Things to Do in Mauritania in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
December Weather in Mauritania
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
73°F (23°C)
High Temp
57°F (14°C)
Low Temp
0.1 inches (3 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + The Harmattan sweeps Saharan dust clean from the sky, leaving it a hard cobalt blue. That clarity hands photographers their sharpest shots of Chinguetti's ancient ksar as the first light paints the stone copper.
- + Daytime holds at 28°C (82°F), turning the camel trek from Atar to Terjit Oasis into a comfortable ride instead of the 45°C (113°F) ordeal it becomes later in the year.
- + December fires up the fishing season inside Nouakchott's Port de Pêche. Watch Mauritanian pirogues slide onto the sand, their crews hoisting 200 kg (440 lb) tunas while gulls spin overhead.
- + Nouadhibou's beaches sit empty of summer visitors, so you can stand alone among the Banc d'Arguin flamingo colonies.
Considerations
- − Saharan nights fall to 18°C (64°F), easy to handle. Yet the swing from day to night means sunscreen and a fleece ride together in your pack.
- − Harmattan dust paints every sunset into a hazy orange screen. It looks dramatic and will cake your camera and throat within hours.
- − The dry air splits lips and skin in a single day. You will burn through moisturizer faster than water.
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
Ancient Ksar Photography Tours
December's dust-free mornings, scrubbed clean by overnight Harmattan winds, give the crispest light for shooting Chinguetti's 13th-century libraries and stone houses. The winter sun strikes the old Saharan town at a 45-degree angle between 7:30-9:30 AM, carving shadows that expose every line of the dry-mud walls. Local guides know which dune ridge catches first light and will time your arrival so the stone shifts from gray to honey-gold.
Booking Tip: Reserve 7-10 days ahead through licensed desert guides working out of Atar. They will steer the 4WD across 180 km (112 miles) of trackless sand and pour traditional Mauritanian tea in nomad tents. Check the booking widget below for current Chinguetti photography tours.
Nouakchott Fish Market Tours
December is peak Atlantic fishing season, when the 200-strong Mauritanian fleet glides home at dawn. The market wakes at 6 AM with auctioneers shouting prices in Hassaniya Arabic while buyers eye 50 kg (110 lb) groupers lined on palm fronds. The smell arrives first, salt, fish blood, diesel from the pirogues, followed by the slap of tails and the banter of fishwives. By 9 AM the catch is gone and pelicans swoop in for the scraps.
Booking Tip: Local guides leave central Nouakchott hotels at 5:30 AM. The full loop covers pirogues landing, the auction floor, and a charcoal-grilled fish breakfast eaten right in the market. See current market tours in the booking section below.
Camel Caravan Expeditions
December's 28°C (82°F) days turn the multi-day camel trek from Atar to Terjit Oasis into a pleasure instead of a trial. The route traces old trans-Saharan trails over 100 m (328 ft) orange dunes where the only company is nomad herders and the odd gazelle. Nights drop to 18°C (64°F) under stars so sharp you can trace the Milky Way's dust lanes with bare eyes, then wake to tea brewed on acacia coals.
Booking Tip: Multi-day treks need 2-3 weeks advance booking through certified desert operators who supply Berber tents, camel handlers, and emergency satellite phones. Daily distances run 15-20 km (9-12 miles). Current camel expeditions are listed in the booking widget.
Banc d'Arguin Flamingo Watching
December brings 3 million migratory birds to winter along Mauritania's Atlantic coast, flamingo numbers topping out at Cap Blanc. They feed on 2 m (6.5 ft) tidal flats where pink birds mirror themselves in blue-green water, creating a scene that feels almost unreal. Local skippers in wooden pirogues know which sandbanks hold birds at each tide, and winter light gives photographers 4-6 hours of perfect shooting.
Booking Tip: Boat access needs permits from Parc National du Banc d'Arguin. Book 5-7 days ahead through Nouadhibou operators who handle the paperwork and hand out polarized sunglasses essential for bird shots. See flamingo watching tours in the booking section below.
Nouadhibou Shipwreck Coast Tours
December's low tides bare more of the 300-plus shipwrecks along Mauritania's coast, including the famous 190-meter (623 ft) cargo ship that ran aground in 2003. Rusted hulls stand like iron skeletons on empty Sahara beaches while seabirds nest in the superstructures and waves boom through hollow cargo holds. Winter light makes the orange rust blaze against cobalt Atlantic water.
Booking Tip: You need a 4WD, the coastal road dissolves into sand 5 km (3 miles) south of Nouadhibou. Local drivers know which wrecks are reachable at which tide. Book coastal expeditions 3-5 days ahead through Nouadhibou operators (see current options below).
Where to Stay in Mauritania in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early December
Nouakchott International Fishing Festival
Early December pulls fishermen from Senegal, Morocco, and Western Sahara for three days of pirogue races, huge fish auctions, and traditional song contests. The port turns into an open-air party where 50-year-old captains gun 200 HP engines in wooden boats while you eat grilled thiof (grouper) dusted with desert herbs.
Packing Checklist
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Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Mauritania Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Atar guides restock water and diesel on Fridays, schedule desert departures for Saturday mornings when supplies are fresh.
The Nouakchott fish market dishes out the best thiof (grouper) breakfast from 7-8 AM before tourists show up, just follow the smoke from the charcoal grills.
December's Harmattan winds dust your electronics, keep cameras in sealed plastic bags between shots.
Berber tea in Mauritania arrives in three glasses: bitter first, sweet second, sweetest third, refusing any glass is rude even if you are stuffed.
Avoid These Mistakes
Desert rookies pack only shorts and tees for 28°C (82°F) days, then shiver when nights crash to 18°C (64°F). Bring layers or brace for the chill.
Show up at Nouakchott fish market at 9 AM and you'll find empty tables and seagulls fighting over scraps, the catch is long gone.
Wait until December's low season to book desert expeditions and you'll hit closed gates. Operators shutter for maintenance between tourist waves.
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