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• Explore Mauritania's coast - essentially an 800km (500-mile) sandy beach, almost devoid of vegetation but supporting an astonishingly large and varied population of birds. Inland, the landscape is empty desert.
• Discover the port and centre of the fishing industry, Nouâdhibou, situated on a peninsula at the northern end of the Bay of Levrier. As the waters are rich in fish, some coastal stretches are inhabited by people, despite the shortage of fresh water.
• Meet the tribe that survives through a symbiotic relationship with wild dolphins, halfway between Nouakchott and Nouâdhibou. The marine mammals drive fish towards the shore, the tribesmen swim out with nets, and both get their share.
• Visit Atâr, capital of the Adrar Region. An oasis lying on the route of salt caravans, it is the market centre for the nomads of northern Mauritania and has an old quarter, the Ksar, with flat-roofed houses and a fine palm grove.
• Take an excursion over the breathtaking mountain pass of Homogjar to Chinguetti, a holy city of Islam founded in the 13th century, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has a medieval mosque and a library housing ancient manuscripts.
• Tour the Affolé and Assaba regions, south and southeast of the Tagant, via Kiffa, Tamchakett and Ayoun el Atrous, to the wild plateaux of El Agher. Interesting archaeological sites include Koumbi Saleh, once capital of the Ghana Empire, 70km (45 miles) from Timbedra.
• Find the ancient capital of a Berber empire -Tagdawst, near Tamchakett, has been identified as ‘Aoudaghost'.
• Make the most of the water. There are good spots for fishing, swimming and surfing along the coast in the west. Remote and deserted beaches can be found near Nouâdhibou, but there is a risk of landmines in the area.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• Discover the port and centre of the fishing industry, Nouâdhibou, situated on a peninsula at the northern end of the Bay of Levrier. As the waters are rich in fish, some coastal stretches are inhabited by people, despite the shortage of fresh water.
• Meet the tribe that survives through a symbiotic relationship with wild dolphins, halfway between Nouakchott and Nouâdhibou. The marine mammals drive fish towards the shore, the tribesmen swim out with nets, and both get their share.
• Visit Atâr, capital of the Adrar Region. An oasis lying on the route of salt caravans, it is the market centre for the nomads of northern Mauritania and has an old quarter, the Ksar, with flat-roofed houses and a fine palm grove.
• Take an excursion over the breathtaking mountain pass of Homogjar to Chinguetti, a holy city of Islam founded in the 13th century, now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has a medieval mosque and a library housing ancient manuscripts.
• Tour the Affolé and Assaba regions, south and southeast of the Tagant, via Kiffa, Tamchakett and Ayoun el Atrous, to the wild plateaux of El Agher. Interesting archaeological sites include Koumbi Saleh, once capital of the Ghana Empire, 70km (45 miles) from Timbedra.
• Find the ancient capital of a Berber empire -Tagdawst, near Tamchakett, has been identified as ‘Aoudaghost'.
• Make the most of the water. There are good spots for fishing, swimming and surfing along the coast in the west. Remote and deserted beaches can be found near Nouâdhibou, but there is a risk of landmines in the area.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.