Western Sahara
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Western Sahara is an area in North Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco. Its governance is disputed between Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), but the majority of it is controlled by Morocco.
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Map of Western Sahara Contents
Under Moroccan administration
Under SADR administration |
—you might meet him later anyway, with a broken axle, a good 100 m off the road. Don't even trust your own experience on a road—a single night of rain can turn a great road into a terrible one.
- When going off-road, either know that the area is free of mines or have a reliable guide. Follow existing tracks where feasible.
- Take a mobile with you, it will work in almost all areas and it will make life easier when the vehicle breaks down.
- And the usual desert tips: bring more than enough water, something to keep you warm at night in case you have to sleep in your car.
Local Language in Western Sahara
The native language of the majority is Hassaniya Arabic, which is mutually unintelligible with Arabic phrasebook|Standard Arabic that is not widely spoken.
Moroccan Arabic phrasebook|Moroccan Arabic is also widely spoken, and is the lingua franca on the streets and the workplace because of the many Moroccans residing in the nation.
French is spoken by a lot of those who moved in from Morocco proper and to some degree by a lot of local residents who sometimes deal with tourists.
Spanish is spoken rarely (mostly by those old enough to have learned it under Spanish occupation), English even rarer.
People are generally very patient with people they don't share a language with and are also used to communicating with their hands and feet. Also, because of a very low literacy level, writing things down does not help communication much.
What to see in Western Sahara
Vista de El Aaiún - View of El Aaiún
- The Saharan desert.
- Remnants of the Spanish colonial rule in the capital El Aaiún.
- Many beautiful, completely unspoiled beaches that sometimes go on for miles.
What to do in Western Sahara
Muslim Friendly Shopping in Western Sahara
Money Matters & ATM's in Western Sahara
The official currency of the Moroccan-controlled portion is the Moroccan dirham, sometimes symbolised as "Dh", "Dhs, "DH", "درهم, or the plural form of "دراهم" or "Dhm" (ISO code: MAD). It's divided into 100 santime or centimes (c). There are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, 1, 2, 5 and 10 dirham coins, although coins smaller than 20c are rarely seen these days. Banknotes are available in denominations of Dh 20, 50, 100 and 200.
The SADR has also minted its own pesetas ("Pts.", ISO code: EHP). It has an official exchange rate of €1 for 166.386 Pts. Algerian dinars and Mauritanian ouguiyas circulate alongside the Sahrawi peseta in the Sahrawi refugee camps and the SADR-controlled part of Western Sahara.
What is the living cost in Western Sahara
Prices are lower than in Morocco, in part due to Moroccan government's subsidization policy.
Halal Restaurants in Western Sahara
With fishing being the main source of income for the local population, fish is the obvious choice: It is fresh and very cheap. Traditional Sahrawi hospitality includes the serving of tea to all guests in one's home. Though, be aware and the tea is really strong, even for people used to high caffeine intake.
Stay Safe
Hot, dry, dust-and-sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility. There are low-level uprisings and political violence which is altogether rare, but can escalate. Occupying powers are likely to evict foreigners in such case.
The N1—and even more so the roads into the heart of the territory—are very remote roads, with facilities and settlements being easily 150-200 kilometers away from each other. Take enough fuel (always refuel before going on the next leg, you never know what is going to happen) and enough water (several liters per person). Mobile network connection exists along N1.
Landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO)
There was war in Western Sahara for over 15 years in the 1970s and 1980s, and as a result and the landmine and UXO situation to this day remains quite unclear, despite efforts of the Moroccan Government to improve the situation. There are landmines not only in the remote parts of the nation close to berm, but all the way down main coastal road (N1) to the Mauritanian border. Google Earth clearly shows the efforts to clear minefields all along N1, which continue to this day—despite Moroccan officers tending to tell tourists that this part of the nation is safe. Around the settlements (Boujdour, Ad-Dakhla, Golfe de Cintra) the situation seems to be slightly worse, possibly due their strategic significance in the war. The warning signs are sometimes so rusty that they can't be recognised anymore, but usually the combination of two small metal signs is a strong indicator.
FortecolorWestsaharaIII-60 - Withered Landmine Warning Sign at N1 south of Ad-Dakhla.
Keep eyes open to lines of stones, cairns, staples of old tyres and similar man-made marking—they are usually meaningful! Generally, any place off the tarmac-road of N1 and off-branching tarmac roads must be considered unsafe. Car-wrecks are strong indicators—do not explore these! Strategically significant points (the various small passes, narrow valleys, elevated points, etc.) are more dangerous, but this does not mean that other places are safe. Any man-made fortifications (straight sand-walls, round sand-wall [for artillery and any other millitary looking movements of ground) pose particular danger (esp. south of Ad-Dakhla, but also south of Boujdour). It might be that these were mined when being abandoned to prevent them from falling into the other party's hand, or it might be that the surroundings were mined from the beginning to protect against guerrilla attacks, but anyway the mine-cleaning patterns strongly indicate that such places were and possibly continue to be particularly dangerous. Few to no mine-clearing efforts can be observed off the N1 - that possibly means that (e.g. for lack of touristic significance) these areas continue to be mined and efforts were focussed at the immediate surrounding of N1.
The patterns of cleaning mine-fields indicate that in not all cases does the Moroccan Government seem to be aware of the location of minefields, which requires more or less random search pattern. Moreover, on Google Earth it can be seen that where minefields have previously been cleared, new clearing activities have resumed later. This again indicates that even traces of cleared minefields do not guarantee safety. This includes the surroundings of the lagoon of Ad-Dakhla, including the lands north of it.
Medical Issues in Western Sahara
No matter whether you travel in a private vehicle or on a bus, always take enough water for at least 24 hours to be prepared if the vehicle breaks down.
Don't touch unknown vegetation—some of the seemingly good looking fruit one can find on the road side are poisonous even when just touched (one looks like miniature water melons, another like small cucumbers).
When climbing some of the rare stone formations, be aware of scorpions. Even though extremely rare, sometimes cobras are spotted (usually after a period of a few days with hot winds blowing to the West).
The quality of tap water is variable; ask before drinking it, or just drink bottled water.
Local Customs in Western Sahara
Ramadan 2025 in Western Sahara
Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.
The next Ramadan shall be from Friday, 28 February 2025 to Saturday, 29 March 2025
The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Friday, 6 June 2025
The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Thursday, 26 June 2025
The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024 The culture is Islamic but not particularly strict; the form of Islam that developed among the nomad population is non-mosque-based. Political and social displays of Sahrawi nationalism are violently repressed by the Moroccan police and military.
Telecommunications in Western Sahara
Teleboutiques and internet cafes are not hard to find in the cities, but connection speed may vary from place to place. Most cafes, restaurants and hotels offer free wifi.
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