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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
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Trans Sahara Routes.

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  • 2 Post By Tim Cullis
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  #1  
Old 16 Jun 2023
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Mauritania
Hi
Dose anyone have up to date information on travelling overland Western Sahara and Mauritania
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  #2  
Old 16 Jun 2023
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What sort of info are you after?
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Old 16 Jun 2023
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Any information would be helpful
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Old 16 Jun 2023
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You are not giving us much to go on. We could spend ages writing about stuff that you don't have interest in.

By your 'handle' I'm guessing you are on a motorbike.

Western Sahara: So long as you keep to the main RN1 coastal road there's not much to relate. It's flat scrubland running alongside mainly high cliffs. Your log entries could be, "After 65km some donkeys by the side of the road, after another 30km the road took a slight turn to the left."

Mauritania: After 150km of riding south I came to a slightly less boring bit where I took a photo. What look like garden sheds by the side of the road are actually where people live.

Have a look at some of Itchy Boots videos for a flavour, starting with S7:E13 from Tata heading to Western Sahara. S7:E13 through S7:E25 might be interesting to you.

Tanger to Nouakchott is getting on for 3,000km with the same distance back again. We don't know your riding background, if this is your first time in North West Africa you might be better served spending all of it in Morocco. There is so much to see and do in Morocco that doesn't involve several days of quite uninteresting riding.
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Old 17 Jun 2023
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Originally Posted by Tim Cullis View Post
...if this is your first time in North West Africa you might be better served spending all of it in Morocco. There is so much to see and do in Morocco that doesn't involve several days of quite uninteresting riding.
Tim is absolutely "spot-on" with his advice above.

I rode down to the Mauritanian border 4 years ago. It was one of the most boring (and tiring) motorcycle rides I had ever done. There is nothing worth seeing south of the N12 highway (about 100 km south of Agadir), and there is even less than nothing to see south of Laayoune in Western Sahara.

Michael
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Old 17 Jun 2023
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis View Post
You are not giving us much to go on. We could spend ages writing about stuff that you don't have interest in.

By your 'handle' I'm guessing you are on a motorbike.

Western Sahara: So long as you keep to the main RN1 coastal road there's not much to relate. It's flat scrubland running alongside mainly high cliffs. Your log entries could be, "After 65km some donkeys by the side of the road, after another 30km the road took a slight turn to the left."

Mauritania: After 150km of riding south I came to a slightly less boring bit where I took a photo. What look like garden sheds by the side of the road are actually where people live.

Have a look at some of Itchy Boots videos for a flavour, starting with S7:E13 from Tata heading to Western Sahara. S7:E13 through S7:E25 might be interesting to you.

Tanger to Nouakchott is getting on for 3,000km with the same distance back again. We don't know your riding background, if this is your first time in North West Africa you might be better served spending all of it in Morocco. There is so much to see and do in Morocco that doesn't involve several days of quite uninteresting riding.

Hi Tim
I have been adventure riding for many years Iceland, Spain, Portugal, Pyrenees and Extensively in Morocco 15 plus trips over the last 20 years.
Last time in Morocco was February this year and going back again in September.
I have watched Itchy Boots videos riding in Mauritania.
I am thinking of going to Mauritania early 2024 and more interested in riding trails than the main road south.
I have found routes on Wikiloc from earlier this year posted by a Spanish group of riders
I’m looking for info on border crossing into and out of Mauritania I read on some post from a few years back that the border was closed for tourist who were trying to head north from Mauritania back into Morocco is this still the case or is the border now open when travelling north.
How safe travel is of the main highway
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Old 17 Jun 2023
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Without wanting to sound like some stroppy ADVRider keyboard warrior, the Mauritania visa + border thread on this forum is quite informative! The last time the Maroc-Mauri border was closed was during the Covid years.
Safety-wise, if you fall off, don't expect to be rescued immediately - traffic on all routes can be scarce. Kidnap-wise things are calm, but the south east is close to some lawless areas...
Mauritania is proper desert and proper Africa. Make sure you have fuel and water in abundance and you'll have a blast.
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Old 18 Jun 2023
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Morocco Mauritania border was closed 2 days ago due to computers being down but back open in a few hours, its been operating normally for the last year and a bit after the Covid restrictions. Visa 55euros on the border. Petrol can be hard to come by but perfectly achievable on a bike with patience and planning

Theres lots to see in the WS if you venture away from the main road, many people dont bother looking for it. But its not for the inexperienced, very remote, little facilities and always the risk of land mines and other uxo's. Take Itchy Boots video of the Smara to Dakhla route with a large degree of caution, its 600km of very remote desert between known reliable fuel stations. When we last drive it in November we saw 1 vehicle and 2 people in 3 days. Phone signal is patchy at best. I dont reccomend travelling alone in the area.

Have a look at 76Overland, Lazutheblue and For the Love of Wheels for some good videos/blog posts on Mauritania. If your on Facebook then Overlanding West Africa and Morocco has lots of up to date info for Mauritania.
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Old 18 Jun 2023
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Thank you
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  #10  
Old 19 Jun 2023
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I am thinking of going to Mauritania early 2024 and more interested in riding trails than the main road south.
In that case, assuming you have an appropriate machine and not a heavy bike suited only to bitumen, you will find loads of great trails inland or even along the coast (see the recent 2CV post), but as Mossproof says, off-roading in Mauritania not like mainland Morocco, or even WS where riding can be remote but is technically easy.

Smara to Dakhla in a day was good going on a flat piste, but note that Itchy Boots hired a guide in a 4x4 midway on the increasingly sandy Railway Piste and retained him all the way round to Atar. There may be downloadable tracklogs for the interesting areas she covered with him, but doing so alone will be stressful. Setting apart the dune fields, the sandy/rocky and even tussocky terrain makes trail biking in RIM full-on, especially when compared to the much greater expanses of Algeria, for example.
That is why, along with the long road ride there (should you choose it) so few do it, even with the freedom to roam widely without compulsory escorts.
Note also that Mori is substantially warmer than southern Morocco/WS. On technical pistes that affects water consumption/payload/health.

Fyi, from Atar (a good base for the most interesting area) the road SE to Tidjikja appears to be complete. From there road SW to NKT.
Last edited by Chris Scott; 19 Jun 2023 at 20:25.
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Old 19 Jun 2023
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Thank you Chris
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Old 23 Jun 2023
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In that case, assuming you have an appropriate machine.
It can be done. Goin to Dakar
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