Introduction
You might not have considered Mauritania for an adventure holiday, but there are plenty of reasons to add this wild West African destination to your wish list.
The capital Nouakchott has grown to become the largest city in the Sahara region. Whipped by sandy winds and dust storms, it remains an interesting and rewarding place to explore; modern buildings that reflect the country's Berber heritage sit cheek-by-jowl with local markets and traditional wrestling arenas that cast back to an older era. There's also a decent beach here.
In the north, Ouadâne, an oasis settlement with an ancient mosque and a mass of historic manuscripts, and Chinguetti, the labyrinthine seventh holiest city of Islam, provide history and World Heritage interest.
Landscapes in Mauritania exist on a grand scale, with a dramatic coastline giving way to endless sand fields and Saharan dunes. The Atlantic desert coast is bounded by the World Heritage-listed Parc National Du Banc D'Arguin, ensuring that it remains pristine and protected, free from resorts and development. Its islets and rocky coves are a haven for an astonishing array of migratory birds, including herons, pelicans and flamingos and ranks as one of the top bird watching sites anywhere in the world.
Inland, the vast arid expanses of Saharan dunes and desert are best explored on foot or better by 4WD or on a camel. Alternatively take a balloon flight in the Adrar. It's harsh, challenging terrain but the desert, dotted with oases and heat-scorched caravan communities, is full of antiquity and harsh beauty.
