Where Can I Travel In Western Sahara?

By Author: Amar Shah
Total Articles: 215
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Western Sahara is an area in Saharan Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco whose governance is disputed, but a big part is governed by Morocco. The capital city of this country is El Aauin and this country covers an area of 266,000 square kilometres with a population of 273,008 where the majority speaks Moroccan Arabic and Hassaniya Arabic. The transport system in this country is provided in different ways which include camels (usually used to traverse the desert), buses which are only found in large metropolitan districts like Smara and El Aauin and boats that come from the Canaries.

Though this is a desert country, there are things to see and do just like in any other country on the west of Africa. What is anyway a must see is the stripe of asphalt in the immense desert landscape. After you drive through the 1000 kilometre road, the terrain changes from smooth to rocky and sometimes it gets more rocky and sandy but the sky gets spectacular if you pay attention to it as you travel. Laayoune lies about 22 kilometres inland from the coast and at the coastline from Foum el-Oued, there is a ...
... beach, an esplanade and some accommodation. Foum el-Oued is a nice place to take a swim but you need to be careful as the waves from the ocean can be a bit dangerous. At the north bank of the Oued Saquira el-Hamra at the edge of the town gate, there is a building that looks like a castle. Like most of the castle-like buildings in the town and area, it is signposted as a military or police building and not a museum or a castle to be visited by the public. This was the edification where the Headquarters of the Spanish Legion were located till 1975.

East of the Place du Mechouar stands the Moulay Abdel Aziz Mosque of Laayoune built in the standard architecture for modern mosques of Morocco. These mosques form an important part of the architecture around the Place Mechouar along the Boulevard de Mekka. The town, which has grown tremendously and should now count more than 30,000 inhabitants, is finding its own style. White houses, unsystematic arrangement of streets, a reserved approach to the sea, and lots of colourful Sahrawi women are the images that you will remember. You should really go on the outskirts of the town which is a wadi or ouad, a dry riverbed and transport is done by camel or jeep.

Accommodation in Western Sahara is limited in terms of hotels but you can have a comfortable night at camp sites. Between Mauritania and Dakhla, there is only one hotel and it has comfy rooms as well as a restaurant that prepares mostly local cuisine. Next to this hotel, there is a bar and a fuel station. The nightlife in Western Sahara is low though there are a few bars and restaurants that sell alcoholic drinks as well as soft drinks. There is no specific time that you can visit this one of a kind country as there is no weather change and the scenic sites are beautiful all year round. Western Sahara may not be that famous but has some of the most spectacular sights that will leave you craving for more. If you have an adventurous spirit, this is the place for you to be.