Cycling the Western Sahara

The Western Sahara cycle route runs from Guelmim in Morocco via Mauritania to Saint-Louis in Senegal. It is through the Western Sahara, crossing the westernmost part of the Sahara (bordering the sea) while avoiding disputed territories controlled by the SADR (Saharan Arab Democratic Republic).

Understand
The route is asphalted from Morocco to Senegal. Only a few kilometers along the Moroccan-Mauritanian border are soft slopes (as of 2006). There are supply possibilities at the latest every, which corresponds to 2–3 days. This route is the easiest way to cross from North Africa to the Sub-Sahara countries by bike (as of 2006).

Geography
The Western Sahara is divided geographically into a northern part, from the Cape Boujdour, where flat-corrugated gravel and deserts (Hammada) dominate. The terrain gradually rises from the coast to the interior of the country to a height of about 400 meters. The southern region is almost completely flat with isolated sand dunes (erg), which provide only a little variety in the uniform, almost vegetation-free gerbera.

Grassy and bushy areas as well as acacia mark the transition from the desert steppe to the Saw Saw in Southern Mauritania.

Animal species adapted to the dry habitat are found, for example, scorpions, snakes, Jaculus jerboas and spiny-tailed lizards. In the caves on the Atlantic coast, especially on the Cabo Blanco peninsula near Nouadhibou in Mauritania, live the largest populations of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal.

Climate
The Sahara is a turning-desert, caused by the constant, dry-hot north-east trade wind. Even in the age of shipping, the trade winds served as powerful tow-lifts. On the bike, you are constantly pushed southwards by the wind. It also transports a lot of dust and sand near the ground.

Especially in the spring and autumn strong deep-pressure areas can suck Saharaluft over the Mediterranean. The dry, hot south-south-east sand and dust winds, the Schirokko, are formed. Due to the large amounts of sand dust, the air turns yellowish-reddish-brown. The strong headwind can make it difficult to get to the South and quickly get you into an unpleasant situation.

Along the coast, north of Nouakchott, the temperatures are moderate due to the balancing influence of the Atlantic. The cold canal stream provides for the cooling, but is also responsible for the powerful fog in the coastal area. Around the turn of the year it has, in September and October the temperature rises to.

On the coast south of Nouakchott and in the region along the Senegal river the temperature around the turn of the year is and it rises to  in July. Especially in the south, the humidity is significantly higher with a rainy season in July–October with a total of of precipitation.

Travel time and distance
The Western Sahara is, in principle, passable all year round. Rain is rare and mist formation occurs mainly near the coast. The temperatures are tempered by the proximity to the sea. The wind blows mostly from north to south, only in the spring and autumn one must reckon with opposite wind through the Shirokko. The winter months with the coolest temperatures and stable trade winds have a slight advantage in the choice of travel time.

Due to the trade winds, covering in a day is realistic. That would require about 30 days from Guelmin to Saint Louis, plus time for stays in the larger cities and for border crossings.

Prepare
The situation can change dramatically along the route. Settlements can change, roads can become impassable through wandering dikes. Much of the information on the Internet or in books refer to the route before 2005, when the road was not yet developed. At that time large sections had to be crossed over sandy slopes. So always check that your information is up to date.

Therefore, accurate searches are required before departure. Locals are a valuable resource, as are other travellers.

Stay healthy
Water is surely the first thing that comes to mind when travelling through the desert. The daily per capita consumption of drinking water is about 5 liters. For tours further inland, with extreme temperatures, up to 6 liters and more. Add the water needed for cooking.

It is best to avoid the midday heat and bike in the early morning and afternoon. In the case of the large liquid loss by sweating, the salt loss should also be compensated for. The World Health Organization recommends, for each liter of water, a teaspoon of salt and 6 teaspoons of sugar. However, too much salt or sugar can aggravate dehydration. The Rehydration Project uses only half a teaspoon of salt with 6 teaspoons of sugar per liter of water. Contrary to popular opinion one can not adapt to water deficiency.

Cooking
The consumption of water for cooking can be reduced by using water-saving food. You need a cup of water for a cup of couscous and, for rice, twice the amount.

The supply of gas cartridges is scarce in the Western Sahara. Benzine fuel is available in every major place.

Cycling
First choice would be a touring bicycle. With 28" tires you can get on the asphalt fast and are nevertheless armed for desert descents. Ideally a bike with a steel frame as if repairs are required steel welding tools can be found more commonly than aluminum welding tools.

Sand and dust act like sandpaper on the sprockets and the chain expands under stress. To increase longevity you can take two or three chains and change every. This means that you can reach distances of up to. Then you should change the entire drive system.

Get in
Guelmim is the last place before the desert and starting point of the bike tour; check its page for information how to get there.

Go
(Arabic: كلميم, also Goulimine or Guelmin) is a provincial capital of about 12,000 inhabitants in the Guelmim-Oued Noun. The place Bir Anzarane is the center of the city. Here you can find the with ATM and the. The is north of the square, along the Blvd Moulay Rachid.

From Guelmin to Tan Tan ()
Leaving Guelmin via Avenue 3 Mars, head south-west. Past the Mosque of Guelmin you pass the city gate.


 * which, after its long journey from Zagora, flows through the desert just a few kilometers further west into the sea.
 * which, after its long journey from Zagora, flows through the desert just a few kilometers further west into the sea.
 * which, after its long journey from Zagora, flows through the desert just a few kilometers further west into the sea.
 * which, after its long journey from Zagora, flows through the desert just a few kilometers further west into the sea.
 * which, after its long journey from Zagora, flows through the desert just a few kilometers further west into the sea.
 * which, after its long journey from Zagora, flows through the desert just a few kilometers further west into the sea.
 * which, after its long journey from Zagora, flows through the desert just a few kilometers further west into the sea.
 * which, after its long journey from Zagora, flows through the desert just a few kilometers further west into the sea.

Tan Tan
(Arabic: طانطان, also al-Hamra, the Red) with 70,000 inhabitants is the capital of the province of the same name in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region. The city is located south of the main street Ave Hassan II, on which one finds the and the bank, with ATM, next to the Shell gas station. The second main road is the Ave Mohammed V, which crosses the city to the south. There is the and the  at Place de la Marche Verte in the south of Ave Mohammed V. The  Plage Blanche Airport  is located  west of the N1. It is served by the Royal Air Maroc, which connects Tan Tan with Casablanca and Guelmin.

From Tan Tan to Tarfaya ()


If you leave Tan Tan to the west on the N1 you reach the turnoff to the airport after. A kilometer further on, the R101 turns of left, which leads to Smara (Arabic: السمارة), some away in the south. Shortly thereafter, a track on the right leads to the Atlantic Ocean, away, from Oued Drâa. to Tan Tan you can reach (Arabic: الوطية, auch Tan Tan Plage). There is guarded parking on the beach

El Ouatia
El Ouatia, with its 6500 inhabitants, is one of the largest fishing ports in Morocco. The city is becoming increasingly popular among surfers and offers many hotels. At the entrance to the city you pass a roundabout from which the N1 turns southwards. Go straight ahead into the city. The road to the north leads to the mouth of Oued Drâa, away, into the Atlantic. Next to the roundabout is the (+212 641-431661).



The N1 follows its way south to Akhfenir , very close to the imposing cliff. After about you cross the. Climbing up the Wadi, you hit a checkpoint with supply possibilities.


 * . A hole about 25 meters in diameter and 30 meters deep
 * . A hole about 25 meters in diameter and 30 meters deep
 * . A hole about 25 meters in diameter and 30 meters deep

Akhfenir
South of Akhfenir is one of the largest wind parks in Africa with 131 wind turbines on an area of over 8,900 hectares. A piste leads from Akhfenir to the wind farm, away, that was listed in the Jeune Afrique magazine as one of the ten most outstanding projects in Africa.



From Akhfenir the coast becomes flatter again. After approximately the  N1  turns off the coast and runs in an arc around the  (Arabic: المنتزه الوطني اخنيفيس, french: Parc National de Khenifiss).

Khenifiss National Park
The Khenifiss National Park was established in 2006, from the natural reserve of the time, and covers. The park was listed as an UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1998. The park is located on the largest lagoon on the Moroccan coast. Ruddy shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea), marbled ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris) and Audouin's gulls (Ichthyaetus audouinii) breed here. The mainland is characterized by sabkhas, shallow basins, which are only temporarily watered. Cuvier's gazelles (Gazella cuvieri) were also seen here. In Akhfenir there are numerous guides for tours to the national park. For photo excursions see.

After the national park, the N1 meets the coast again. You pass, about to Ouatia, a small  without WC on the coast and a.

After you reach a petrol station at the. The N1 turns south towards El Aaiún. If you follow the road straight, you reach (Arabic: طرفاية) after. Worth seeing the museum on the post flights and Fort Jubly. There is a banc with ATM in town.

Tarfaya


Tarfaya is a small town with a population of more than 8,000 at Cape Juby in the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra region. The city is the administrative center of the province of the same name.

The main road through the city is the Ave Ahmed Haidar. In the west you can see the. On the beach is a monument, in the form of a green plane, for the post flights. Among other things, the writer and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was stationed here. There is also the, which is from the coast. One kilometer off the coast are the ruins of the fortress, built by the English in the 1880s. At the beginning of 2008, a ferry service between Tarfaya and Puerto del Rosario on Fuerteventura was opened. This gave Tarfaya a modest economic upturn until the car ferry Assalama leaked in the port of Tarfaya in April 2008 and stranded in the shallow waters where it is still today.



From Tarfaya to El Aaiún ()
Leaving the city south, you reach a. The road straight to the south leads back to the N1. On the right a road branches off, which follows the coast to Foum ed Oued (state unknown). After on the N1 you reach, a small town with cafe, motel and fuel. In the center is a monument for the Green March. past Tarfaya, you pass the. After you reach.

El Aaiún


El Aaiún (Arabic: العيون, also Laâyoune) is the largest city in the territory administered by Morocco and the capital of the Moroccan administrative region Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra.

Most banks, hotels and the post office are located on Blvd Hassan II or Blvd de Mekka. The most important square of the city is the.

El Aaiun Hassan I Airport (ICAO: GSAI / GMML) is southwest of the N1. It is most often fueled by Royal Air Maroc and Canarian Binter Canarias. The destinations are spread over three countries: Las Palmas (Spain), Agadir, Casablanca, Ad Dakhla and Rabat (Morocco) and Paris-Orly (France).


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 * situated in a nice parc
 * the livelist part of town and has the best restaurants
 * Smara (Arabic: السمارة), capital of the province Es Semara is accessible via the N5. It is into the interior in an almost vegetationless solid stone and sand desert.
 * Smara (Arabic: السمارة), capital of the province Es Semara is accessible via the N5. It is into the interior in an almost vegetationless solid stone and sand desert.

From El Aaiún to Boujdour ()
The Ave Mohammed V crosses the N1 at Place du Mechouar, which leads west from the city. Past the airport it turns after the Place du Mechouar sharp south to El Marsa. At the bend, the road branches off to, which is reached after a further.

Foum el Oued
Foum el Oued (Arabic: فم الواد), also known as the Riviera of the Sahara is particularly popular among the locals.


 * ,clean, cold water only, restaurant only in summer

From Foum el Oued it is across the coastal road Ave Ennahda to

El Marsa
El Marsa (Arabic: المرسى, also Laâyoune Plage) with about 10,000 inhabitants is the last city to Boujdour, further south. There are some simple cafes and shops.



Shortly after the southern end of the station, crossing the N1 is the world's longest. It transports the phosphate from the mining town of Bou Craa (Arabic: أبوكراع) to the port of loading at El Marsa.


 * with restaurant at the beach
 * , fuel station with restaurant

80 km past Lamsid is

Boujdour
Boujdour (Arabic: بوجدور) is the small city in the province of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra at Cape Bojador (Arabic: رأس بوجادور, french: Cape Boujdour), with 45,000 inhabitants. It forms the western foothills of the mountain range Jebel el Aswad in the Sahara and was considered in the Middle Ages as the western end of the world (finis terrae). Here you will find the highest sand dunes (Erg), up to 130 m, in the mostly flat coastal region of the Hammada.

Along the N1, which passes through the city as Ave Hassan II, are the most important shops, restaurants and hotels.



Ad-Dakhla

 * is the southernmost city in the Western Sahara and the capital of the Dakhla-Oued Ed Dahab region.

Dakhla lies on plains that are 38 km long and 4 km wide. These extend to the south-west, parallel to the coast, and enclose the Rio de Oro bay. The adjoining mainland and the peninsula consist of a nearly vegetationless sand and cliff (reg). The north coast of the peninsula, which is open to the sea, is situated between short, rocky stretches of kilometers of sandy beaches which are not yet accessible only because of the great distance to the tourist resorts of Morocco. The city stretches along the east side of the peninsula with the Blvd Mohammed V as a waterfront promenade. To the north, parallel to the main commercial street Boulevard Walae. In the south, the business district surrounds the large mosque. The airport of Dakhla is connected several times a week from Casablanca.


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Nouadhibou


is located on the protected east side of the Ras Nouadhibou land, which stretches for 40 km into the Atlantic Ocean and borders Dakhlet Nouadhibou (formerly Baie du Lévrier). To the north is the most populous district, Numerowat, which is divided into six Robinets (French: waterway). In the center, at the northern end of the semicircular Cansado Bay, lies the business district (simply Ville), on the straight main road Blvd Médian and the parallel Blvd Maritim, to the east, parallel to it lie banks, exchange offices, police and sales. Eight kilometers south of the town center is the district of Cansado (Spanish: tired). Just north of Cansado, a five-kilometer road branches off to the west coast to the ruins of La Gouira, a former Spanish trading center. The southern tip of the peninsula has been declared a National Park, where, apart from Mauritanian soldiers and a, some of the rare Mediterranean monk seals are still to be found.

Nouadhibou has an international airport. There are regular flights to Nouakchott and irregular to the airport of Gran Canaria.


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National Park Banc d'Arguin
The national park is located on the Atlantic coast of Mauritania between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and was designated 1976. Since 1989, he has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It includes the Arguin Sandbank, which is located on the coast of Mauritania and reaches the Atlantic with its shallow reefs up to 30 nautical miles. The Sandbank was considered one of the most dangerous places on the West African coast. Ships usually keep wide distance from this dangerous coastal section. Furthermore the north and several smaller islands such as the two Kiaone Islands,  and  in the south.

The park is one of the most important wintering areas of the Great Bluebird. In addition, many colony breeders such as pink flamingos, spoonbills, rosapelikans, predators, king and tigers-, as well as thin-billed gulls.



Nouakchott


(Arabic: نواكشوط), 390 km to Bou Lanouar, with 96000 inhabitants, is the capital of Mauritania.

The main traffic route, Ave Gamal Abdel Nasser, runs east-west through Nouakchott and ends at the harbour, 6 km to the west. In the center of the city, it is crossed by the second main road, Ave du Général de Gaulle, which crosses the city in north-south direction. At the intersection is the tallest building in the city, the ten-storey (Arabic "tent"). In the northern part of the Ave Général du Gaulle lie the business and embassy district. The rest of the city consists of planar-grounded unpaved roads.

Rosso
(Arabic: روصو), the third-largest city in Mauritania (by 2000), with almost 50,000 inhabitants. Good infrastructure. The main road runs through the village directly to the port. The center is located east of the main road.


 * , probably the oldest church in Mauritania.
 * , probably the oldest church in Mauritania.

Border Mauritania – Senegal
With independence from France, the border between Mauritania and Senegal was drawn along the Senegal River and Rosso was divided. On the Mauritanian side, tax collectors are always trying to claim penalties for false visas and processing fees for stamps. Also, the price for the ferry over the Senegal River is negotiable. Better spend more time and discuss the arguments calmly and creatively. In general, here too, as a cyclist, you are less likely to be victimized than if you were driving a car.

From the border to St. Louis (98 km)
The border town has about 10,000 inhabitants. Probably the only accommodation is the near the port on the main road. A little further along the main road is the.

A trip to Richard Toll
6 km to Rosso, turn left at the junction to, which is reached in another 13 km. Richard Toll has about 70,000 inhabitants and is mainly known for the processing of sugar cane.


 * with 11.000 inhabitans the first town in Senegal.

Saint Louis


, since 2000 UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, has about 176,000 inhabitants. The center of the city is located on the island of Ile de N'Dar, which is connected to the mainland by the 500-meter-long Pont Faidherbe. Over another bridge, Pont Mustapha Malick Gaye, you reach the Langue de Barbarie peninsula.

Religion
Morocco is a Muslim country and faith is much more deeply rooted in everyday life than in Europe. The religious customs are observed. However, non-Muslims are treated with respect as different believers in Morocco. This is especially true during Ramadan. While most Moroccans fast, the sick, the young, the old and the pregnant do not, and neither need the travellers. Mauritania is officially an Islamic Republic, and is considerably less tolerant than Morocco, at least officially. Make sure not to do or say anything that could be considered blasphemy against Islam or proclaim yourself as an atheist while you are in Mauritania, and make sure to wear modest dress; atheism and blasphemy are punishable by death in that country, while "offending public indecency and Islamic values", "breaching Allah’s prohibitions" or assisting in their breach can be subject to up to 2 years in prison and a fine up to 600,000 Ouguiyas. Although 92% Muslim, Senegal is officially secular and known for its liberal Muslim majority; it also has a well-respected Christian minority and other smaller religious minorities that practice freely.

Photography
The desert is a breathtaking stage for photographers. The inhabitants are a bit different. The Moroccans and the Mauritians are not keen to be photographed. You should first ask politely. This applies in particular to portraits of women. With everything that could be in the remotest sense militarily interesting, you should be very careful. This applies mainly to bridges and checkpoints, but also to major road crossings, especially in the area of ​​the Western Sahara. Otherwise, you may be subjected to interrogation.

Stay safe
The area of ​​the Western Sahara, disputed between the SADR (Saharan Arab Democratic Republic), Mauritania and Algeria under international law, is always subject to tensions. Exact and up-to-date information must be researched before the trip. Women should not camp outside on their own due to the risk of extremist terrorist acts.

See the respective country articles for the latest information on safety and on visa requirements.

Search and rescue operations in remote regions are facilitated with accurate GPS data. Satellite Navigation GPS Tracker provides alarms for emergencies and are now cost-effective and handy.

Morocco
Morocco is a very safe and very friendly country, except in the big cities, especially Agadir, where a certain caution should be exercised. Pickpocketing happens especially if you aren't paying attention. Armed raids are rare.

The checkpoints in the Western Sahara are usually without problems. Sometimes imaginative scams are tried, such as trying to impose fines for missing authorizations or processing fees with imaginative arguments. In most cases it is possible to talk oneself out of the situation, but it is important not to underestimate Arab pride. You should always leave the other person a way out in the argument, without him losing his face.

Mauritania
Crime also plays an important role here in the larger cities. Particularly on the beach of Nouakchott, there is a strong risk of violent crime. Alcohol is expensive and difficult to get in Mauritania.

Mines, UXO
The area of ​​the Western Sahara that is occupied by Morocco is separated from the territory of the Polisario by the Berm Wall. It is estimated that the world's highest density of mines can be found along the Berm. The Moroccan army, the Polisario and the UN are working on marking and removing mines and UXO (unexploded ordinance).

The risk should be very low along the main routes; however, you should exercise caution off the road and especially in the border area between Morocco and Mauritania. In 2015 there were floods in the area of ​​the Western Sahara. Since then, there has been an increased danger of dislocated mines.

Go next

 * Dakar
 * Saloum-Delta national park