Things to do in Nouakchott
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Nouakchott
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, the cool dry season with migrant birds in and the desert circuit at its most comfortable.
Shoulder months, hotter edges of the good season with October rain risk and March sandy winds.
Worst months, peak heat then the rains, with August the wettest month.
Hot and windy, with sand laden winds and sightseeing limited to mornings and late afternoons.
What's on
- Assalamalekoum Festival late June, dates vary by year
A week of hip hop and rap in Nouakchott, but confirm the edition exists before building a trip on it.
- Independence Day 28 November
The national day in peak season, with official ceremony and a festive city.
Best things to do in Nouakchott
Port de Pêche
Hundreds of painted pirogues land through the surf at late afternoon, and the beach becomes a fish market in motion.
National Museum of Mauritania
A small two floor museum of prehistory, archaeology and nomad culture that orients a first day in Mauritania.
Plage de Nouakchott
A wild Atlantic beach where the city gathers at weekends, best for sunset and scene rather than swimming.
Galerie Zeinart
Contemporary Mauritanian art, jewellery and fine craft in one calm gallery, with a Saturday garden market.
Marché Capitale
The dense central bazaar of cloth, tailors, fruit and spices, best as immersion first and shopping second.
Saudi Mosque
The twin minaret landmark of the flat capital, an exterior sight best seen in low light with the Moroccan Mosque.
Marché Artisanal
The dedicated craft market for leatherwork, silver jewellery and carved wood, with negotiation expected.
Mosquée Marocaine
The Moroccan built mosque, smaller and more decorative than the Saudi Mosque, rewarding a closer exterior look.
Where to stay in Nouakchott
Tevragh Zeina
the safe, working visitor base
Embassy and restaurant district with the credible hotels, set apart from the higher crime districts.
Central Nouakchott
central address on a budget
Closer to the markets and mosques, with a budget option, but harder work at night than Tevragh Zeina.
Nouakchott
smaller hotel alternative
Semiramis sits in the city working set and suits travellers avoiding the big business hotels.
Think twice about
- Southern Nouakchott (Arafat and Riyadh)
Higher crime area in the south of the city. Do not base here.
- Eastern Nouakchott (Toujounine and Dar Naim)
Higher crime area in the east of the city. Do not base here.
Best restaurants in Nouakchott
TAFARIT sun house.
The city defining seafood table, where fresh prawns and the mixed seafood platter outrun a plain setting.
A Casa Portuguesa
A long running French African dining room for seafood and Mediterranean plates, loyal to the resident city.
Restaurant Al Fantasia
The Moroccan table of tagines and couscous, rated for family dinners and a change from grilled fish.
Le Maquis
A smaller Mediterranean French room rated above the city average, with vegetarian friendly options.
Terjit Vacances
A simple beachside seafood lunch with sea air instead of air conditioning, anchoring a beach day.
Marché aux Poissons
Fish landed that afternoon, grilled simply at the port market and eaten with rice, bread and sauce.
O'délice - Fast Food - Tacos
The local fast food favourite for French style tacos and quick plates at true cheap eats prices.
Kaizen Restaurant
A small French Swiss cafe restaurant praised for quality, at cheap eats prices for a calm lunch.
Outdoor things to do in Nouakchott
Plage de Nouakchott
A beach day of camel and horse rides, tents and grilled fish, with sunset as the main event and no swimming.
Port de Pêche
Go out by pirogue with the artisanal fleet through an operator, and see the surf launch the whole economy rests on.
Banc d'Arguin National Park
A UNESCO coastal wilderness of tidal flats and migratory birds, reached as a two to four day expedition north.
Diawling National Park
A restored floodplain of lagoons and waterbirds on the Senegal River, best as a long day or overnight south.
Adrar Plateau
The desert circuit to Chinguetti, Ouadane and Terjit Oasis, with camel time in the dunes and oasis pools.
Nouakchott Beach
A sunset camel ride on the beach and dunes at the city edge, the Sahara taster if the Adrar is too far.
Best hotels in Nouakchott
FASQ Hotel
The current top end address, a modern hotel with pool, gym and the strongest recent service reviews in the city.
Azalaï Hôtel Nouakchott
The long standing international standard business hotel, with pool, gym and a proven regional chain operation.
Monotel Dar El Barka
An embassy zone garden and pool hotel with helpful staff, good breakfasts and a calm compound feel.
Semiramis Hotel
A smaller, newer feeling alternative for travellers who find the big business hotels impersonal.
Casablu Hotel
The value pick in the right district, a modern budget hotel with clean rooms and helpful staff.
Al Khaima City Center
A central budget option, one of the city's cheapest credible hotels, useful when price leads.
Is Nouakchott expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MRU 1,800 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MRU 4,500 a person |
| Splurge | MRU 9,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Mauritania Desert Voyages: a few days ahead
- Port de Pêche: a few days ahead
- Banc d'Arguin National Park: weeks ahead
- Diawling National Park: weeks ahead
- Adrar Plateau: weeks ahead
- FASQ Hotel: weeks ahead
- Azalaï Hôtel Nouakchott: weeks ahead
- Monotel Dar El Barka: a few days ahead
- Arrange the eVisa first, then operator circuits weeks ahead in the November to February season.
- Book FASQ or Azalai rooms as soon as flights are fixed, and reserve Tafarit for group dinners.
- Reconfirm operator and airport transfer the week before travel.
Is Nouakchott safe?
- Terrorism, crime and limited health infrastructure are the standing risks, with military off-limits areas north of the Tropic of Cancer and within 60 miles of the Mali and Algeria borders.
- Violent crime occurs frequently outside Tevragh Zeina in Nouakchott, so sleep there and use a driver.
- Do not swim at the port or city beach because of a strong undertow, and do not walk at night.
- Alcohol is prohibited in Mauritania, so do not bring it or expect it.
Nouakchott travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Hotel free shuttle claims that become a charge on arrival, so verify transfers in writing.
- Beach establishments with expat prices and poor upkeep, so choose by fresh recommendation.
- Unlicensed desert trips offered at the hotel door, where the cheap option can become a safety event.
- Market first prices, which assume a negotiation.
Getting around Nouakchott: public transport and more
- Use a hotel or operator arranged driver beyond a simple taxi hop, agree the fare first, and keep doors locked.
- Walking is for short Tevragh Zeina hops in daylight, not for crossing the city and not at night.
- Treat printed taxi fares as stale and reprice on the day.
Who Nouakchott suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | OK |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Nouakchott your trip
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