Mauritania is a travel destination in Western Africa. Its capital is Nouakchott. January and December are its two best months to visit, ranked on 1991–2020 climate averages.
Top places to visit in Mauritania
Banc d'Arguin National Park (natural) — UNESCO World Heritage site — vast Atlantic tidal flats; 2 million wintering wading birds, monk seals, sea turtles, and traditional Imraguen fishing.
Chinguetti (landmark) — UNESCO World Heritage site — legendary 13th-century caravan city in the Sahara; ancient libraries of Islamic manuscripts, date palms, sand-swamped ruins.
Atar & Adrar Plateau (natural) — Gateway to Mauritania's Saharan heartland — stone desert canyon scenery, camel treks, nomad camps, and views of the Amojiar Pass gorge.
Ouadane (landmark) — UNESCO-listed medieval trading town — stone-and-mud houses reaching the cliff edge; one of the Sahara's most remote and evocative abandoned cities.
Richat Structure (Eye of Africa) (natural) — Giant concentric geological ring structure 50 km wide — visible from space in the Sahara near Ouadane; a striking geological curiosity.
Terjit Oasis (natural) — Hidden canyon oasis in the Adrar cliff — palm grove, freshwater spring, and rock pools; a dramatic contrast to the surrounding stone desert.
Néma (city) — Far-eastern oasis town on the edge of the Sahara — caravan crossroads, walled houses, and gateway to the Djebel El Ahmadi archaeological sites.
Nouakchott Fishing Port (city) — Capital's remarkable open beach port — hundreds of colorful pirogues launched through surf: the world's largest artisanal fishing beach.
Koumbi Saleh (landmark) — Archaeological ruins of the ancient capital of the Ghana Empire (8th–13th c.) — foundations of a royal city that once controlled trans-Saharan gold routes.
Aïoun el-Atrouss (city) — Market town at the edge of the Assaba plateau — traditional tent market, acacia woodland, and landscape of scrub-savanna at the Sahel transition zone.