN16 along the coast that is also part of the road route.
As a goody riders taking the route over the mountains, passing Mokdassene and Boukar, get the typical smell of the Rif mountains in their nose.
Photos: from the new piste section starting in Tétouan
