Ad Dakhla

Ad Dakhla (Dakhla, Dajla) is a city in southern Western Sahara.

By bus
There are a few buses daily from as far away as Casablanca and Marrakech. Buses are run by CTM, Supratours and Satas. There are no regional operators.

Supratours and CTM buses run to and from Agadir (~20 hr, ~350 dirham). Supratours has two buses per day, while CTM has one. From Laayoune, costs are 230 dirham per person (2023). Be prepared for up to eight checkpoints along the way and, if a Westerner, to be checked thoroughly.

By car
National Route 1, running the length, of the country passes by Dakhla It is also the only major road in the vicinity. Distance from the nearest major city in the north, El Aaiun is 535 km. This road is in good condition but expect long distances between gas stations.

To the south of Dakhla is 440 km of almost uninhabited territory, except for a few tiny fishing villages, until the Mauritanian border and Nouadhibou. Travelling this stretch by car is perfectly possible but requires some planning and careful preparations. There are only two gas stations along the entire route and breakdown could include hours of wait in scoring temperatures.

Get around
The city centre is small enough to navigate on foot. Should you want to head further out, petits taxis abound and are metered.

See



 * Take a road trip to Aoussard: UN base, followed by mine field, followed by Moroccan army base. Take water with you and fill up with gas: it's a 3-hour drive (if you obey speed limits) and it gets hotter with each kilometre.
 * Take a break at the laguna and watch kite-surfers. They even have a special road sign that says "watch out for kite surfers that sometimes crash on the road".
 * Drive to the historic lighthouse west of Ad-Dakhla: albeit as of January 2014 climbing it was no longer permitted, the building continues to be one of the most recognisable landmarks of Western Sahara due to the black-and-white ring pattern.

Do
There are windsurfing and quad driving opportunities north of Dakhla. Inquire locally. A kite shop next to the Supratours office at the waterfront is helpful with all the necessary info. You can wind and kitesurf on both the western (ocean) and eastern (lagoon) side of the peninsula.

You will hardly see anyone around during daytime, but don't worry, Dakhla, like most other cities in the area, comes to life after sunset.



Eat
Many patisseries offer cheap pastry. The restaurant at Sahara Regency hotel has decent European food, though the choice is limited and it is not always fresh. There are also numerous eateries in town.

Sleep
There are plenty of budget hotels clustered around the city centre. Due to military presence, most only have twin rooms and you will pay almost the same price if you are alone. Twin rooms usually cost 150 dirham (2023). Prices, as always, are negotiable.

There are a few campsites by the road to the north of Dakhla. Camping Moussafir is a popular spot with overlanders, and is located just south of the first checkpoint out of town.



North
Ticket for any bus heading north can be bought at the corresponding agency, they all have offices around the town centre (Satas is a bit further south).

South
Supratours runs a bus south to the Mauritania border. The bus leaves from the waterfront office at 08:00 and costs 160 dirham, arriving at the frontier at 13:00. It returns to Dakhla at 15:00, arriving Dakhla at 20:30.

Finding a lift is usually not a problem. You can try to get a lift from overlanders (ask around at Camping Moussafir) or catch a ride with the Mauritanian traders, who gather on a lot opposite from the first police checkpoint north of Dakhla (take a petit taxi to get there for about 15-20 dirham, or walk the 7 km). The going rate is 250 dirham for a car (a minivan) or 350 dirham for a Mercedes. The cars leave in the morning.

You can also organize your ride to Nouadhibou (350-400 dirham, ~10 hours including border crossing) or Nouakchott (600 dirham, min. 12 hr) at Hotel Sahara in the centre. Ask for Tawfiq. The cars leave around 07:00.

Be prepared to spend several hours on both sides of the border.