Things to Do in Mauritania

About Mauritania

The wind that drives the Sahara into your teeth starts long before you see Nouakchott's corrugated-iron skyline. It carries the smell of dried fish from the Port de Pêche, where painted pirogues land thiof and mullet that sell for 400 MRO ($11) a kilo, and the metallic taste of iron ore dust from the train that runs 700 km inland from the Zouérate mines. Between the capital's half-finished concrete blocks and the mud-brick mosques of Chinguetti—whose 13th-century libraries still smell of camel-skin manuscripts and saffron ink—lies a country most travelers skip. They're wrong. In Terjit oasis, date palms arch over pools where you can float while listening to the sand hiss against the rocks above. In Nouadhibou, Soviet-era trawlers and Chinese cargo ships rust in the world's largest ship graveyard, their hulls turning amber at sunset like some dystopian sculpture garden. The catch? July temperatures hit 48°C (118°F) with humidity that makes coastal Nouakchott feel like a wet sauna. The reward? Empty Atlantic beaches where you might share lunch—a 150 MRO ($4) bowl of thieboudienne with mullet and root vegetables—with the fishermen who caught it that morning. This isn't the Morocco you've seen on Instagram. It's better.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Shared taxis (taxi-brousse) cost 2,000 MRO ($55) from Nouakchott to Chinguetti—six hours across washboard roads where the Sahara reclaims the asphalt. Private 4WDs run 15,000 MRO ($400) but stop at Terjit oasis for photos. The iron ore train from Nouadhibou to Choum (free for passengers, 200 MRO/$5.50 for a berth) is the world's longest train at 2.5 km—bring a scarf; the iron dust will find every pore. In Nouakchott, negotiate hard: taxis quote 2,000 MRO ($55) for airport runs that should cost 500 MRO ($14).

Money: Mauritanian ouguiya (MRO) trades at 36 to the dollar. ATMs exist at Banque pour le Commerce et l'Industrie on Avenue Gamal Abdel Nasser—withdraw 10,000 MRO ($275) maximum, and do it early; machines run empty by Friday. Credit cards work at exactly two Nouakchott hotels (Azalaï and Semiramis). Everyone else wants cash. Euros trade at better rates than dollars in Nouadhibou's port-side cambistes—count the bills twice, some bills are counterfeit. Tipping 50-100 MRO ($1.50-3) gets you better service everywhere.

Cultural Respect: Friday prayers shut Nouakchott dead from 12-2 PM—stock up on water beforehand. In Chinguetti's libraries, remove shoes and accept the mint tea offered; refusal is rude. Women should cover shoulders and knees everywhere; a headscarf earns respect in the interior. During Ramadan, eating publicly carries 5,000 MRO ($140) fines. When offered camel milk in nomad camps, drink three sips minimum—less insults your host. Photography of military installations gets your camera confiscated permanently.

Food Safety: Eat where the fishermen eat: Port de Pêche stalls serve grilled thiof for 350 MRO ($9.50) with bread baked in sand ovens. The couscous at Restaurant Timbuktu on Rue 42 costs 800 MRO ($22) and hasn't poisoned anyone since 2008. Avoid lettuce and anything washed in tap water—Nouakchott's desalination plants struggle during power cuts. Bottled water runs 100 MRO ($2.75) everywhere; check the seal. Dates from Adrar region markets taste like honey and don't need refrigeration—buy 5 kg for 2,000 MRO ($55) and share with your taxi driver.

When to Visit

November through March is the only time the Sahara doesn't try to kill you. Daytime temperatures hover at 28-32°C (82-90°F) across the interior, dropping to 15°C (59°F) nights in Adrar—perfect for desert camping without melting. These five months also bring 90% of Mauritania's annual 100mm rainfall, but storms are brief afternoon affairs that clear the dust-choked air. Hotel prices in Nouakchott surge 60% during this window—expect to pay 25,000 MRO ($690) at decent places instead of the 10,000 MRO ($275) off-season rate. April marks the beginning of the hot season: temperatures climb past 38°C (100°F) and the harmattan wind kicks up sand so fine it penetrates sealed luggage. May through September is brutal. Nouakchott hits 45°C (113°F) with wet-sauna humidity; interior towns like Atar register 48°C (118°F) with zero rainfall. The upside? Empty attractions and 50% cheaper flights—Nouakchott-Paris drops from 180,000 MRO ($5,000) peak to 90,000 MRO ($2,500) in August. October is the sweet spot: temperatures drop to manageable 35°C (95°F), hotel rates haven't peaked yet, and the Nouakchott International Festival brings griot musicians and desert racing to the capital. For shipwreck photography in Nouadhibou, come January-February when the Atlantic's winter light turns rust into gold. Budget travelers should target late October or early April—shoulder season rates with bearable weather. Luxury seekers stick to December-February, when coastal winds keep things tolerable and the desert camps offer proper beds instead of foam mattresses that retain 45°C heat.