Mauritania - Sahara Desert
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in Northwest Africa. It is the eleventh largest sovereign state in Africa and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest.
Approximately 90% of Mauritania's land is within the Sahara; consequently, the population is concentrated in the south, where precipitation is slightly higher. The capital and largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast, which is home to around one-third of the country's 4.7 million people.
So Mauritania is the perfect country for desert lovers.
The country derives its name from the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania, which existed from the 3rd century BCE into the 7th century CE in the far north of modern-day Morocco and Algeria.
BEST TIME to VISIT MAURITANIA
BEST TIME to TRAVEL to NOUAKCHOTT
from November to March
Nomade woman waiting a ride along the road - There is no public buses
Nomades in the Sahara dunes and their tent
white dromedary in the desert
Nomads offers tea and shelter to travelers - Also they have a small shop for tourists
women on a donkey carriage
Under the tent with nomads - preparing the milk
This part of Mauritania is very different from the northern part - It's looking like Senegal and it's the same tribe on the 2 sides of Senegal river
washing clothes in the river
Donkey carriage is very common
Horse carriage
Donkey carriage is very common
Donkey carriage is very common
shop
market
sheeps are pushed to the truck to be transfered
Donkey carriage is very common
Donkey carriage is very common
Butchery at the market
donkeys at the market
Donkey carriage is very common
shops
Donkey carriage is very common
Donkey carriage is very common
Butchery at the market
woman at the market
shop at the market
Donkey carriage is very common
shop
Nomad in the Sahara desert
Donkey carriage is very common
Chinguetti - one of the last private library with very old books
Under the tent with nomads - young girl bringing tea
Under the tent with nomads - a young woman is preparing the milk
young man
young man
Chinguetti - old town
around Chinguetti - women - one has henna on her hands
Man with a donkey carriage on the road
the blue costume is traditional for mauritanians
Women at the market
women at the market
young girl
Man and woman in a village
old man
Atar is the capital town of Adrar - Lady in pink
Chinguetti - old book in a private Library
man with a cheich (typical long scarf for berbers)
young woman with children
young man with the typical costume and cheich
Man wearing the traditional costume
men on a carriage with 2 donkeys
typical west african shop - what you see is what you get in the shop - here clothes
old woman in the desert
Terjit Oasis - young girl
typical west african shop - what you see is what you get in the shop - here clothes
woman in blue
this young man is selling "baguette" bread
young man in white
young man with a black cheich
Man with a traditional white costume - Here the road starts to be covered by sand
Man with a cheich
young girl
Man with a cheich
woman at the grocery store
man with a donkey
young girl
Man with the traditional white costume
young girls
women in pink and yellow
young girl
Off road drive to find a path to skirt the dunes cuting the road
a dune is covering the road and the driver and the guide are checking the sand to know if the car can make it, or not
a dune is covering the road and the driver and the guide are checking the sand to know if the car can make it, or not
a dune is covering the road and the driver is checking the sand to know if the car can make it, or not
Pushed by winds, the dunes are rolling to the road leaving few space or no space for cars - so we had to skirt that road few kilometers
this road between Atar and Tidjikdja is new and paved, but not maintained. Dunes are blocking many kilometers and 4WD cars can skirt off road but don't even try without a 4WD
Pushed by winds, the dunes are rolling to the road leaving few space for cars, but here the 3rd dune is blocking completely the road - so we had to skirt that road few kilometers
Off road drive to find a path to skirt the dunes cuting the road
Pushed by winds, the dunes are rolling to the road leaving no space for cars - so we had to skirt that road few kilometers
End of the Off road drive, we reach again the road between Atar and Tidjikdja
Dunes on the road can be high due to a default of maintenance - the only solution is to skirt off road
typical african clay houses very different from North Mauritania but similar to the houses in Senegal
Senegal river is the border between Senegal and Mauritania so the land isn't so dry and there is more cows, cattle and fields
Senegal river is the border between Senegal and Mauritania so the land isn't so dry and there is more cows, cattle and fields
typical african clay houses very different from North Mauritania but similar to the houses in Senegal
Mosque in a village
typical african clay houses very different from North Mauritania but similar to the houses in Senegal
Washing and drying the "boubous", the traditional mauritanian costumes
Senegal river is the border between Senegal and Mauritania so the land isn't so dry and there is more cows, cattle and fields
Donkeys
Typical house and goats
dunes landscape
typical houses
Scenic drive with dunes
donkey
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar sandy landscape
sandy landscape after a sand storm
sandy landscape after a sand storm
sandy landscape after a sand storm
Dromadery
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
small oasis with few houses
typical house
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical house
Unpaved road and dust
Drivers are quite good to fix a problem, good idea when the next garage is hundred kilometers away
relax, have a cup of tea in the garden
dining room in a hotel to relax or for a meal
pretty colorful house
typical landscape and houses
cliff
Oued with water
Oued with water
water is rare and this oued (river) is full of water
the oued is full and the water is crossing the road
curious girls
old man on a donkey
typical house
donkey carriage
Terjit Oasis - unpaved road
Terjit Oasis - old man walking
Terjit Oasis - unpaved road
around Chinguetti - Ancient petroglyphs
around Chinguetti - landscape with a pick-up
around Chinguetti - Ancient petroglyphs
Chinguetti - old houses
taxi driver
Chinguetti - old houses
landscape
cliff landscape
landscape
The town of Atar is the busy capital of Adrar area
Terjit Oasis - unpaved road - Elegant old building
The town of Atar is the busy capital of Adrar area
Chinguetti - old building
Chinguetti - old building
Chinguetti - typical house
Chinguetti - old building
Chinguetti - couple walking in the sand
Typical Adrar landscape
repairing this old car
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
beautiful landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Dromaderies
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Nomade camp with a tent
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape with dromaderies
Typical Adrar volcanic landscape
Nomade camp with tents
Nomade camp with tents
Fish shop
Cars are coming second-hand from Europe and are repaired and used until the end, so many of them are in a very poor condition
street view
Dried date palm fruits are very popular
restaurant
we can't say Mauritania is very clean in cities or outside - there is no waste management and the result is terrible
Hair dresser
street view
relax at the swimming pool
Cars are coming second-hand from Europe and are repaired and used until the end, so many of them are in a very poor condition
Dining room in a private house
street view
street view - colorful buildings
colorful buildings
recent building
local market
Mosque
street view
Donkeys are still used to carry goods
colorful buildings
Donkeys are still used to carry goods
Donkeys are still used to carry goods
Donkeys are still used to carry goods at the local market
local market
market - the city is obviously not very clean
market
fruit shop
Donkeys are still used to carry goods
market
Mosque
Nomads are still living in the desert under tents with dromedaries, goats and sheeps
Off road in the desert - 4WD mandatory with a good knownledge of desert and sand or you might be stuck
Rocky mountain
around Chingetti - this Fort was built for a movie : Fort Saganne is a 1984 French war film directed by Alain Corneau and starring Gérard Depardieu
Adrar overview with the road
landscape with an oasis
Cars and Pick-ups are overloaded in the desert
Nouakchott is the capital city of Mauritania
donkeys are still used in Mauritania, even in Nouakchott
Cars are coming second-hand from Europe and are repaired and used until the end, so many of them are in a very poor condition
Cars are coming second-hand from Europe and are repaired and used until the end, so many of them are in a very poor condition
According to our guide, this car was still working. Everything is possible as they can repair all old cars
Nouakchott beach with fishing boats waiting for a flat sea to go
Nouakchott beach - Fishing boat
Nouakchott beach - Fishing boat trying to leave against powerful waves
Nouakchott beach - Fishing boat trying to leave against powerful waves
Nouakchott beach - Fishing boat trying to leave against powerful waves
Nouakchott beach - Fishing boat trying to leave against powerful waves
Nouakchott beach - Fishing boats trying to leave against powerful waves
Nouakchott beach - Many people are comoing for the departure or arrival of the Fishing boats, probably to get a job at the last minute.
Nomade man with a dromedary
Nomade man with a dromedary
Nomade men and dromedaries
Nomade's tent and dromedary
dromedaries
man on a dromedary
dune landscape
Flamingos
whale skeleton in a village
Village and sea birds
pelicans
village
dromedaries
dromedary
colorful fishing boat
colorful fishing boat
sea birds flying
young girl in a village
young boy in a village