Top Western Sahara hotels
With a reputation that often is summed up in guide books' "if you should be stranded here"- approaches, Dakhla is a great surprise. The town, which has grown tremendously, and should now count more than 30,000 inhabitants, is finding its own style.White houses, unsystematic arrangement of streets, a reserved approach to the sea, and lots of colourful Sahrawi women are the images that you will remember.
The Western Sahara includes Saguiet el-Hamra in the north and Wadi ed Dahab (Rio de Oro) in the south. Its area of 284 000 square Kilometers, is one tenth the size of Algeria, half the size of France and just a little smaller than Italy. It lies between the 20th and 30th parallel straddling the Tropic of Cancer. It is bordered to the north by Morocco, by Algeria to the east, Mauritania to the south-east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
The main settlements in Wester Sahara are El Aaiún, Samara and Dajla (formerly known as Villa Cisneros). El Aaiún is the capital and a fairly modern looking city. There are few remains from the Spanish time and while the Moroccan government has invested huge summs of money in the central areas, even with a football camp in the middle in the dessert, the largest part of the population live in really very poor conditions.
2) The second zone is made up of rivers. It includes the wadi Draa to the north and the Jat to the west. These wadis are often depressions where water gathers during the brief rainy seasons, particularly in autumn.
As with most African states, its boundaries are the result of agreements made among the colonial powers anxious to safeguard their interest in the region. In particular, they were defined in agreements made between France and Spain in 1900, 1904 and 1912.
3) The third zone, the Rio de Oro, is inland and consists of flat plains, ergs and sand dunes. The ground is too permeable to retain the autumn waters and too flat to allow it to flow, hence water accumulates in the subsoil forming numerous wells.
You will see many camels in the Sahara desert. If you are lucky you will observe the birth of a baby camel, like the one in the picture.
You should really go on the outskirts of the town. This is a so called wadi or ouad, a dry riverbed. Transport is done by camel or jeep.
All over view of Place Mechouar.
Just one more pic, this time showing the government house. At least that is what I suppose.
Reviews and photos of Western Sahara attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Western Sahara sightseeing.
Q: Hi, I´d need to know if there is still a ferry service going from Cran Canaria to the area of Western Sahara in...
A: Even the cargo service is interupted at the moment, relations between Morocco and Spain not being at their best. Other than that no normal type of ferry service in...
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