Beila dromedary camel market, Mauritania

BBC TravelJul 12

Mauritania: A rare glimpse at one of the world's least-visited nations

Located almost entirely in the Sahara, Mauritania is home to centuries-old cities, desert oases and a coastal spectacle so vast you can see it from space.

Second largest in Africa; popular day trip from Nouakchott

15 things in this story

NouadhibouNeighborhoodCountry's second-largest city and most important fishing port
NouakchottNeighborhoodCoastal capital city; one-third of Mauritania's population lives here
Beila dromedary camel marketMarketSecond largest in Africa; popular day trip from Nouakchott
Route de l'EspoirTrailNation's main east-west artery; reaches Néma
NémaNeighborhoodCity in the desert; gateway to Oualata
SaharaNeighborhoodIn a remote corner of Sudan, a little-known site holds clues to the prehistoric climate change that created the world’s…
Canary CurrentPlacePulls nutrient-rich waters up along the coast
OualataNeighborhoodHistoric caravan town; famous for red-earth architecture
ChinguettiNeighborhoodUnesco World Heritage site; one of Africa's historic caravan cities
Adrar plateauNeighborhoodReached via Ebnou pass; cooler temperatures
ancient mosque of ChinguettiSightSecond oldest in continuous use in the Muslim world
librariesMuseumPreserve ancient manuscripts and books on astronomy, geometry, medicine
TerjitSightDesert oasis known for palm trees; 45km south of Atar
AtarNeighborhoodRegional capital near Terjit oasis
Ebnou passSight

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Beila dromedary camel market

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Mauritania: A rare glimpse at one of the world's least-visited nations