Far from the thermal spring of Moulay Yaacoub and Sidi Harazem, far from the traditional tourist circuits, there is a thermal spring in the middle of the desert, soberly named Asmaa. This place has become an essential stopover for tourists passing through Dakhla. Immersion.
During a trip with the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) to discover the Dakhla region, Yabiladi was able to discover a very special place. 35 kilometers from the city, in the middle of the Moroccan desert, there is a thermal spring with hot water with a particular smell: the Asmaa thermal spring.
You have to venture on a sand track after km 25. The desert landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see. The first impression of this course is to be lost in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, a small house appears, with a crowd of tourists. A funny scene is offered to us with onlookers filming and taking pictures with wide smiles while they are in the middle of the desert. mirage?
A few minutes later, the mystery is lifted, a powerful jet of water springs up, amazing the tourists who go in turn to offer themselves “a bath” from the thermal spring of Asmaa. The smell, very strong, fills our nostrils, that of sulfur which is very present in this water. Moulay Yaacoub fans can only appreciate.
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Tourists take great pleasure in diving under the water of the hot spring. / Ph. Zaïnab Aboulfaraj – Yabiladi
Water at a temperature of around 30 degrees
According to Daifallah Endour, regional delegate for tourism in Dakhla – Oued Eddahab, contacted by Yabiladi, the name Asmaa is recent. “It’s just a name we found for people who transport tourists to the source. There is not really a proper name for it to be historic, ”says the manager.
“The stage is essential in tourist excursions. One of the particularities of this spring is the quality of the water temperature, which is around 30 degrees, as well as the powerful flow.
Daifallah Endour evokes future projects, in particular the construction of a real spa. “There is a project in this direction, to work out a concept of development of a thermal source within the framework of the program of development rural tourism is nature”, explains the regional delegate of tourism of Dakhla – Oued Eddahab.
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Ph. Zaïnab Aboulfaraj – Yabiladi
sulfur and water
Sulphurous water (with a predominant sulfur component) has a characteristic scent like putrefied eggs. Sulfur water can be ingested, or applied. It is “indicated mainly for rheumatic, dermatological processes such as eczema, keratosis, psoriasis or pruritus and chronic respiratory processes, such as laryngitis, rhinitis, bronchitis, and asthma”, explains a site specializing in balneotherapy and thalassotherapy.
The agency of the hydraulic basin of Sakia El Hamra – Oued Eddahab owns the hydraulic drilling at the origin of the thermal spring. Hassan Draoui, engineer and head of the works and technical assistance department, told Yabiladi that the “nature of the water table is artesian, which means that when you open the borehole, the water comes out with great pressure” .
“It is the same water that supplies the inhabitants of Dakhla.”
The engineer explains that in order for the inhabitants to get rid of the particular smell of the water, they have a traditional method: “They simply put the water in copper for 24 to 48 hours”. The industrial process is quite different. “There is a demineralization station”, but the sulfur is removed “in aeration basins”.
After having taken advantage of the crystalline water of the lagoon caressed by the powerful winds of Dakhla, the white dune moving with fragility, and dragon island and its remarkable ecosystem, the detour through this thermal spring will offer you a pleasant interlude in the middle of the desert.