Mauritania Tour

Welcome to Mauritania! We land at the Nouakchott airport where we are greeted by the local staff who escort us to the hotel.

This morning we visit the National Museum of Nouakchott which displays, among many masterpieces, photos of the center of Aoudaghost from where the caravans that carried gold departed. We then set off towards Banc d'Arguin, where the Mauritanian-style tented camp will be our base for two nights.

Today we explore the Banc d'Arguin National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We board a wooden felucca and set sail in search of the birds that inhabit this ornithological sanctuary; pelicans, flamingos, broad-billed sandpipers, and many other species! Then we return to our Mauritanian-style tented camp at Tafarit.

Early morning departure for a long and intense day entirely dedicated to crossing one of the most spectacular landscapes of Mauritania: valleys, high mountains, large chains of yellow sand dunes, peaks of dark brown and red rocks, and hidden clay villages. Erg Amatlich is a vast basin of dunes trapped between the Adrar mountains. In addition to the endless dunes, the region encompasses a great variety of Saharan landscapes such as canyons, small palm groves. We will find prehistoric stone arrowheads, fragments of terracotta, silent witnesses of people who lived in these sites thousands of years ago, when this region was a green land crossed by large rivers. Voices, cries of women and children will welcome us in remote nomadic camps and hidden clay villages to experience intense human encounters after the immense silence of the Sahara. The Tifoujar pass dominates a vast and steep gorge, remnants of an ancient river that ended in the Oued el Abiod or White Valley. We will travel through a valley blocked by dunes along which tiny human settlements and palm groves are hidden. Arrival in the evening at Chinguetti at the welcoming Guest House which will be our base for two nights.

Chinguetti was a historic caravan terminal and a significant trading point between the north and sub-Saharan Africa, dating back to the 13th century. We'll spend an entire day immersed in the enchanting ambiance of this stone citadel, considered the jewel of Mauritanian oases and one of the best-preserved in the Sahara. We'll visit two manuscript collections, including Ould Habott, Mauritania's largest. The minaret of the white stone mosque is the second oldest still in use in the Muslim world. We'll explore the palm grove that shades lush gardens and remnants of the French colonial era, such as the former Foreign Legion fort, the courthouse, and a tall water tower - fascinating examples of neo-Sudanese architecture. We'll watch the sunset from the high dunes overlooking Chinguetti. After dinner, we'll be guests at a local courtyard party. In the firelight, the atmosphere will become vibrant with drum rolls, women's songs, and rhythmic dances. We'll then return to our cozy guest house.

Departure for Ouadane on an absolutely 'off-road' itinerary that follows a 'Wadi (dry riverbed). We reach the tiny oasis of Tanouchert: lush gardens, Bedouin tents scattered on sand dunes, palm trees. Ouadane, built on a rocky hill, is the most remote oasis in Mauritania, an outpost facing the vastness of the desert. It was founded in 1147. Mostly in ruins, some of its stone houses are still inhabited. Once, Ouadane was an active caravan crossroads. Visit the ancient stone city and the recently restored mosque. In the late afternoon, a camel excursion to enjoy the silence of the desert and join a small nomadic camp, as the locals do. The best way to be invited to the tea ceremony and experience the legendary hospitality of the nomadic tribes. Arrival at the comfortable hotel which will be our base for two nights.

Trade in the region of Ouadane was so flourishing that in 1487 the Portuguese built a fortified trading post in the area. Today we visit what are believed to be the remains of this commercial representation, called Agueidir. We continue towards Guelb er Richât, “The Eye of Africa”. The site, with its prominent circular shape, has puzzled scientists. The circumference of the largest of the three concentric circles is 40 kilometers (25 miles), with a dome at the center. The most recent theory suggests that it was a gigantic collapsed and eroded volcano. We will gaze as far as the eye can see, feeling small in front of this mysterious geological giant. Return to our comfortable hotel in Ouadane

An early departure for an intense day. The landscape never ceases to amaze us. Leaving the main track, we will reach a region of mountains, gorges, and spectacular canyons. An endless space dominated by the ochre of the earth and the blue of the sky. On the horizon, we will see the ruins of Fort Saganne, built for the film of the same name: Fort Saganne starring Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve. Near the Amogjar pass, we will discover a site with interesting rock art dating back to before the Sahara desertification. Azougui was considered the first capital of the Almoravids, a radical Islamic brotherhood of Berber tribes that expanded northward, founded Marrakech in the 11th century, and created a large empire that included present-day Morocco, the western part of Algeria, and Andalusia in Spain.

Adrar, in the local Hassania Arabic language, is the name of the region we are about to explore, meaning mountains. It's a unique landscape: sun-scorched rocky plateaus, wadis with white and ochre sands, steep canyons, and green palm groves. Terjit is one of the most distinctive and lush oases in Mauritania. After passing through a dense palm grove protected by a gorge and following a small stream, we discover a vast rock shelter from which spring water flows. An unexpected atmosphere, detached from time and the harshness of the desert. The leading expert on the Sahara, French scholar Théodore Monod, said of El Berbara: "It's hard to imagine a more secluded place, more unspeakably remote from what we call the world." The uniqueness of this site is a vertical cliff that conceals a water basin and a palm grove. Evening arrival at Akjoujt.

Visit the fascinating National Museum which displays archaeology, artifacts, costumes, and textiles from prehistory to the present day. Unique is the exhibition of photos taken during the excavations at Aoudaghost, the northern trade city and the best-preserved site of the legendary Ghanaian empire. Ghana was the earliest known empire and kingdom in black Africa. Dating back to the 6th century, the empire was located in what is now southeastern Mauritania. At that time, the caravan that carried gold to North Africa started from Aoudaghost. Lunch at a restaurant run by women from Ivory Coast, the best opportunity to taste African specialties. The hundreds of colorful canoes on the beach of Nouakchott will leave us speechless. Our eyes, accustomed to the sand and dunes, will be mirrored in the tumultuous waters where the wind, the waves, the brightly painted canoes, and the sub-Saharan fishermen (mainly Senegalese) sell their abundant catch at the market. Mauritania processes over 1,800,000 tonnes of fish each year. Before the transfer to the airport, air-conditioned rooms are available for daily use.