What to see in Mauritania: 10 must-sees
Discover what to see in Mauritania: 10 must-see destinations, from Ouadane (ksar) to Chinguetti (ksar). Predominantly UNESCO heritage and city; each entry includes the best time to visit and the link to its official source.
UNESCO Heritage(5)
Explore the ksar of Ouadane, founded in the 11th century as a center of the gold and salt trade in the heart of the desert. Walk the cobbled streets of the walled medina, enter its library of ancient manuscripts, and pause before the sandstone palaces that hold 900 years of Saharan history. This UNESCO World Heritage Site stands as an exceptional testament to a cultural tradition and to a civilization that has vanished.
Watch the sand drift between the streets of Chinguetti, the seventh holiest city of Islam and an ancient center of Saharan pilgrimage and trade. Wander the walled ksar, enter the 13th-century mosque with its dry-stone minaret, and visit the family libraries that guard medieval manuscripts. This UNESCO World Heritage Site preserves sandstone houses in a 4,000-year-old city that the advancing sand threatens to bury, making every corner a living testament to the desert.
Camp beside the ksar of Tichitt, founded in the 12th century as a center of the salt trade between the Sahara and sub-Saharan Africa. Walk among decorated stone houses and the ruins of its mosques as the dunes advance over this abandoned city. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it stands as an exceptional testament to a vanished civilization that shaped the desert's caravan routes.
Wander the sandy alleyways of the ksar of Oualata, built in the 11th century as the caravans' last stop before Timbuktu. Enter its manuscript library, note the facades decorated with red and ochre geometric motifs painted by the women, and see how this Saharan city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, keeps its cultural tradition intact after millennia of caravan history.
Follow the route from Nouadhibou to the 12,000 km² of Banc d'Arguin National Park, where sandbanks, mangroves, and underwater meadows feed 2.2 million shorebirds each season. Sail among the islands to see flamingos at sunset and watch the Imraguen fishermen practice cooperative fishing with dolphins, a technique passed down through generations. This UNESCO World Heritage Site testifies to a living cultural tradition on Mauritania's Saharan coast.
City(2)
Explore Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital built in 1957 as a planned city in the middle of the desert. Head to the Fish Market at sunset, when the colorful pirogues return from the Atlantic, and visit the Saudi Mosque and Bajo Nuevo, the center of administrative life. Spend a morning at the National Museum to learn about the country's Saharan history, then haggle at the Craft Market among leather goods, silver jewelry, and woven textiles. End the day strolling along the Corniche with the ocean as a backdrop, sampling the mint tea locals serve in three rounds.
Visit Nouadhibou, Mauritania's fishing port, where the train graveyard—500 rusting railcars in the middle of the desert—creates a sci-fi landscape within arm's reach. Head to the fresh fish market when the pirogues come in, watch the harbor bustle, and make your way to the border with Western Sahara, where the wind sets the rhythm of a city between the Atlantic and the dunes.
Natural(2)
Take in the sandstone gorges surrounding Atar, capital of the Adrar, and explore its date palm oases beside the dunes. Climb up to the natural viewpoint for a view of the whole valley and visit the 17th-century mosque, one of the oldest in the region. Caravans still pass through here, crossing the desert as they did centuries ago on their way to Chinguetti and Ouadane. Walk among eroded rock formations and observe the wildlife and plants adapted to this corner of the Sahara.
Descend into the heart of the 'Eye of the Sahara', a geological structure 40 kilometers in diameter near Atar that astronauts used as a landmark from space. Explore on foot its concentric rings of quartzite and igneous rock, formed 100 million years ago, and notice how each circle changes color and texture as you walk. Among eroded ridges and dry valleys, spot desert birds and hardy plants that survive where rain barely falls. Climb a natural viewpoint at sunset to take in the immensity of this circle visible from Earth's orbit.
National Park(1)
Swim through the channels of Diawling National Park, south of Nouakchott, where wetlands, mangroves, and salt lakes shelter flamingos, pelicans, and 300 bird species. Follow trails through riverside vegetation, camp on the banks, and watch aquatic wildlife from the delta's natural viewpoints. The park protects fragile Sahel habitats and populations of migratory birds that rest here each season before crossing the desert.
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