The Sahara Challenge 2027 promises to be the most ambitious and adventurous edition yet. Organised by HERO-ERA, a long time FIVA Partner, the fifth running of the event will cover an epic 5,250 km from Lisbon to Dakar, beginning on 19 September 2027. The rally will travel through Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal, tracing some route rich in history, endurance, and rallying heritage.
Designed by multi–Middle East Rally Champion and desert expert John Spiller, the 21-day black-coded super-endurance event will combine competition, culture, and classic motoring adventure. It will also serve as a qualifying round for the 2028 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, allowing participants to test both car and crew across a broad range of terrain.
From Lisbon, competitors will drive through southern Europe before crossing from Tarifa to Tangiers and into Morocco. The route will wind through the Rif Mountains, the “Blue City” of Chefchaouen, and Rabat, before heading inland to Volubilis and the bustling old city of Fes. Beyond the forests of Tazekka National Park, the scenery changes dramatically — the first glimpse of the desert that defines the event.
The journey toward Erfoud, close to the Algerian border, marks what Spiller calls “the day the desert opens to us.” From there, the challenge deepens with Sporting Trial Sections designed to test navigators and drivers alike. The route then climbs into the Atlas Mountains Toward Bin El Ouidane, before descending to Marrakech for a well-earned rest day.
Turning west to the Atlantic coast, crews will pass through Essaouira, Agadir, and Tan, tackling a series of competitive stages before entering the Moroccan Sahara for a final six-day adventure through dunes and open desert.
Competitors will bivouac under the stars for two nights — an authentic “Dakar Experience” — before crossing into Mauritania and Senegal, where the legendary city of Dakar awaits.
Tomas de Vargas Machuca, Chairman of HERO-ERA, explained the significance of the new route: “The Sahara Challenge has always been one of our legacy adventure rallies, but it was time to innovate. We are seizing the opportunity to take our competitors on a challenging desert rally through Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal — countries made famous by the Dakar Rally.”
Route designer John Spiller added: “This Lisbon–Dakar evolution really opens the concept up. We’re linking classic European rallying with the fun and variety of Morocco before progressing to a true taste of rallying in Continental Africa.”
Reaching Dakar, the “Destination of Rally Legends,” will be an achievement to rival the greats, including Stéphane Peterhansel, who holds a record 14 Dakar Rally victories — six on motorcycles and eight in cars.
The Sahara Challenge 2027 blends endurance, heritage, and exploration — a journey that celebrates the spirit of classic rallying while pushing crews into new and unknown territory.
