Dear people!

Can you tell me what is the safety situation for traveling to Atar region in Mauritania?
I researched the forum and googled, and it seems there is ambigous information. On one hand it seems that the security measures there are stronger lately, and that it is the "safest region" around. (Freund's letter)
Here in Morocco we met few overlanders on the way there, but it seems they didn't know or care at all about the safety...

On the other hand there is always worry. Especially after sad recent event.

So can somebody please tell me is there any (few? tens? hundreds?) tourists and drivers (cars, moto) currently in Atar?

Is there checkpoints all over the country (and Atar region) or just on the atlantic road?

Also do you know some safe places to stay in Atar or Chingueti where one can also leave a bike overnight.

And what is it like the road from Atar to Chingueti and from Atar to Choum?

Thanks a lot, i appreciate all the answers!

Davor

Davor Rostuhar | web site

I was last in Atar in 2008, so I will leave the question re: safety to people who have been there more recently.

There is a decent campsite in Atar called Bab Sahara where you can stay and the vehicle will be safe. There is also a small workshop there if you need to work on the bike. If you ask discretely, they also usually sell , which can be a blessing in a "dry" country!

Both Atar - Choum and Atar - Chingetti are sandy-ish roads. I call them a road, rather than a piste as the route is well defined and a grader might once have passed through sometime in recent years! If you continue on from Chingetti to Ouadane it becomes a sandy piste.

If you like the sand, there is also a very nice piste from Atar to Tidjikja. I would strongly suggest you don't take this route solo though and you will also need to carry at least 45-50 litres of fuel.

Hi Davor,

2 weeks ago, I was in Atar and Chinguetti. I met in the whole RIM one tourist (Ivan from Mexico on motobike).
There are four checkpoints around Atar. In Chinguetti are several "auberges" where you can leave your bike.
Unpaved road Atar-Chinguetti is in very good condition (1-2 hours), Choum-Atar is not so good but very doable by moto.

More actual infos here:
http://wuestenschiff.de/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=44819
and there:
http://wuestenschiff.de/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=44724

Greetings
Ferdi
Freiburg, Germany

We travelled through the area a few months ago - Nov 2010 without any problems or without encountering any reason to feel uncomfortable. Our route took us from the Moroccan border along the train line to Atar, out and back to Chinguetti, then SW to Nouakchott. Its a nice area that I can recommend checking out. We only met one other tourist - a solo Italian moto. Speaking to a hotel owner in Chinguetti he said there had been a 80 percent drop in tourists from a few years ago.

We found road conditions and checkpoints the same as mentioned in other replies.

Thanx for your replies guys, they are very helpful!
Elmacaro, that sounds interesting what you've done. We're also considering following the train route from Morocan border to the Atar. Could you tell me what is that route like? Road or piste? Any fuel and water on the way? How much time it took you? (moto or 4x4?)

Thanx alot again!

d.

Just to add to so me of the comments. We came through that region from Mali on our way to the UK. We were going to rush in and out of Mauritania, but we felt no need to fear any trouble. This in early Ocotober 2010

We stayed in the Atar region for a week. Visiting Oudane, Chinguetti, and Adrar region.

Apart from the heat which was at the time 48-50c in Chinguetti, it was all ok.

Police are less hassle free outside of the normal rally season, so from November onwards I would guess

We only felt a little at risk when we went from Atar-Choum and long the railway. We got stopped at each checkpoint along the railway line and asked to check in at the next one.

When it got to sleeping that night, we passed one more checkpoint and they said we were ok to sleep in the desert. The post before that said we must sleep with the police that night.

We got news and security feedback from people in Chinguetti and travelled to Ouadane through the desert. When we arrived there, the man giving us the tickets to the old city, said we were the first for four months ( no surprise i guess as that would have been the hottest time there and less visitors)

Plenty of check points on main tracks and places to stay in Atar.

We saw French army trucks on patrol in that region heading off away from the main Atar-Chinguetti tracks monitoring what was gonig on

Bac Sahara being the best camp in Atar

From Nouadhibou (NDH), it is about 70kms on tarmac to Bou Lanour, which is the easiest place to join the NDH - Atar piste.

From there, it is a sandy track running south of the railway lines. You will need fuel for just over 500kms. Fuel should be available from jerrycans at Choum, although if you have enough fuel, it is possible to bypass Choum and head directly to Atar.

Water definitely available at Choum, with limited quantities from some of the railway huts en route, but it would be better to be self sufficient for this piste.

With an early start from NDH and if you are pushing hard, it is possible to do this piste in one day on a bike, although 2 days would be more relaxed.

Here's the current French advise for travellers in Mauri
[France-Diplomatie-Minist�re des Affaires �trang�res et europ�ennes] MAURITANIE

Scary isn't it.