Things to Do in Mauritania in January
January weather, activities, events & insider tips
January Weather in Mauritania
Is January Right for You?
Advantages
- Perfect desert conditions with daytime temperatures around 28-32°C (82-90°F) making Sahara exploration actually comfortable instead of punishing - you can hike the Adrar dunes midday without risking heatstroke
- Harmattan winds have usually settled by mid-January, meaning clearer skies for photography and the famous Mauritanian sunset over the dunes is actually visible instead of obscured by dust
- This is prime season for the ancient caravan routes - the Ouadane and Chinguetti ksour (fortified villages) are accessible without the October-November sandstorm disruptions, and you'll meet nomadic herders moving their livestock to winter pastures
- Nouakchott's fish market operates at full capacity in January with the cool Atlantic waters bringing in excellent catches - you'll see the traditional lancha boats unloading at dawn, and grilled thiof (white grouper) is at its absolute best
Considerations
- Night temperatures drop dramatically to 13-16°C (55-61°F) in the desert interior, and most desert camps have minimal heating - you'll genuinely need a proper sleeping bag rated for near-freezing temps, not just a light blanket
- January sits right in the middle of high tourist season for the handful of visitors Mauritania gets, which means the limited quality accommodations in Atar and Chinguetti book out 6-8 weeks ahead, and you're paying peak prices of 15,000-25,000 MRU (roughly 40-65 USD) per night for very basic rooms
- The Banc d'Arguin National Park, while spectacular for birdwatching, requires serious advance planning in January - you need permits arranged weeks ahead, and the limited park lodging fills up with European birding groups who book the entire season the previous summer
Best Activities in January
Multi-day Sahara Desert Expeditions in Adrar Region
January offers the only genuinely comfortable window for extended desert camping. Daytime temps hover around 28-30°C (82-86°F) instead of the 45°C (113°F) you'd face in summer, and you can actually walk the dunes without your feet burning through your boots. The landscape around Chinguetti and the Amogjar Pass is accessible now - the seasonal wadis are dry enough to cross but still show traces of the autumn rains in patches of green. You'll likely encounter Moorish nomads with their camel herds moving to winter grazing areas, which is culturally significant and makes for authentic interactions you won't get in hotels. The night sky is absurdly clear this time of year, and with almost zero light pollution, you're looking at the Milky Way core visible to the naked eye.
Iron Ore Train Journey from Nouadhibou to Choum
The world's longest train, hauling iron ore across 700 km (435 miles) of absolute nothingness, and January is when you want to attempt this. The overnight temperatures in the open ore cars drop to around 10-12°C (50-54°F), which sounds brutal but is actually manageable with proper layering - try this in July and you're dealing with 40°C (104°F) heat and choking dust. The train departs Nouadhibou irregularly, usually late afternoon or evening, and takes 16-20 hours to reach Choum. You'll ride in open-top ore wagons with local traders, miners, and the occasional adventurous traveler. The landscape is stark, otherworldly, and you'll understand why Mauritania feels like Mars. Worth noting that the passenger car exists but defeats the entire purpose of the experience.
Banc d'Arguin National Park Birdwatching Expeditions
January is peak migration season for the Banc d'Arguin, which hosts over 2 million migratory shorebirds escaping European winter. You'll see massive flocks of flamingos, pelicans, terns, and waders that have flown down from Siberia and Scandinavia. The park sits where the Sahara meets the Atlantic, creating this surreal landscape of dunes dropping straight into shallow bays filled with seagrass beds. The Imraguen fishing communities still use traditional methods - they call dolphins to help drive mullet into their nets, which is one of the last examples of human-dolphin cooperative fishing anywhere on earth. The weather in January is cool enough that you can spend full days in the park without suffering, and the light is exceptional for photography.
Nouakchott Fish Market and Atlantic Coast Experiences
The capital's fish market (Marché aux Poissons) is genuinely one of the most vibrant scenes in West Africa, and January brings excellent fishing conditions with cooler Atlantic waters. You'll see hundreds of traditional lancha boats painted in bright colors coming in at dawn with the night's catch - huge thiof (white grouper), rays, octopus, and various Atlantic species. The chaos is spectacular - fishermen unloading, traders negotiating in Hassaniya Arabic, women processing fish, and the occasional camel wandering through. You can arrange to have your fish grilled right there for maybe 1,500-3,000 MRU (4-8 USD) depending on size. The nearby beach, Plage de Nouakchott, is worth visiting in January when temperatures are comfortable for walking - it's less about swimming (the Atlantic is rough and cold) and more about watching local life and seeing the boat construction yards.
Ancient Caravan Town Exploration in Ouadane and Tichitt
These UNESCO-listed ksour (fortified trading towns) date back to the 11th-12th centuries when they were crucial stops on the trans-Saharan trade routes. January weather makes exploring their crumbling stone architecture and narrow alleyways actually pleasant - you can spend hours wandering without the summer heat making you miserable. Ouadane sits on a dramatic plateau with palm groves below, and the old town's ruins sprawl across the hillside with views over the desert. Tichitt is even more remote and atmospheric, built entirely from local stone in a distinctive architectural style. You'll meet the handful of families still living in these towns, see ancient manuscripts in private collections, and get a tangible sense of medieval Saharan civilization. The isolation is profound - Tichitt has maybe 500 residents and feels like the edge of the world.
Traditional Moorish Tea Culture and Handicraft Workshops
January evenings get genuinely cold in the desert, which makes the Moorish tea ceremony (atai) even more central to social life. This isn't just drinking tea - it's a ritualized process involving three rounds of increasingly sweet green tea with fresh mint, prepared over charcoal, with specific pouring techniques and social protocols. You'll find tea happening everywhere in January - in desert camps after dinner, in homes in Chinguetti, in workshops in Nouakchott. Many families and artisan cooperatives welcome visitors to participate in tea ceremonies while learning about traditional crafts like leather working, silver jewelry making, and the distinctive Mauritanian textile patterns. The conversations that happen over tea give you more insight into Mauritanian culture than any museum visit. January's cooler weather means sitting around a charcoal brazier is genuinely pleasant instead of unbearably hot.
January Events & Festivals
Nouakchott International Camel Race
Usually held in late January or early February, this is a significant cultural event that draws Moorish tribes from across Mauritania and neighboring countries. Racing camels (meharis) can reach speeds of 60-65 km/h (37-40 mph) in short sprints, and the competition is serious with substantial prize money. Beyond the races, you'll see traditional music performances, displays of horsemanship, and elaborate Moorish tents set up around the racing grounds. It's one of the few times you'll see such a concentration of traditional Saharan culture in one place. The atmosphere is festive, with families camping out for several days and plenty of food vendors selling traditional dishes.