Nefta Things to Do

4 more images

Splitting Nefta in two, La Corbeille is a tiny stream in a deep and wide valley filled with palm trees. From certain places, it lcan seem as if Nefta's domes float above the palms, with the shimmering Chott el-Jerid salt pans beyond. It looks peaceful, and the stream relatively harmless, but in the 1990s, heavy rain caused severe flooding and many buildings in Ez-Zaouia and El-Baydha quarters fell down into La Corbeille.

The best place to view La Corbeille is from a deserted cafe at the top end of El-Baydha, before you reach two huge tourist hotels. The cafe no longer functions, but the terrace is still there, and a couple of enterprising locals have set up souvenir stalls here.

1 more image

"The White Quarter" is probably the most visually stunning part of Nefta, situated on the opposite bank of La Corbeille (see tip below). Here you'll find Nefta's busy market, narrow alleyways, and lots of architectural gems...in particular I liked the white-washed mosques overlooking La Corbeille. Unfortunately, El Baydha was also badly hit by the floods and is still recovering. The photos show the domes of Sidi Ibrahim Zaouia (a zaouia is a type of small mosque).

On the other side of the main road, the Ez-Zaouia quarter was probably once a very nice place to visit with lots of old buildings and mosques perched on rocks overlooking the palm-filled Corbeille. Unortunately, the floods a few years ago hit Ez-Zaouia hard, and you can see a lot of flood damage still...some of the roads running alongside the Corbeille have eroded away and are quite dangerous to walk on, and a few houses have obviously slipped down the rock and into the valley below. A couple of the mosques have been rebuilt though, and you can still find some impressive views over the Corbeille.

3 more images

Oueled ech-Cherif's main mosque is an impressive building on the edge of the quarter overlooking the oasis. You can't enter unless you are muslim, but the tall minaret is worth a look...and is a useful building to know if you get lost, as it is visible from many places in town.

To find it, face the Hotel Habib in the square and turn right through a couple of arches, and the mosque will appear on your left, next to a large pile of rubbish.

4 more images

Nefta has four old quarters, and the easiest to find, if not the most spectacular, is Oueled ech-Cherif. From the main road where buses and louages drop you off, take any road off to the left...the nicest ones are entered through archways, and recent tourist maps have been drawn on the wall to help you, although it is probably easier just to dive in and get lost, as the lanes are so twisty the map won't really help. The centre is the Place de la Liberation, which is dealt with in the tip below, but the main draw is just walking the backstreets and admiring the architecture. Fancy brickwork, archways and covered alleys is what its all about, and for mosque lovers, there are plenty of those about too. Neftawi traditional houses don't show much on the outside, so it feels quite a secretive sort of place....but in another tip below, I've described one of the traditional houses, Dar Houidi, which is sort of house museum and cultural centre.

3 more images

The heart of the old quarter of Oueled ech-Cherif is this shady palm-filled square, surrounded by old brick houses. On one side is the Hotel Habib (where I stayed...see Hotel tip), and on the other, a large cafe with many tables outside, a great place for a wake-up espresso or people watching in the late afternoon. It's a sleepy sort of place, except when the tour buses arrive, and suddenly the square whirs into action. Postcard sellers appear from nowhere, shops burst out onto the street with souvenirs blocking the pavement, and every other person seems to be selling desert roses. Tour buses don't stay long though, just enough time to haggle over a stuffed camel and sip a mint tea and everyone is back on the bus, the square hastily packing up and all is peaceful again. During tourist hour, there is a fair amount of hassle, but once the tour buses have gone off to the oasis, everyone is back to their friendly selves again. Stay a couple of days, and people start recognizing you, waving and asking after your health as you pass.

Nefta has a big palmery, a good way way to visit the palm groove is using the horse carts, we have a hot weather during our visit, but once you are inside the Oasis the temperature is surprisingly Cool. A nice experience.

1 more image

Is an attractive desert animal, their most outstanding features are enormous ears, wich are up to six inches long. Now is an endangered species specially in the western Sahara, where they have been hunted for the pet trade.