Ceuta 4 hours border crossing - Condition of Oued Rheris crossing!!!
 

Fellow Overlanders,

Kindly need an update on my forcoming trip to Morrocco on the 10/04/2014 on border crossing and on doing the classic Merzouga - Mahmid piste.

First of all i heard that there is some exgagerated delay up to 4 hours as in formalities during the border crossing from Ceuta into Morrocco these days.

Some fellow overlander from Portugal are confirming this due to escalation of disputes between Morrocco & Spain, for me it usually takes 2 hours has anybody who just came back recently felt any change.

As for other question: Any problems concerning water level in Oued Rheris crossing after El Remlia, anybody did the piste recently as i am leaving in 2 weeks time, just curious.

Would appreciate your feedback

che

Try Tanger Med instead? never done the Ceuta crossing myself so can't comment on the time it takes to get through customs

Thanx Warden for your reply, yes off course Tanger Med is an 22K option that i should comtemplate if Ceuta gets complicated.

Just use to Ceuta i Guess....

We got back from Morocco yesterday.

Went into Tangier Med so can't help re Ceuta but we did have delays with the ferries both ways. On way out got to port at 1pm for a 3pm sailing and boat left at 7pm (and took 2.5 hours). On way back arrived at port at 10.30 am for a 1pm sailing. Boat left at 6pm. We already had tickets (from Carlos) so were restricted to Acciona. It may be the problem was with them. In any event only two boats a day seemed to be going instead of the published 4 or 5.

Did Merzouga to MHamid about 3 weeks ago. Not a drop of water then but a lot of deep sand and quite difficult to find a way through dunes. On approach we went right at the building just before the Oued. Followed raised tracks through cultivated area then seemingly well used track through low dunes. This seemed to stop dead at a point about 2km from the next waypoint but we found faint tracks by walking the area and followed these out. Maybe left at that building would have been easier...

Have fun.

News from earlier this month re Ceuta border:- Spain to raise security around Morocco territories over immigration fears | World news | theguardian.com

Could be back to Tanger Med for a while...

Peter

Libya Rally in Morocco 2014
 

Be aware that the Libya Rally folks will be on the move next month heading the same way.
Libya Rally edition 2014 | Official site

Don't get in the way of one of these:-
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/...o4thbit324.jpg

The motos stop for no-one too!
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/...o4thbit302.jpg

Happy trails,

Peter

I would take sailing times as being approximations only. Went Algeciras - Tangier-Med two months ago. Was supposed to leave at 1.30pm, left about 3.30pm. Coming back, should have left at 11.00am, actually left at 12.30. Each trip was a different ferry company.

regards,

Bob

I think i will miss them as i am on the move on the 10th and they are hitting Morrocco on the Semana Santa 16-17/04/2014...

My plan is to get on the first Acciona ferry at 08:00 am and be early on the border, always worked for me!!!

Thanx Itchy i did this track up North the crossing near the lost city, it was pretty easy i just had to pass a range of small dunette to reach the crossing, the crossing itself was a rocky & nice slow stream of water.

Therefore what you are telling me that the crossing at El Ramelia has a sandy range from both sides of the crossing and is a bite more complicated east of the crossing in General i can see on GE & on Oalf (Bad Dunes)

I am taking my family so i prefer to be prepared and that is why i am asking..

I agree 2/3 hours is to be expected but both times we crossed Algeciras/tangier Med (10th Feb and 18th March) we had to wait 6 hours + and arrived at night. This was with an open return with Acciona. Only seemed to be one or two sailings a day despite a timetable showing 5 sailings. Given my time over I would go to the port and just buy a ticket for the next sailing rather than being restricted to the one line. But maybe we were unlucky.

Went Sete-Nador for the first time in December.
The Nador border crossing was the easiest I have experienced in Africa - we didn't even realize we were in Morocco!
And it took 15 minutes.

Just back from Morrocco after 11 days , 4000km, a quick refresh for the overlanders that updated me.

I bought my my tickets from Arnal Viajens ( Tino) on acciona @ 233 Euros (1 car+ 2 adults+ 2 kids).

Frontier crossing ( Ceuta - Morrocco) took us 1 hour for formalities ( was on the 8:00 am Ferry from Algeciers to Ceuta)

Frontier crossing ( Morrocco- ceuta ) took us 1 1/2 hour for formalities (arrived in time to catch the last Sunday ferry @ 22:14 pm ferry from ceuta to Algeciras)

Was very smooth with no problems or delays did not witness any 5 hours delays either in formilities or ferry delays.


Itchy i went as well RIGHT from the building after the small bridge there were well raised tracks all the way to the crossing (no problems here) . We got stuck ( part of the fun) on the last dune range but contrary to you we got confused with the so many tracks going everywhere.

Now that i did both crossing north and south, I personally prefer the north one close to Oasis Mharech.

Happy Travels

Che