How far is Agafay from Marrakech?
The Agafay begins roughly 30 kilometres south-west of the city, on the road towards Lalla Takerkoust and the Atlas foothills. In practice you are looking at under an hour of driving from most of Marrakech, traffic out of the city being the variable part.
That proximity is the whole point. Merzouga and the Sahara dunes are a full day's drive each way; the Agafay is a morning.
What the landscape is really like
This is hamada, not erg: bare, rolling, grey-gold hills of compacted stone and dust, cut by dry riverbeds, with the High Atlas standing along the southern horizon. In spring there is a brief green fuzz across it; the rest of the year it is lunar.
It photographs far better than most people expect, particularly in the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset, when the low light picks out every ridge.
Best time to visit, and what to wear
March to May and September to November are the comfortable months. Midsummer is genuinely hot on an unshaded plateau — go at either end of the day, or pick a camp with a pool and treat the middle of the day as the rest. Winter days are pleasant; winter nights and early mornings are cold.
Wear closed shoes and clothes you do not mind getting dusty, bring sun protection whatever the season, and always carry one warm layer for the evening. The temperature drop after sunset surprises people every single time.
Is it worth visiting?
Yes, if you want desert scenery, an activity, or a good dinner under a clear sky without losing two days to driving. No, if what you actually want is tall orange dunes — that is Merzouga or Chegaga, and no amount of marketing makes the Agafay into them.
Most people get the most out of it by attaching it to something: a quad ride, a camel walk, a pool afternoon, or dinner in a camp.