Introduction to Mauritania
We visited Mauritania for one week, and it is a country where you can fully experience the Sahara in West Africa. I explored the country at the end of October when the tourist season is starting, as the best months are from October to March; then the temperatures are too hot for enjoying the desert. On my tour in Mauritania, we discovered the must-see landmarks: the capital Nouakchott, the Adrar Region, we drove to the Eye of the Sahara, walked through the dunes and the old city of Chinguetti, hopped on the Iron Ore train, and rested in Nouadhibou. On our visit to Mauritania, we had the opportunity to get to know the Mauritanian people and learn about their culture.
So let me guide you through this unknown country and explain what to do in Mauritania and its vast desert. A really unforgettable adventure in this off-the-beaten-path region. This visit to Mauritania was an Expedition that is worthy to spend at least one week. I will share my own experience through the country, places to visit and some travel tips for this region. Mauritania is a country in Africa that I consider the door to the Sahara where you can visit those vast dunes and reach the Eye of the Sahara. A country in Africa like no other one.
Also Mauritania has a Visa on arrival for the majority of the countries and they will issue your Visa at the airport, bring cash (US Dollars or Euros) to pay the Visa fee of around 55 Euros.
If you are looking for information about the famous Iron Ore train, I will dedicate a post about that experience and how to prepare yourself.
Nouakchott: Gateway to Mauritania
You will be landing in the capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott (place of the winds), as it is the only international airport. From the airport, it is around a 30-minute drive to the city where I advise you to start exploring Nouakchott. Although this city is the capital, if you have limited time, you will only need one day to explore the main highlights during your visit to Mauritania.
Accommodation in Nouakchott
Our accommodation was the Le K – Maison d’hôte. a modest auberge with clean rooms, good wifi and a nice garden to relax during the warmest hours of the day. If you want to know more about accommodation in Nouakchott or Mauritania, feel free to contact me.
Getting Cash in Mauritania
On our tour in Nouakchott, we started visiting the main market of the city (“Marche Capitale”). Here, we exchanged money, they only take US Dollars and Euros, do not try with other currencies. Outside of the city of Nouakchott is mainly a cash based economy, credit cards can be used at a few hotels in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and mainly only Visa cards. The name of the currency is the Ouguiya (MRU).
Essential things to do in Nouakchott
In the same market, you can also try to get a SIM card with data that in my experience worked pretty well in the regions of the country that I visited. The Wifi in the hotels can be limited.
Marche Capitale
Then, We explored the Market in the city, although I was not impressed. Near the market, you can find the tallest building in the country, Al Khaima City Center, an 11th-floor building. You walk inside and go to the top floor where there is a terrace, and you will have a clear picture of Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. You can see that the city does not have tall buildings and it is quite flat and also very arid due to the desert.
Mosquée Saudique
Another landmark to visit in Nouakchott is The Saudi Mosque (Mosquée Saudique), one of the most significant highlights in the city. It was donated by Saudi Arabia: The mosque was a gift from the Saudi government and built in the 80’s. In my opinion, it wasn’t special, having visited other spectacular mosques around the world.
Port de Peche
Then, we visited my favourite place of Nouakchott, Port Peche and the Fish market. This is the best thing to visit in the capital of Mauritania in my opinion. You can walk around this bustling market and beach where the fishermen sell their captures of the day. It is a really good experience for knowing Mauritanian people and talking to them. You will also see the typical colourful boat – Cayucos – of West Africa that fishermen use. For photographers it is also a Must-see place in Nouakchott, although be careful and respectful when taking photos of people (there are some guards that would not like to see you taking photos). You can go one or two hours before sunset and spend the time there, observing the people and their daily work. Alternatively, you can visit it early in the morning when the Fishermen return from the sea.
Sultan Beach
If you want to relax and have a good lunch with Mauritanian famous fish dishes, you should go to Sultan beach, it is a forty-minute drive from the city. It is considered the best beach around the capital and even if you like active tourism you can go there for lunch and try their delicious fish dishes, a good example of Mauritanian food too. After all, during your visit to Mauritania, you should try their delicious fish dishes.
If you also have spare time and you want some souvenirs, you can visit the Craft market in the city. And also the famous camel market.
Adrar Region: What to visit
On our Second day, we drove 6 hours towards the Adrar region. The landscape is quite rocky and arid. Atar is the capital of the Adrar region and the gateway to the Sahara. The region offers opportunities for camel rides and desert camping, allowing experiencing the vastness and beauty of the Sahara. In Atar, many buildings are constructed using locally sourced materials such as adobe, giving them a distinctive appearance that blends with the desert landscape.
Pro Tip: In Atar, the main city in the Adrar region, you can find a small supermarket to buy snacks or food for your visit to Mauritania. It’s also a good place to purchase local clothes, blankets, or mats for the Iron Ore train journey.
Sunset at Atar Teyart
In the main roundabout of the Atar city, you spend some time talking to locals and exploring the market. After the driving day, and spending some time in Atar, we went to a view point before sunset where you can observe the vast region and some of the oasis. This viewpoint, Atar Teyart, is perfect for sunset. You will walk 5 minutes through a rock formation and then enjoy the views. This point is easy to find between Atar and Azougui. Here is the link location to Atar Teyart
For accommodation, you can find hotels in this area, in Azougui (5 minutes drive from Atar) There are a couple of really nice auberges with clean rooms and ensuite rooms. We stayed in the Auberge et Hôtel Atar, Étoile du Nord
During the night, in your auberge (hotel) you can lay outside (the temperature should not be too cold) and observe the stars and Milky way. This is a privileged position for stargazing due to the lack of light contamination, in the end, you are in the middle of the Sahara at this point.
Heading to the Sahara
On our third day, we drove to Oudane (it is a three hour drive from Azougui) . On your way you can stop in Agrour to see the rock painting of Agrour Amogjar. The rock art in Agrour is of significant historical importance, providing evidence of the region’s early inhabitants and their ways of life. The paintings offer clues about hunting practices, religious beliefs, social structures, and artistic expression during prehistoric times.
On our third day, we heade to Oudane, a three-hour drive from Azougui, during our visit to Mauritania. Along the way, you can make a stop in Agrour to explore the rock paintings of Agrour Amogjar. These ancient artworks hold significant historical importance, shedding light on the early inhabitants of the region and their way of life. The paintings provide valuable insights into hunting practices, religious beliefs, social structures, and artistic expression during prehistoric times.
However, I was not impressed by these rock paintings as they are partially eroded and quite exposed to the weather.
We finally reached our destination in Ouadane and left our stuff in the accommodation: Auberge Vasque chez Zaïda. The auberges or hotels are quite limited on Oudane (there must be 3 or 4 accommodations in the town.
The Eye of the Sahara or Richat Structure.
From Oudane, we will visit one of the main highlights in Mauritania. The Eye of the Sahara or Richat Structure. It is less than 1 hour driving through dunes, if your car is a Hilux you can go on the back to enjoy the desert (unless it is too hot). If you want to read further information about visiting the Eye of the Sahara, you can read this post.
The Eye of the Sahara is a deeply eroded rock formation, a slightly elliptical dome with a diameter of 40 kilometres. It was found in the twenty century; however, for our local guides, they told us that they are just mountains without any significance as now there are many theories from foreigners.
It is easily recognizable from space due to its distinctive circular shape; however, once you are there in the centre, you will not see or appreciate the circular structure as it is too big to observe from land.
Two things attract my attention, the landscape looks like planet Mars and also in the centre of the eye, you can find volcanic rocks implying that there was some lava formation. I was also told that to observe better some scientist or photographers hire a helicopter from Nouakchott.
There are many theories about the Eye of the Sahara: initially, it was thought to be an impact crater created by a meteorite strike, but further research revealed its true origin as a geological dome. It was also, at some point, implied that it was the location of Atlantis described by Platon.
After midday, the temperatures started to rise, so we went back to Oudane to have lunch and rest a bit before visiting the old city of Ouadane.
Ouadane: Visiting The Ancient Treasures
A few hours before sunset, we visited the ancient trading and religious centre of Ouadane, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We explored this small town for two hours, and you can still access the old mosque and visit the New mosque in the north part of the town. You can walk freely through those old streets surrounded by tall walls.
Ouadane was founded in the 11th century as a trading post along the trans-Saharan trade routes. It played a significant role in the trade of gold, salt, and other commodities between West Africa and North Africa. Despite its strategic location, Ouadane began to decline in the 17th century due to changes in trade routes, becoming a ghost town by the 20th century.
On the West part of the town, you can still visit the old well used in the past inside this fortified town. Around the city you will also see local people that live around and you can walk safely in the town.
After Sunset, we had our dinner in our Auberge Vasque, and after that, some local people were performing music for our groups and invited us to dance with them. I totally recommend travelling with a group or tour to Mauritania and Adrar region specifically.
Oasis de Tanouchert
Next morning we woke up early and we drove to Oasis de Tanouchert. Driving through the desert was an amazing experience. Only locals know how to guide themselves through the dunes, do not try yourself as you can be stuck on your own in the middle of the Sahara.
After driving 1 hour, we reached the Oasis of Tanouchert, a very small town created around an oasis in the Sahara. We explored the town and found a school for kids that they invited us to their classroom. It was just a building with two classrooms for all the kids in the area. We spent the morning with the locals and continue our trip to Chinguetti.
Exploring Old Chinguetti
Then, we kept driving through the dunes and the Sahara and finally found the old city of Chinguetti. The old city is another UNESCO world heritage site. Chingetti was also founded as a trading post in the 13th century. And it became one of the most important trading hubs in the region.
As I was told by our local guide, the sand dunes has covered the ol/d city a couple of times and the city has been moved from its original location. Tourists usually stay in the new part of Chinguetti and then you will visit the Old Chinguetti. Our accommodation was Auberge Eden chez Mahmoud Ould Beija
In the Old Chinguetti, you can visit the library and the Friday mosque. Chinguetti was renowned as a centre of Islamic scholarship and learning in West Africa. For centuries, the city was a principal gathering place for pilgrims of the Maghreb to gather, on their way to Mecca. It became known as a holy city in its own right. It is known as the seventh-most holy city of Islam. The city remains one of the world’s most important historical sites both in terms of the history of Islam and the history of West Africa. Today, five of these original libraries remain, and a team of loyal custodians humbly guards more than 1,000 priceless mediaeval Quranic manuscripts from the sand. In one of the libraries, they will show some of those old manuscripts.
Before sunset, we went to the dunes near Chinguetti where we had a clear view and idea about how vast the Sahara is. The dunes in Chinguetti are the perfect spot for having tea and enjoying the sunset. Just remember that the old town of Chinguetti will be covered by the sand and dunes in a matter of decades, so do not miss the opportunity of visiting this unique place.
During my trip, we also went to the dunes after dinner with a few mats and we just lay on the sand observing the stars, another privileged spot in the world where you can have a perfect clear sky during the night.
Terjit, a Hidden Gem in Mauritania
Another day and we started our route to the north of Mauritania. But before the long drive, we will stop for lunch in Terjit Oasis. A place that you cannot miss in your visit to Mauritania. I totally recommend even to spend a full day relaxing and sleeping there. This oasis is hidden in the desert next to a mountain/canyon. Here, you can enjoy swimming in the refreshing pools, relaxing in the shade of palm trees, and hiking in the nearby mountains.
I was positively surprised with the Terjit oasis in the Adrar regions and it will be one of my Must-see places in Mauritania. The oasis is very near to Atar. So we drove to Atar one last time to pick up some provisions and preparing our Train ride before going to Choum in the north.
In Atar, just make sure that you buy a couple of litres of water and a few snacks, mats and blankets before heading to the train adventure.
The Iron Ore Train Adventure
While waiting in Terjit, we had a contact that informed us when the Iron ore train was leaving Zouerat (the starting point of the train) so we could start to drive towards Choum. Driving to Choum from Atar (or Terjit) is only 2 hours, so we made sure that we arrived on time to catch the Iron Ore train.
Just to provide a bit of context. The Iron Ore Train transports iron ore from the mines in Zouérat, in the northern part of Mauritania, to the coastal town of Nouadhibou, where the ore is loaded onto ships for export to international markets.
The Iron Ore Train is one of the longest and heaviest trains in the world, with some trains consisting of more than 200 wagons and extending almost 3 kilometers in length. However, please note that for you do not need to do this part of the travel to enjoy your visit in Mauritania.
Why is the Iron Ore train in Mauritania famous?
Nowadays, this train appears in several videos on YouTube by travel bloggers. Despite being primarily a cargo train, the Iron Ore Train has become a traveller attraction in Mauritania. Travellers can ride on top of the ore wagons, having breathtaking views of the desert landscape.
Journey Across the Sahara
I travelled myself on top of the train from Choum to Nouadhibou, lasting around 12-14 hours. If you take the train from the starting point In Zouérat expect to ride for around 20 hours. You have to take in consideration all the advice provided about riding this train. I will write a specific post with some extra tips that can facilitate this ride, but please note that using this cargo train for travelling is not totally safe and you have to take some precautions.
Local people also use this train to navigate through the desert. The majority of the time the train is going next by the Western Sahara border.
In my experience, we took the train at 8 in the evening and it was already dark. So it was a bit chaotic in the beginning as we did not have enough light to organise ourselves. Before the train arrived at Choum there were a couple of wagons on the side tracks that we used to practise how to climb on top of the wagons transporting the iron ore.
So, after the initial adrenaline of taking the train and organising ourselves, we just enjoyed the views of the stars during the night. Then we tried to sleep the majority of the night until sunrise. Then it was when the fun started. The Sunrise was amazing, allowing us to take spectacular photos of the train and the desert.
In the end, before 11 in the morning we arrived in Nouadhibou where our local contacts were waiting for us to take us to our hotel. Here, we took a shower and rested a few hours before lunch.
Nouadhibou
Then, we explored Nouadhibou, which is just a port city (and the second largest city of Mauritania).
Pro Tip: Nouadhibou Airport. Even though it seems that there is an airport in this city and you can purchase a flight ticket from here to Canary Island, do not even try. The airport is closed and it is not currently operating.
The main attraction in the city is the Fishing harbour with Senegalese boats. You can visit this bustling port but keep in mind that they do not like foreigners walking around the port and watching the fish boats or sales. Take in consideration that there are some security checks, so do not try to enter restricted areas. And also any guard will take your phone or your camera if they see you taking photos of the place.
Although it may seem somewhat hostile, it is worthwhile to walk and explore, but avoid wandering around in large groups. You can take taxis or flag down a car and negotiate a price for transportation. Besides, Nouadhibou is a large city with several options for hotels, accommodations, and restaurants available. They serve mainly fresh fish, the specialty of Nouadhibou.
This was the end of my trip in Nouadhibou. After visiting the city, we returned to Nouakchott, a six-hour drive by car. On your way to the capital, you can stop at Sultan Beach to have lunch. (One of the best beaches in the whole country with delicious fish dishes).
We spent one more day in the capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott, but the city that does not have too much to offer. Therefore, it was time to end our visit to Mauritania. From here, we took a flight to Dakar and left the country.
Conclusion and Travel Tips for Mauritania
Mauritania is a great country to visit if you want to explore the western side of the Sahara. Many young travellers come solely for the Iron Ore train adventure, but the country has much more to offer. So, in a week, we visited the highlights of Mauritania: the capital Nouakchott, the Sahara, the Eye of the Sahara, the old trading cities of Ouadane and Chinguetti, and enjoyed the Iron Ore train.
I have to say that without our local guides, this expedition would not have been possible. They helped us with the logistics, and showed us some places off the beaten path that we could not find in any guidebook or travel blog. So, if you want to go by yourself, make sure you have the necessary contacts.
I also recommend having a good amount of cash as not many places accept credit cards. Euros and US Dollars are widely accepted. Make sure you have enough water and food for the trip as well.
It was really an unforgettable adventure trip in an unknown country with its vast desert. The visit to Mauritania was an Expedition that is worthy to kljhzvxcnat least one week.
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