Adrar, Banc d'Arguin and Diawling Itineraries
Advisory, October 2026: The US State Department places Mauritania at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and marks Level 4 for military zones in the north and near the Mali and Algeria borders. The UK FCDO advises against all travel in the east and within 25 km of the Mali border, and against all but essential travel in much of the interior, including parts of Adrar and Tagant. See the FCDO warnings and check them again the week you travel. Travel against FCDO advice can void insurance.
Longer trips from Nouakchott are logistics projects: a 4x4, a driver, water and a plan for each night. They are listed here from the simplest to the one needing most caution.
Two to three days on the coast: Banc d’Arguin
This UNESCO park is a shallow marine shelf of sandbanks, mudflats and seagrass. More than two million migratory shorebirds feed here, with flamingos, pelicans and terns.
- Getting there: by 4x4 along a piste off the N2 highway. Iwik is the main gateway, and Téssot is another coastal village used as a base.
- On the water: traditional sailing lanches crewed by Imraguen fishermen.
- Costs and permits: the entry fee is paid at park offices, and offshore islands need a special permit.
- Staying: simple campsites or community guesthouses, booked ahead because phones often have no signal.
- When: October to March.
Two to three days in the south: Diawling
Diawling National Park, about 220 km south of the capital near the Diama dam, protects a stretch of the Senegal River estuary. It is a Ramsar wetland and biosphere reserve with warthogs, patas monkeys, monitor lizards and more than 200 bird species. The road is paved to Keur Macène, then a dirt piste needs a 4x4. Visit pnd.mr for the park.
Four to six days in the Adrar
The Adrar circuit goes from Nouakchott through Akjoujt to Atar on the paved N1, about 435 km. From Atar it continues to the Terjit oasis, a canyon with palms and natural springs, then to Chinguetti, a UNESCO ksar from the 13th century with a stone minaret and manuscript libraries, and to Ouadane, a ruined cliff-top caravan town. It needs a rented 4x4, a driver and a guide.
Atar, Chinguetti and Ouadane lie in the area the FCDO leaves out of its warnings, and Al Jazeera reported in June 2026 that visitors have returned, with charter flights to Atar resuming for the 2025 to 2026 season according to a French guide. Still, military zones change quickly, and Canada says to avoid all travel east of the line from Zouerat through Ouadane and Tidjikja to Kiffa. The Richat Structure, east of Ouadane, sits in an advised-against area and is not recommended here.
The ore train
The SNIM railway moves iron ore 704 km from Zouerat to Nouadhibou. A second-class seat costs about 300 MRU (2025). Foreign tourists are banned from the ore wagons, though enforcement varies, and the line runs close to the Western Sahara border with landmine risks. Read the FCDO guidance before considering any part of it.
Read more: Day trips from Nouakchott covers shorter outings.
Booking help
Book a Nouakchott base for the nights before and after your trip on Booking.com . The e-visa portal is anrpts.gov.mr .