Western Sahara travel guide

Boujdour is by far the pleasant town in Western Sahara, though it is often overlooked by travellers. A small town with a relaxed and easygoing vibe, its most recognizable landmark is a tall lighthouse in the town centre. Other "landmarks" includes a number of strange sculptures, including on of an octopus triumphantly holding a fish(!) and a city gate that includes both dolphins and ostriches(!!). More interesting, however, is the harbour. Especially late afternoon, when dozens of small, open fishing boats return with the day's catch. It is possible and easy to buy fish right off the boats and have them prepared at one of the small shacks right next to the harbour. However, the strong winds might keep the boats in the safety of the harbour, so check if they have sailed out before getting your hopes up.

Western Sahara's claimed capital - though occupied by Morocco – Dakhla is primarily known for having one of the World's best kite-surfing spots in a bay 30 km north of town. It is also the last stop to get a beer before heading to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania where alcohol is forbidden (or the first stop for a beer if you are coming from there). However, if you are neither an overlander nor a kite-surfer chances are that you have never heard of Dakhla. And for good reasons too. Despite seeing plenty of investment and having both beaches and a seafront worthy of multiple all-inclusive resorts there is nothing there to keep visitors for long. An impressive, but locked, lighthouse on the western shore of the peninsula is probably the only real "sight" in town.

Western Sahara’s major city is home to around half of the territory’s population, around 200.000 people. However, it is mainly an administrative centre, without much interest for travellers. Most visitors nevertheless use the city a pit stop travelling between Mauritania and Morocco. Here is a large market east of Place Qum Saad, and Laayoune is the last place to stuck up before going further south if you need anything more specific. If you still have a couple of hours to kill, the city-planners clearly had a thing for big empty squares and roundabouts – so you might want to check out those. Alternatively, is there a big reservoir north of town with come impressive dunes around it. A good reminder that this actually is the Sahara. If you have even more time, there a decent beach 20 km to the west of town at Laayoune Plage.

Ever wondered what a post-apocalypse wasteland would look like? Look no further. Crossing the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania is probably your best chance to experience the post-apocalypse first hand. The approximately four kilometres of dirt tracks between the two border posts are officially named No Man’s Land, given any potential residence there a cool address. The whole area is littered with thousands of old cars and, strangely, old televisions. The best explanation for the dumped cars is that they are stolen European cars that were too expensive to import to Mauritania and have there been left "outside" the country, then ripped for spare parts. We have no idea about the televisions. Adding to the feeling of Armageddon are the tens of thousands of landmines that still curse the border area. Tourists and locals alike have been killed here, by mines, during the last decades by straying too far off the tracks. However, anyone sticking to the well-worn tracks should be safe.

Smara (or Samara) is the only town in Western Sahara that was founded before the Spanish. It's therefore the only place in Western Sahara, where it's possible to find any form of historical architecture. What is left is not impressive compared to Morocco. The ruined Mosquée Cheikh Maouelainin is usually locked and the restored fort is being occupied by the Moroccan police – taking photos tend to come with no small amount of suspicion from the law enforcement. In fact, the most interesting thing in Smara might be the authorities paranoia towards tourists. If you arrive during the evening or night, you might very well find that the local police will tail you until you have found a hotel. During the day, undercover agents might also be watching. In general, Smara’s inland location means that the town is less used to tourists. Contrary to the coastal cities, which sees its fair share of overlanders.

According to conveyorbeltguide.com (yes, that is a real website) the longest conveyor belt in the World is found in Western Sahara. Well, technically, it is actually 11 belts making up the world's longest conveyor belt system. Running for no less than 98 km (61 miles) the belts have transported phosphate rock and dust from the interior’s mines to a specially made port for the past 30 years. The system starts in Boucraa, south-east of Laayoune, and reaches the coast at the harbour south of Laayoune Plage. If you are travelling in the region, you will inevitably cross the belt on the main highway running north-south or drive parallel with it between Laayoune and Smara. Should you be interested, but not be willing to make the trip to West Sahara is the belts clearly viable on Google Maps: look for the long, straight, white line in the sand, phosphate dust blown off the conveyor belt have left a clear mark, stretching for tens of kilometres.