Mauritania Overview

Overview

The visitor to Mauritania will almost certainly have to have an adventurous side. Although there are problems between ethnic and caste groups these are not so likely to impinge on the visitor as they might in nearby nations. The difficulty here is rather that there is an awful lot of sand and rock, barely any permanent vegetation and what is probably best described as a bare boned travel infrastructure. Regardless, there is wildlife in the Banc d'Arguin National Park to see and the desert train where the visitor rides with iron ore at Zouerate, which will be an experience unlikely to be found elsewhere. Chinguetti, Ouadaneare, Tichitt and Oualata are all old caravan cities worth seeing. Caution should be taken at the border with Morocco for land mines. Mauritania is about desert and ocean, and sometimes both at the same time. Although twice the size of France, it has only 3 millions inhabitants. You can imagine how remote some places can be. Mauritania is an Islamic Republic. Don't be afraid of this political status; Mauritanians are not extremists and are, as most desert people, incredibly friendly. The poorest nomad family will always welcome you as a friend with some tea and biscuits. The main attractions are the desert in Adrar and Tagant areas (around Atar), and the ocean in Banc d'Arguin (a natural reserve with dunes ending in the sea, full of millions of birds and protected by UNESCO). Adrar is exactly how you've always imagined the Sahara: endless ergs (dunes) and regs (rocky desert) with tabular small mountains. Travelling is becoming easier, with charter flights from France to Atar through the winter, and guides and tourist agencies are quite easy to find. Places other than Banc d'Arguin and Adrar are slightly more adventurous