During my West Africa adventure, I travel through Mauritania on my way to my main destination Senegal. This time no round trip, but the shortest route. This blog is about the outward and return journey.
TIPS
- For Mauritania you don’t need a carnet de passage or an international driving license.
- A fiche is a paper overview with the details of your passport, address, car, registration certificate and where you come from and where you’re going. Make sure you have about 20 of them with you!
- The quality of diesel is very poor in Mauritania, fill up before crossing the border in Morocco/Senegal.
- At Shell just before the border in Morocco you can also fill up on water and stay overnight.
- You don’t need a fixer, if you do want help, make sure you’re his only ‘client’.
- Bring enough cash, Euros and Moroccan Dirhams. I didn’t succeed in withdrawing money from an ATM.
- Mauritania exchange rate 100 Oya – €2.40 and 100 Oya – DH 25
- I was advised not to cross the border into Senegal at Rosso as it takes longer and there is a lot of corruption.
- Bring sweets, pens and/or something small to give away to police, customs and locals.
Morocco-Mauritania border costs
- Car passavant cash DH 100 (€10)
- Visa at the border cash €55 (nowadays online)
- 3-day insurance cash DH 200 (€20)
- Fixers cash DH 200 (€20)
Flashback
The Moroccan border is closed between 2-3pm. I have been waiting in the blazing sun since 2pm and the gate opens at 3pm.
Then a spectacle begins that I haven’t seen often. Trucks and cars (incl. campers) go through the same entrance. Passport stamped, vehicle through scan, scan papers stamped and past customs out of Morocco.
It seems very easy but everyone is walking around, cars are parked crisscross and this whole process is not in chronological order. I’m waiting for an hour and a half at the border when I’m taken out of the line and can go through the scanner. Great!
Morocco-Mauritania border crossing
No idea why but it soon turns out that a fixer is working for me. Someone who earns money by helping with the papers for the border crossing. Haha I don’t want a fixer at all but if it goes faster then yes. Here and there something is forgotten, he gives some tips and everyone smiles at him.
Then he jumps in my car and says: “let’s go, let’s drive through no man’s land to Mauritania.” What a strange situation this is, I advise everyone: don’t do this. No idea if my papers are correct and what I have to pay him?!
No man’s land is a dirt road with lots of holes, bumps and sand. No old cars or wrecks, these have been cleared away. Apparently there are still mines and you have to stay on the track. But there are lots of tire tracks to follow so it’s not a big risk of suddenly driving on a mine.
At the Mauritanian border my fixer is greeted kindly and he gets to work, but suddenly there are 3 more tourists and there is also a 2nd fixer. I now have to wait 3 times as long for all the papers. It is one big chaos that I can laugh about at first but after more than 5 hours I still haven’t passed customs. What is the advantage of the fixer? I think it only causes delays and irritation with the customs officials.
After 6 hours the time has come, the papers are ready! It is pitch dark now and I am driving on a black road without stripes and without street lights through the desert. One more hour of driving, everything will be fine…
Camping in Nouadhibou
The first auberge Villa Miguela is absolutely fine, I am warmly welcomed and can also eat something together with the other guests. In the morning I see that I am in a stunning location with sea view!
Leo and I walk along the coast with 3 house dogs and a view of the sea. I exchange money in the auberge! There are hardly any ATMs in Mauritania so I brought extra Euros and Dirhams just to be sure. I don’t buy a SIM card for this country and I navigate with the navigation app maps-me. Ready to go, we have a long drive ahead of us!
En route
Along the road people live in small wooden houses, bizarre. The wind is blowing hard and there is a lot of sand in the air, it is a bit tiring to drive.
But then the first camel crosses, with a little one! How cool 😍
And then groups of dromedaries, wonderful animals! And with that yellow sand sky, so special!
Lunch stop in Chami
For the lunch stop I leave the asphalt road and almost immediately get stuck in the sand, oh my god. I remove sand with my hands but that doesn’t help. Two men with a horse and cart come to my aid and I’m back on the asphalt again. They get on the cart and drive away waving. Super friendly!
Wow it is really intense to drive! See just as little as in fog and there is a lot of wind. The asphalt edge is crumbled, the road is too narrow and it also starts to rain what a chaos.
Nouakchott beach
After more than 6 hours of driving and some searching I find a campsite on the beach of Nouakchott. Friendly welcome and also wifi yeah! Leo and I walk on this amazing beach wow, super nice after the long drive!
The next morning I see many fishermen in traditional boats. After our morning walk I get a breakfast treat from a local, very nice but it takes a bit long and I already had breakfast. Haha turning down was not an option so we leave an hour later.
Village Mederdra
It is a fairly good road from Nouakchott, just watch out for the huge holes in the road. I drive quietly through the Mauritanian village of Mederdra and enjoy the local life.
Often I have to stop for the police or customs, they want to know where I come from and where I’m going. They also ask for a fiche, a document with my details, which I had printed 40 times in Tan Tan Plage. But sometimes they want a gift or money. My French is petit peu and that works out well, because I don’t understand what they ask. One policeman finally says in English; “give me 10 euros!” I say no, smile with my hand on my heart and drive away waving, he smiles back.
Parc National du Diawling
Very very old cars still drive here! Today two women in the back of the pickup who wave happily at me. Sometimes a camel in the back of a car or completely packed cars with a goat on the roof. Watch this video!
There are multiple border crossings possible from Mauritania to Senegal. I choose the border at Diama via the Diawling National Park. Wow, this road is not good, I drive more than 2 hours over 40 km. My car is not made for this, but with a 4×4 this is fun to do.
After Leo and I walked around for a while I suddenly see this sign that there are crocodiles?! Life is one big adventure 🙂
Park du Diawling has lots of dragonflies, different kind of birds, flowers and my favourite; the warthog!
Crossing the border with Mauritanian is quick and I don’t have to pay anything. Everything is stamped and as soon as I return I have to arrange a new visa and insurance. Okay great, on to the Senegalese border!
Vanlife in West Africa III, Senegal
Would you like to read my blog about Senegal? Please be patient, this blog is currently being made!
The return trip
Senegal-Mauritania border costs
- Car passavant cash CFA 6000 (€9)
- Visa at the border cash €55 (nowadays online)
- National park cash 200 Oya (€5)
- Bridge cash CFA 4000 (€6)
- Parking cash 100 Oya (€2.40)
Border crossing & Parc du Diawling
The border crossings on the return trip from Senegal to Mauritania are very smooth, within an hour I am past both border crossings. Now I also pay much less for Mauritania, no fixers and the insurance is suddenly no longer mandatory?…
Wow what a bumpy ride through the park! This time it took me 2.5 hours. Total 9 hours driven from camping Zebrabar incl. border crossing Senegal and Mauritania, I also bought 2 souvenirs and exchanged money.
We spend the night again in Nouakchott at the campsite, the beach is full of locals because the weather is great. On the way I saw many small desert villages with colored houses. I hadn’t seen these before because of the yellow misty sand air.
On to the Moroccan border
Then follows a long long drive to the border of Morocco. From good asphalt to very bad road surface and enormous holes in the road. We have lunch at the same place at the gas station with the goats. I buy fresh bread and spend the last money on diesel.
The border crossing from Mauritania to Morocco is exceptionally smooth!
Stamping the passport, handing in the passavant for the car, paying nothing, everyone is friendly and I drive through no man’s land without a fixer.
What a difference with the outward journey!
We travel further in South Morocco, will you travel with us?
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