Nouadhibou and other Mauritania Things to Do Tips

Nouadhibou its the first city after the border with Moroccan occupied Western Sahara. From here arrive by land hundreds of stolen vehicles, man slavering and all kind of goods, even vegetables can be passed illegally at the border.
What to say a bout this city...what to say about Mauritania in general... its indeed a different country from whatever you?ve been used to. Its full of poverty, racial conflicts, garbage and worldwide mafia.

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The Region of Dakhlet Nouadhibou is a region with lots to see. You have the begining of the Bacn D'Arguin National Park, Cape Cabano, Cape Blanc, the amazing monk seals on the coast the Pointe d' l'Opera and Cab Blanc, etc etc

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The train carrying iron from Zouerate to the coast at Nouadhibou, is probably the world's longest train. Normally its length is as much as 3 kilometres. The whole journey takes around 12 hours, where almost 700 kilometres are covered. If you want to come to, or leave, Nouadhibou, there are no good alternatives to this train. But it should not be avoided anyway.
Nowadays, normal compartments have been put up. Up until a few years ago, sitting on top of the wagons, was all offered. This is still used, but it's unpleasant. The cost of travelling is just around $5 one way (1 ougiya per kilometre.)

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The train from Nouadhibou to Choum is the longest train in the world.

The iron ore train carry thousands of tons of crusehed rock in a chain of wagons up to three kilometres long. Their schecules and frequencies depend partly on the speed of the extraction at the mines, and on unpredictable hold-ups-damaged rails, enginefailure and even in the past, attacks by Polisario guerillas from over the border in Western Sahara-and travellers should realize that ore is the priority, not passangers.

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Directions: For further information contact SNIM, Nouadhibou BP 42 -tel 745174 ext:1700;fax 745396, the state organization that runs the iron ore mines and the railway.

There are 3 trains a day, but only the one at 14.30 takes passengers (maybe if you have to transport your car as well, you can take another train).

It is 460km/12hrs from Nouadhibou to Choum and you can follow the distance on milestones along the track.

Motorists who are heading to Atar can load their car onto opene platforms, althogh this can take days: start waiting at the railway station opposite the douanes at 9am to stand the chance of getting it loaded onto the 6pm freight train.

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Directions: For further information contact SNIM, Nouadhibou BP 42 -tel 745174 ext:1700;fax 745396, the state organization that runs the iron ore mines and the railway.

Three trains a day go from Zouerat to Nouadhibou, but only one with a passenger carriage passes Choum at about 5.30-6pm. the usual journey time for Choum to Nouadhibou is around 12 hours but expect more. 2 others may come through late at night, or early in the morning, but on these foot passengers have to huddle in the ore trucks.

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Directions: For further information contact SNIM, Nouadhibou BP 42 -tel 745174 ext:1700;fax 745396, the state organization that runs the iron ore mines and the railway.

Motorists who are heading to Atar can load their car onto opene platforms, althogh this can take days: start waiting at the railway station opposite the douanes at 9am to stand the chance of getting it loaded onto the 6pm freight train.

It transports iron ore from Zouerat to Nouadhibou and can be up to 2.5km long. There are lots of bucket wagons for the ore but just one passenger wagon.

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Directions: For further information contact SNIM, Nouadhibou BP 42 -tel 745174 ext:1700;fax 745396, the state organization that runs the iron ore mines and the railway.

Battering surf and shifting sand banks characterize the entire length of the shoreline. The Ras Nouadhibou (formerly Cap Blanc) peninsula, which forms Dakhlet Nouadhibou (formerly Lévrier Bay) to the east, is fifty kilometers long and up to thirteen kilometers wide. The peninsula is administratively divided between Western Sahara and Mauritania, with the Mauritanian port and railhead of Nouadhibou located on the eastern shore. Dakhlet Nouadhibou, one of the largest natural harbors on the west coast of Africa, is fortythree kilometers long and thirty-two kilometers wide at its broadest point. Fifty kilometers southeast of Ras Nouadhibou is Arguin. In 1455 the first Portuguese installation south of Cape Bojador (in the present-day Western Sahara) was established at Arguin. Farther south is the coastline's only significant promontory, seven-meter-high Cape Timiris. From this cape to the marshy area around the mouth of the Senegal River, the coast is regular and marked only by an occasional high dune.

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Directions: Click in the upper link to go to the Dakhlet Nouadhibou main page with more tips and more photos.

Prices:
my price info is from 2000. now the prices have gone a bit up. just to have in mind.

the fare in the passanger wagon is UM650 Choum-NDB, and 800UM zouerat-NDB, or 1600 choum-NDB for a fold-down bunk.
riding on the ore wagons is free and you'll discover why, as the dust works its way into your soul.

if you take this last option, buy plastic bags to protect your stuff in case you have a wind storm in the deseert somewhere in kilometre 380 just imagine.
get a sleeping bag and a scarf lilke turbant type and your set.

you have some police stops on your way to choum.

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Directions: For further information contact SNIM, Nouadhibou BP 42 -tel 745174 ext:1700;fax 745396, the state organization that runs the iron ore mines and the railway.

On your way to Cape Blanc, Cansado Bay is one of the first settlements for fishermen that grew in the area in the begginings of the 20th century.

For the last years, this ocean area has been used as garbage to large fishing ships.

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Directions: Click in the upper link to go to Cansado Bay main tip page and see more photos and tips.