Mauritania - The Desert, the Sea and the Iron Ore Train

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Facts

• 📌Islamic Republic of Mauritania

• 🗺️Area: 1.030.000 km2

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑Population: 4.328.040 (2024 estimation)

• 🚩Capital: Nouakchott

• 📖Official Language: Arabic (other recognised languages: Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof)

• 🏔️Highest elevation: 915 m (Kediet ej Jill) (كدية الجل)

• 🪙Currency: Ouguiya

Sardine Route in Mauritania

• Time: 12 days

• Places visited: Nouakchott, Terjitt, Chinguetti, Tanouchert, Ouadane, Guelb Er Richart, Azougui, Nouadhibou and Iwik

• Transportation: 4x4 and Taxi

• Month: March | Weather:☀️ | Temperature: from 10ºC to 39ºC

Most important about Mauritania, I did not went by myself. The journey was organized by the amazing portuguese adventure travel company: 100rota💡Check their website if you also want to embark to Mauritania!

Note: Since this journey was (and still is) organized by 100rota, I will tell you the places, share tips and write about my feelings along this desert adventure, but not going into details of hotels for example. I will leave that for you to enjoy with 100rota.

Once upon a time in Mauritania, your sardine went to dive into the Sahara desert:

Sahara sunset - with a sand storm on the horizon

Forgive me beforehand for any mistakes in the names, but you know once in the desert there is only space for the desert. I was totally not worried with names, places, time or anything apart from diving into emptiness. This was a huge achieving for this anxious sardine. Going to the unknow with this calmeness around me and no worries, it was really a long work made by going everytime more further out of my can.

Mauritania is located in northwest Africa. It gained independence from France in 1960. Although it has an area of 1.030.000 km2, 90% of the territory is desert and makes part of the Sahara desert (the largest in the world). Mauritania also has a coastline of 750 km in the Atlantic Ocean and possesses one the biggest trains in the world - the Iron Ore Train.

Day 0: Lisbon - Nouakchott

That was quite a journey. From Lisbon, I flew to Casablanca (in Morocco) and then from Casablanca another flight to Nouakchott. The flights were made with Royal Air Maroc and the only good thing I have to tell is that I arrived and came back intact (but barely).

Flight time: Lisbon - Casablanca (1h25m) | Airport Layover (03h25m) | Casablanca - Nouakchott (02h55m)

Tip💡try to pack light and take your bags with you in the cabin. Royal Air Maroc is known for offering holidays in Casablanca to the bags (bags owners not invited). I took my Osprey Fairview 40L, that opens like a travel bag, it has the right measures to be cabin luggage and it is confortable enough to wear like a backpack.

We arrived to Mauritania, it was already 2 a.m. and the process to enter in the country was slow (but we are arriving to the desert and slowing-down is mandatory). We needed to fill a paper form, take a photo and fingerprints, pay, say why we were visiting Mauritania (insert more bureaucracy that I no longer remember since it was 2 a.m.) and then finally we could exit the airport and feel the heat from the desert. Ah, did I tell that arabic or french is really an asset in Mauritania...english will not take you far even inside the airport but there is always a smile and someone willing to help.

Waiting for us there were our two Chicos:

On the left Francisco (the portuguese Chico and owner of 100rota)

On the right Elycheikh (the mauritanian Chico and our Mauritania guide)

I already travelled in another adventures with Francisco and, most tell you, you will not regret to get out of your can with him! Francisco is a fun, humble and an amazing travel partner. Check the available adventures from 100rota here.

Ely, I met in Mauritania and made a friend for life. Ely works as a desert guide. He is fun and really proud of showing Mauritania to the world.

I was tired, and the airport is still 40 minutes from the town. We met Ely's sister that drove us to the hotel. I feel on the bed, ready to sleep and to prepare myself for the adventure that was waiting for me.

Day 1: Nouakchott

9 a.m. we were out of the hotel and the "desert breeze" was already hitting more than 30ºC. We went to make an introduction to Nouakchott by visiting the market - there is no better place to introduce you the people and the culture of a place than its own market.

Nouakchott's market - a world where you can find a bit of everything

It was not easy to navigate the huge market, get used to a new reality, the smells, the people, the heat, the place - but as we keep saying "this is Africa!" and it is beautiful on its own way.

There was certainly stories to keep in memory like our best exchange rate from Euros to Ouguiyas was found in a shoe shop or that there is a part of the market for divorced women where together they can celebrate divorce and become traders by selling everything from the ex-husband! 🤯 Also, the divorced women in Mauritania are more desirable to marry again, since they have more experience! 😏

Tip💡If you want to know more about the Divorce's Women's market check this video on Youtube.

With the heat going wilder, we went back to the hotel using a taxi...and our recorded was 8 people in the same car

Taxi in Nouakchott

With the night arriving, and more bearable temperatures, we went to visit other Nouakchott stretts and breaking fast after the sunset. 🍴Our dinner consisted of a memorable chicken with a little vinager touch, soup, a lot of bread and bananas!

Day 2: Nouakchott

The mosquito strike: yes, I went to the travellers appointment, yes I was taking antimalarial medication, yes the air conditioning was ON and cold, yes I kept all the windows shut (and they add nets), yes I was full of repelent, yes my clothes also add repelent...yes...I got bitten by mosquitos on my first night. No, I did not get malaria, but all the bitten marks developed into huge blisters. Oh well, I survived. But as the only person in the group that got bitten, I felt like a UV attractive light and all the group used me as the main mosquito repelent for them 😅

Let's continue our adventure in Nouakchott. On this day, we went to check the traditional attires from Mauritania. We started with the:

1. Daraa or Moorish boubou, the national dress of Mauritania that men hear. This is a traditional attire that is loose, flowing and made out of light fabrics, to facilitate airflow, give freedom of movement and deflects the sun. It is long until the knee or ankle and it has opened long sleeves that can be rolled-up into the shoulders.

2. Haouli or cheche, a piece of fabric that is used as a turban or headscarf. It is usefull for protecting the head from the sun and the mouth and nose from the frequent sandstorms. It is used by men, but I must tell you that I wore it too since it is really useful (putting a lot of confusion in a lot of faces). There is a certain art in wrapping it around the head, but after learning it, you no longer want a hat in the desert

3. Melhfa or Mulfa, a large piece of fabric used by women. It is used wrapped around the body in a loose way and covering all the body except for the face.

Most clothes in Mauritania are light blue since it is the colour that provides more protection from the sun. However there are other colors used with different meanings. If you want to read more about it check in this BBC post about "The blue men of the Sahara".

Traditional Mauritania clothes

After a new round in the market, we also went to the Mauritian National Museum and a gallery of art

A painting and a piece of fabric in the private art gallery in Nouakchott

For lunch, we went to to the beach and check the Atlantic ocean from the Mauritanian coast. 🍴 We got shrimps, sea bass and other amazing grilled specialities. After that, a deserved walk and nap in an empty beach

Even so, the day was not over, and by the sunset we went to one of the biggest surprises of this journey: Nouakchott Fish Market. Fish is one of the main resources that Mauritania has. The fish market if located near the capital and it houses hundreds (if not thousands) of traditional fishing boats. Coming from Costa da Caparica, where the "Arte Xávega" is still the main living mean, it was a place that made a connection with my roots.

Also, there is an agreement between the European Union and Mauritania, that enables boats from 10 member-states (including Portugal) to fish in Mauritanian waters. So, when I said in my hometown that I was about to go to Mauritania everyone asked me if I was going to fish in the desert country😅

The nets used are still hand-knotted and the fish is carried in the head from the boats to the beach.

Traditional boats in Nouakchott fishing market

In the top photo another story from our group - we tried to "help" to pull the boat to shore. With coordinated singing and a lot of strenght the boat was safely brought to shore.

In the bottom picture - fish is being carried in the head from the boat to the shore.

Day 3: Nouakchott - Terjitt

Time to leave Nouakchott behind and embrace the desert. With the 4x4 jipes all packed up, we were ready to go. Our destination was Terjitt, an oasis around 45km from Atar.

Terjit Oasis

First photo our camping spot; Second photo the water spring; Third photo the traditional Mauritanian tea being skillful prepared

First time I saw an Oasis! We went to the water, that was amazing together with the perfect temperature given by the palm trees shade. What a magical place. We went back to our camping spot and we were welcomed with Mauritanian traditional tea - Atay. There is a full preparation for Atay, it is not simple tea. It is drained from one cup to the other, so foam is created. It is said that each person has to take at least three glasses of tea. Atay is made of green tea with added mint.

Day 4: Terjitt - Ben Amera - Terjitt

Ready to depart on another adventure, it was time to face several hours in the desert to meet Ben Amera and Aisha. Ben Amera is the largest monolith in Africa (and second worldwide) and it has 633 m of elevation. A monolith is a single massive rock. Aisha is another smaller monolith close by. It is said that Aisha and Ben Amera were married and formed a single rock. However when returning from a trip Ben Amera found Aisha in the arms of another lover. Aisha was then expelled (with her maid) by Ben Amera, that kept their siblings close to him (the 2 smaller stone blocks near Ben Amera monolith). In 1999, boulders at the base of Aisha were carved by several artists.

Google maps satellite photo with identification of Ben Amera and Aisha monoliths

First photo: Art at the base of Aisha; Second photo me and Chico with Ben Amera in the background; Third photo: Aisha (self explanatory why they said this rock is the girl 😅)

Ben Amera is close to the Iron Ore Train line and so, our day add the surprise moment of seeing the Iron Train for the first time.

The Iron Ore Train - no... the video is not in loop, the train is really long

Day 5: Terjitt - Tanouchert - Chingetti

It was time to leave Terjitt behind and advance one of the most important cities in Mauritania - Chingetti.

First we did a stop in Tanouchert Oasis, that for me, was one of the most authentic places we have been.

Tanouchert Oasis

Then after a walk on the desert, we went to Chingetti. Chingetti was considered by UNESCO in 1996, as a World Heritage Site - a site having cultural and natural heritage that are considered to be of outstading value to humanity. The city was an important trading center in the trans-Saharan routes from the Mediterranen to the Sub-Saharan Africa and it contains ancient libraries. Furthermore, Mauritania was commonly known in the Arab world as "The land of Chingetti", however nowadays, Chinguetti is threatened by the desert sand, that is slowly covering all the city.

The city is separated by a wadi (or river valley), that divides the old town from the newer town. The houses are mainly done with stone and mud-brick and have flat roofs made in palms. It as notable buildings such as "The Friday Mosque of Chingetti", the former french foreign legion fortress and the watertower. Also, it contains important libraries with scientific manuscripts and Qur'anic texts. Apart from the trans-Saharan routes, the Chingetti was also a gathering place for pilgrims on their way to Mecca and a school center where Islamic religion but also law, astronomy, mathematics and medicine were taught. If you want to check more about this ancient city check this BBC video.

Chingetti - The city, one ancient library and the bookeepers, the Mosque.

We finalize the day with a sunset in the beautiful but unforgivable harsh Sahara dunes.

Sunset near Chingetti

Day 6: Chingetti - Guelb er Richât - Oudane

Our destination of the day was Oudane, but along the way we went to check Guelb er Richât, also called Africa's Eye. It is a circular geological structure visible from space that I cannot describe accurately but if you want to check earth pictures from space and read more about it - check this NASA post here.

The center of the eye

Our next stop was Oudane. Oudane like Chingetti was also an important town in the trans-Saharan trade route of gold and salt and makes part of the World Heritage Sites. It was first described by portuguese people in the 15th century and the portuguese of course constructed a fort to try to access the salt, the gold but also the slave trade that was done in the trans-Saharan route.

The older part of the town, unfortunately is completely in ruins. Parts of a mosque still stands with some arches still intact.

Old city of Oudane

Our guide explained to us the old city, how the well was protected - yes water is the most important resource specially in the desert - and guide us through the ancient city streets.

Day 7: Oudane - Agrour Amogjar - Fort Sagane - Azougui

Another discovery was waiting for us. After leaving Oudane, we headed to Agrour Amogjar. Long time ago, this region was occupied by a savannah, and that can be seen by the rupestre paintings in Agrour Amogjar that features giraffes, cows and people.

The giraffe, the cow and the confused group trying to find the paintings

After the paintings and the mountains in the Agrour Amogjar, we made a quick stop at Fort Sagane - a fort built as a movie set for the french movie Fort Sagane and then headed to Atar to buy a few necessary itens and then Azougui to rest. On the next day, one of our main adventures in Mauritania was waiting for us...the Iron Ore Train.

Day 8: Azougui - Zouérat - Nouadibou

The long waiting was ended. Today was the day, that we were about to enter one of the biggest trains in the world. The good nervousness before a great adventure have been building up and today was the day.

The line where the Iron Ore Train runs, was constructed in 1960 and opened in 1963. It is a single railway that spans for 704 km linking the iron mine in Zouérat and Atlantic coast in Nouadhibou. The train is up to 3 km in lenght making it longer than the 25 of April bridge in Lisbon (2.3 km in lenght) and one of the longest and heavist trains in the world. It consists of 3 or 4 locomotives, 2 to 3 service cars and 200 to 210 cargo cars each carrying up to 84 tons of iron ore.

Passengers are carried occasionally in the train - they can travel in passeger cars that are attached to all the other cars, or simply passengers travel in the top of the iron ore cargo ...like us! During the day the temperatures can reach 40ºC (in our case it only reached 35ºC) and during the night temperatures drop to freezing.

It was 18 hours in the top of the cargo non-stop, it was freezing cold, we had masks to protect our lungs from the iron ore, and snowboard glasses to protect the eyes...but it was an adventure of a lifetime. How many times can you say you passed a night under the Saharan sky in a cargo train?

Our group in the begging of the journey on board of the Iron Ore Train

The night was though, and I most tell that the clothes and the blankets weren't enough, we hold on to each other to find some warm and endure the night. Arriving to Nouadhibou and seeing our drivers it was pure happiness. We done it! I... survived the f****** Iron Ore Train! If I ever thought to be here one day. The world is a really magical place, and I felt alive!

Day 9: Nouadhibou - Iwik

Arrived to Nouadhibou this was our state:

My partners in crime: Isabel and Filipa

Thanks to Isabel for being a ray of sunshine everywhere she is and to Filipa for keeping me warm during the Iron Ore Train ride and for all the laughs we got during the long hours traveling in the desert

We went directly to an hotel to take way all the iron that decided to come with us. Seeing a bathroom, a shower, imagine a warm bath, some adventures really make you grateful for simple things. However...we are in Mauritania and of course there was no water in the first room! No problem, we dresses all the clothes again and changed room...and of course there were a tiny line of water on the second one. But you know what? It was the best water ever! 😅

Clean, shiny and with dark circles around the eyes of the peacefull night we just had, we went to eat the fresh fish and enjoy a new ride to our next adventure Le Banc d'Arguin National Park.

Day 10: Iwik - Le Banc d'Arguin National Park

We slept like rocks. The wind hitting our little bungalows at the beach it sounded like a lullaby.

Today, the adventure was in a sailing boat in the Banc d'Arguin. The Banc d'Arguin National Park it is the former delta of the Tamanrasset River. It is a World Heritage Site and a Nature reserve (since 1976) since it is a major site for migratory birds, including pelicans, flamingos and terns. The birds breed on the sand banks and the waters are rich in fish. Due to almost no human intervention and mild climate, it holds one of the largest colonies of water birds in West Africa.

Only a small community, called the fishermen from the desert, are allowed to fish within the Park however, they cannot use motor boats or heavy machinery.

Banc d'Arguin - the birds, the boat and the fishermen catching lunch

Day 11: Iwik - Nouakchott

We thought there were no more surprises and this was the day to return to Nouakchott. However, Le Banc d'Arguin could not leave us without another epic ride. By car, we travelled between the water and the dunes with the birds flying around us. We travelled for km in pristine beaches with not a single human in sight apart from us.

The journey between Iwik and Nouakchott

Of course we could end a desert journey without cars stuck in sand...so we did a forcep pit stop before our final destination

Cars stuck in sand - a classic desert journey

Arrived to Nouakchott, we had time for lunch and a last sunset at the Fish Market. It was time to come back to reality.

Sunset at the Fish Market - Nouakchott

Time to say goodbye to Mauritania and a thank-you to my Chicos for dealing with me during 12 days in this Desert, Sea and Iron Train adventure.

The Chicos and I - Fish Market - Nouakchott

And of course, thank-you to all the intrepid people that shared this journey with me and that made it unique on their own way. A special hug of course to my Isabel (that I met in another adventure in Jordan) and Filipa (that joined the best jipe group and tag along in all the laughs😎).

100Rota 1st group in Mauritania

If you have doubts or want to travel to Mauritania, I am happy to help to leave your can and explore the world!

By yours: Uncanned Sardine