{"id":41181,"date":"2025-07-17T09:32:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T07:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastplaces.com\/?post_type=viajes&p=41181"},"modified":"2026-01-13T13:34:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T12:34:44","slug":"expedition-chad-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"viajes","link":"https:\/\/lastplaces.com\/en\/trips\/expedition-chad-january-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Expedition to Chad: The Lost City of Zerzura"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"meeting<\/p>\n

An expedition to Chad, one of the most beautiful and remote places in the great Sahara Desert, from a historical, archaeological, and anthropological perspective.<\/p>\n

Our goal is to explore the Erdi Ma area in the heart of the Chadian Desert, not far from the Libyan and Sudanese borders. It is a \u201clast place\u201d… There are unexplored archaeological remains that could be the lost city of the Sahara: Zerzura.<\/p>\n

Translated from Arabic as \u201cThe City of Starlings\u201d or \u201cof Small Birds,\u201d Zerzura is cited in various works. However, one of the most notable is a medieval Arabic book, now lost, known as \u201cKitab Al Kanuz\u201d or \u201cBook of Hidden Pearls.\u201d It is a work intended to guide the Bedouins to those places in the desert where treasures were hidden.<\/p>\n

For 17 days, we will travel through the Ennedi Desert, the mythical Saharan lakes of Ouniaga, and we will venture into the unknown region of Erdi Ma in search of Zerzura. After exploring the archaeological remains of this land inhabited by the nomadic Toubou people, we\u2019ll visit the rock art near the Guelta d\u2019Archei oasis and spend one last night in the ruins of Ouada, capital of the African empire of Ouaddai (1635-1912), before returning to N\u2019Djamena to catch our flight home. We\u2019ll travel in all-terrain vehicles with desert-savvy drivers and an experienced fixer, a native of the Sahara.<\/p>\n

This trip in collaboration with the Spanish Geographical Society (SGE), will be guided by Miguel Gutie\u0301rrez Garitano. He is an explorer, writer, historian, and reporter, who has led and conducted several expeditions to remote locations over more than twenty years of travel. A member of the Spanish Geographical Society, he has dedicated his life to collecting and researching stories in the most remote and inaccessible places on the planet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Download the itinerary for this expedition to Chad<\/a><\/h3>\n

Using the form below, you can download the detailed itinerary for this expedition to Chad. Click here to easily reach the form.<\/a><\/p>\n

Discover the highlights of this expedition to Chad<\/h2>\n

Exploration from N\u2019Djamena to the Desert<\/h3>\n

The expedition to Chad begins in N\u2019Djamena, the country\u2019s capital and gateway to one of the most remote territories on the African continent. From here, we will journey north, following the path once taken by ancient trade caravans. Our destination: the extreme landscapes of the Sahara Desert, where nomadic peoples, legendary oases, and cultures that have endured for centuries still survive.<\/p>\n

Towards the Heart of the Sahara<\/h3>\n

Shortly after leaving N\u2019Djamena, the expedition to Chad will follow sandy tracks through Sahelian villages and semi-arid zones. Our first stop will be Moussoro, before continuing on to Kouba Olanga and the Well 110, a key meeting point for Tubu nomads and Red Arabs. Over these first few days, we\u2019ll cross landscapes of dunes, rocky plateaus, and remote villages. The pace will be steady but unhurried, in tune with the rhythm of the desert.<\/p>\n

Faya: Trade Oasis in Northern Chad<\/h3>\n

One of the highlights of the expedition to Chad will be Faya, an oasis town in the heart of the Chadian Sahara. With a population of around 50,000, Faya has long been a hub for trade between Libya and sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we\u2019ll explore dusty markets, vast palm groves, and the traces of a life built around the trade in salt, natron and dates. From this point onwards, the route becomes more rugged, pushing the expedition to Chad deeper into scarcely inhabited territory.<\/p>\n

Fossil Landscapes and Saharan Lakes<\/h3>\n

Beyond Faya, the expedition to Chad enters the vastness of the Erg of Bemb\u00e9ch\u00e9, where we\u2019ll encounter ancient rock engravings. Eventually, we will reach the lakes of Ounianga Kebir and Serir, UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These fossil water lakes are ecological marvels in the heart of the desert: saltwater basins surrounded by palm trees and ochre dunes. We\u2019ll also visit nearby Lake Katam \u2013 smaller but equally striking. Here, the expedition to Chad pauses to take in one of the Sahara\u2019s most breathtaking sights.<\/p>\n

Erdi Ma and the Red Salt: Heart of the Expedition<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ll then cross the salt flats of Demi, home to communities descended from former slaves. Soon after, we\u2019ll arrive at the epicentre of our expedition to Chad: the region of Erdi Ma. This extraordinary enclave combines golden dunes, ephemeral lakes and deposits of salt stained red. We will spend three days here in search of Zerzura and conducting archaeological, historical and anthropological research. It will be a unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of this virtually unexplored corner of the desert. Life in Erdi Ma unfolds far from modernity, shaped by the seasons, wells, and camel routes.<\/p>\n

Ennedi and the Crocodiles of the Sahara<\/h3>\n

After leaving Erdi Ma, we begin the second stage of the expedition to Chad by entering the Mourdi Depression. Our journey continues across endless sandy plains until we reach Wadi Elich\u00e9, the natural gateway to the Ennedi Massif. The landscape changes dramatically: from dunes to spectacular rock formations that mark the start of a new phase in the expedition to Chad.<\/p>\n

One of the most unforgettable moments will be the visit to the Guelta of Arche\u00ef, an oasis where Nile crocodiles still survive. These living relics of a wetter era share the space with Tubu nomads and their herds. We\u2019ll witness camels descending to drink as silence envelops the gorge. Afterwards, we\u2019ll continue to Terke\u00ef, an area rich in rock art and wind-carved stone formations.<\/p>\n

Ruins in the Savannah<\/h3>\n

Later, the expedition to Chad will turn south, crossing the natural boundary between the desert and the savannah. We\u2019ll reach Kala\u00eft, a key point on the ancient routes between Lake Chad and the Red Sea. Here, a commercial kingdom once thrived, resisting French colonial advance until 1912. We\u2019ll then visit Ouada, former capital of the Ouaddai Kingdom, where archaeological remains evoke a powerful past. Among ruins, legends and centuries-old mosques, we\u2019ll uncover the history of one of the last African kingdoms to resist colonisation. This final stretch of the expedition to Chad will connect us with a different face of the country \u2013 one where animist and Muslim cultures have coexisted for centuries.<\/p>\n

Meeting the Hadjerai, Guardians of the Guera Mountains<\/h3>\n

The expedition to Chad will culminate in the Guera region, land of the Hadjerai \u2013 the \u201cinhabitants of the rocks.\u201d Amidst mountains, villages and rocky landscapes, we will meet communities that have managed to preserve their traditions in the face of modernity. The return journey to N\u2019Djamena will bring this Saharan odyssey to a close.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Photos by An\u00edbal Bueno<\/a>, Jordi Zaragoz\u00e0 Angl\u00e8s<\/a> and Markus Mauthe<\/a> taken during an expedition to Chad.<\/p>\n

\u25ba Download the detailed itinerary of this expedition to Chad<\/a><\/h3>\n

Click the button below to easily access the download form for the itinerary of this expedition to Chad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":41160,"template":"","etiquetas_viajes":[],"categorias_viajes":[179,128],"mes_viajes":[151,152],"ano_viajes":[455],"destacado_viajes":[],"guias_viajes":[],"viajes_a_medida":[],"class_list":["post-41181","viajes","type-viajes","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categorias_viajes-africa-en","categorias_viajes-chad-en","mes_viajes-january","mes_viajes-february","ano_viajes-2026-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nExpedition to Chad \u25ba The lost city of Zerzura<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Expedition to Chad with a historical, archaeological & anthropological focus. 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