"Western Sahara: a real country if you... " a Western Sahara Travel Page by Pieter11

In the northwest of the African continent you will find the often discussed territory Western Sahara. The territory is bordered by Morocco in the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauretania in the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

For a long time Western Sahara was a place for nomads and tradesmen, since the area was/is an important route for goods coming from Western Africa towards Europe and vice versa. In this period the area was under continous Arabic control.

In 1884, after the Berlin Conference, the Spanish took over the control. Until 1979 the territory was named Spanish Sahara. The Spanish were the first ones to built real, steady settlements in the area. El Aiyun (today Laayoune) became the capital and main port in the area and other villages were built to keep control over the area and to make its natural resources easily accessible.

After 1979, when the Spanish left, Morocco immediately took over the control in the area. Although the UN have always been present since this time, and never agreed on the Moroccan occupation, the Moroccan army and police clearly have control here. Plans of letting a referendum decide about a possible independance have been prosponed several times already and King Mohammed IV of Morocco clearly gives his opinion about Western Sahara saying "We shall not give up one inch of our beloved Sahara, not a grain of its sand".

For the next couple of years Western Sahara will probably stay the difficult case on the world map it has been for such a long time already. To me, it is a real country.

Western Sahara doesn't see a lot of tourists. The only ones you see here a lot are people that are on a Trans-Africa trip using a 4x4. Sometimes they stop here, but most of the times they are just on their way towards Mauretania.

If you are checked at one of the many Police Checkpoints in the country, they react surprised if you tell them that you are just a tourist staying in Western Sahara. Understandable on one hand, but strange if you know what a great area it is.

The country has a lot to offer for tourists: beaches, the strange but interesting city of Laayoune, sanddunes all along the coastline, old Spanish remainings both inside and in the area of Laayoune and a fantastic, impressive desert landscape everywhere you come.

On this page I'll try to show a good image of this forgotten country: not even an official country but absolutely worth a visit!