Originally a coastal village on the desert trail north from Dakar, Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania.It is also the largest city in the country.

It is located on a plateau near the West African Atlantic coast, about 270 miles (435 km) north-northeast of Dakar, Senegal.

Nouakchott was a major refugee centre during the Saharan droughts of the 1970s, and its rapid growth during that period (together with a sharp decline in the number of Mauritania’s nomads) was attributed to migration and urbanization in response to the droughts. Today, the population of the city is more than 2 million.

The city focuses on a square, the Place de l’Indépendence, and includes an airport and industrial area. It is centrally located on the main north-south highway, connecting the more populated agricultural south with the sparsely populated but mineral-rich north.

One of the landmarks in Nouakchott is the University of Nouakchott which was founded in 1981.

Sights N Sounds of Nouakchott

The city is unassuming and seemingly unplanned, as if on an overnight caravan stop it was left to grow by accident. Most travellers use it as a staging post before the Adrar, Banc d’Arguin or the next international border.

Nouakchott is the hub of the Mauritanian economy and is home to a significantly large port.

The Port de Pêche is Nouakchott’s star attraction. Lively and colourful, you’ll see hundreds of teams of mostly Wolof and Fula men dragging in heavy fishing nets. Small boys hurry back and forth with trays of fish, which they sort, gut, fillet and lay out on large trestles to dry. The best time to visit is late afternoon, when the fishing boats return. Before or after, it’s no less an impressive sight with the pirogues crammed like sardines on the beach.

Attractions in the city include the National Museum of Mauritania and several markets.
Here are some of the top places to visit in Nouakchott namely; Chinguetti, Nouakchot, Atar, Terjit, Banc d’Arguin and Kiffa to mention but just a few.

You can also go birdwatching in the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin.

Nouakchott nightlife

Alcohol is forbidden so most nightlife consists of drinking tea or smoking a shisha at an outdoor cafe. Two cultural centres,CIMAN and the Institut Francais Mauritanie as well as cafe La Tissayade occasionally have live music.

How to get to Nouakchott

The city of Nouakchott is served by the Nouakchott International Airport

Where to stay in Nouakchott

Located on the largest Moktar Ould Daddah Boulevard in front of the congress palace. Nouakchott Hotel offers great accommodation deals in one of the most secure geographical locations.
The rooms are spacious with a contemporary architectural style to suit all tastes and enjoying a panoramic view.