Among palm trees and crocodiles
On this tour, we set out to explore two regions of Mauritania: Adrar and Tagant, which are home to two-thirds of the country’s palm groves. These regions also feature remnants of prehistoric and historical civilizations: Adrar is the birthplace of the Almoravid dynasty, home to the Paleolithic site of El Beyed with its famous cave art, and the renowned caravan ports of Chinguetti and Ouadane. Tagant also boasts historic towns such as Rachid, Gasr El Barka, and others.
Highlights: Chinguetti – Ouadane – El Beyed – Matmata – Gasr Elbarka – crocodiles …
YOUR TRAVELS
J 1 From Paris to Atar
Departure from Paris (charter flight) to Atar. Meal and overnight stay at the Auberge du Bonheur.
J 2 The Chemchan Sebkha and the Aderg Inselberg
We leave the paved road at the northeast exit of the city of Atar and take sandy trails—rough in places—through the foothills of the Adrar. We visit the medieval house (built around 1480) and the tomb of Mauritania’s greatest religious leader. Picnic. After lunch, we cross the large Paleolithic lake of Chemcham on dry land, arriving in the late afternoon at our campsite in the Erg Makteir, facing the Aderg inselberg.
J 3 Aderg - El Beyed
Departure in the morning for El Beyed (Mauritania’s largest Paleolithic site): visit the rock art site and the Museum of Prehistory. Camp overnight.
J 4 El Beyed - Richat - Ouadane
We set out in the morning for Guelb Er Richat, a large crater nicknamed “the Eye of the Earth” and a true geological mystery. Picnic.
“The most widely accepted explanation is that a magmatic dome formed at the intersection of fault lines about 100 million years ago and stopped growing before the dome could become a volcano. The ancient Cambrian sandstones, uplifted by the formation of the dome, were subsequently shaped by fractures and erosion to form this system of concentric cuestas that today gives Richat its somewhat mysterious character. After initially interpreting it as an astrobleme (a meteorite impact structure), geologists considered a symmetrical uplift (a circular anticline). But Th. Monod, who studied this phenomenon with a few colleagues, published, nearly half a century ago (Monod and Pomerol, 1973), hypotheses very close to the explanation commonly accepted today. Thus, since around 1980, it has been established that the Richat structure is that of an “alkaline complex” resulting from a particular form of volcanism dating back 100 million years (Cretaceous: end of the Mesozoic era) that created a magmatic dome associated with hydrothermal activity (circulation of very hot water under very high pressure) The formation of this complex occurred during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean.”
We leave Guelb Er Richat in the early afternoon, heading toward the historic town of Ouadane via the ruins of the Agoueidir Fort (clay remains of a Portuguese fort built around 1446). Tour of the old town of Ouadane. Overnight stay at a guesthouse.
“Ouadane, formerly known as ‘Iwaden’ (a Berber name), was corrupted to ‘Ouadane’ in Arabic, meaning ‘the two wadis’ (the wadi of knowledge, which is the city, and the wadi of dates, which is the valley). Ouadane remains a magnificent ancient city in Mauritania, founded in the 11th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It remains a city steeped in history and impresses all travelers who set foot in the Adrar region. The old part of the area overlooks a hill and catches the eye with its magnificent ruins.”
J 5 Ouadane - Tenochert - Mezrougatt
We leave Ouadane via the sand dunes, heading due west. We stop for a picnic in the beautiful little palm grove at Tenochert before passing through Herour (an esker formed by a powerful glacial river) via a narrow pass toward the small semi-nomadic camp of Rghewiya. We set up camp amid the dunes of Efam El Mezrougatt.
J 6 Mezrougatt - Chinguetti - Zarga
Departure in the morning for the town of Chinguetti, passing through the beautiful dunes of Mezrougatt. Visit one of the oldest libraries (ancient manuscripts) and the ruins of the ancient city of Chinguetti, considered the seventh holy city of Islam.
“Chinguetti has about ten libraries, four of which are open to the public. Some items in these collections date back to the 11th century, including some written on gazelle skins. Most of these works deal with religion and the Quran, but many cover science, geometry, or literature.
The city has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.”
Departure in the early afternoon, following the sandy wadi toward Mount Zarga. Camp opposite the beautiful Tichilit El Ateg dune, which is the highest point of the Zarga massif and the third-highest peak in the Adrar.
J 7 Zarga - M’Heireth - Timinit
Early morning departure from Zarga, along a trail that starts out sandy but becomes scenic toward the end. We cross the beautiful M'Heireth palm grove and reach Terjit via the scenic N’tourvine pass. Picnic under the caves of the warm spring at Terjit.
In the early afternoon, we leave Terjit and take the paved road toward the beautiful Timinit palm grove. Camp around the beautiful Mint Leboudi dune.
J 8 Timinit - Tawjavet - Rachid
From Timinit, we head toward Tagant along the paved road connecting Atar to Tidjigja. This road takes us into northern Tagant after crossing the beautiful El Khatt depression, which separates the Adrar region from the Tagant region. We camp at the beautiful Tawjavet guelta.
J 9 Rachid - Tidjigja - Quediya
After visiting the ruins of the old town of Rachid, we drive through the town of Tidjigja, the capital of the Tagant province. We head toward Quediya and its beautiful guelta, passing through Megsem Boubakar Ben Amer (the tomb of one of the founders of the Almoravid Empire). We camp in Quediya not far from the guelta (where it is possible to see crocodiles, jackals, monkeys, etc.).
J 10 Quediya - N’beika - Matmata
We ride due west along a rough, 60-km-long dirt track to rejoin the paved road at Igevan, 70 km from N’beika, the capital of the rural commune of Tamourt Naaj. The area is home to a rich and diverse array of flora and fauna: birds, rodents, monkeys, and more. Lunch break by a pond west of the village.
In the early afternoon, we head up the Tamourt Naaj valley toward Matmata, famous for its Nile crocodiles that have been trapped in this stunning rocky site for several centuries!! Campsite.
J 11 Matmata - N'beika - Guebbou - Gasr El Barka
We set off early in the morning for N’beika, then head toward Guebbou. We’ll have a picnic in the Tamourt Naaj Valley before arriving in Gasr El Barka, a historic town built in the 17th century. We’ll camp for the night.
J 12 Gasr El Barka - Ain Safra
Early morning departure from Gasr El Barka, off-road, heading due west, to find the trail leading to the villages of Jemjiya and Nwar. After a picnic in Nwar, we return to the paved Tijigja-Atar road, 80 km from Ain Safra. Camp.
J 13 Ain Safra - Abteily - Hnouk
Heading due west, we leave the paved road at El Maleh and make our way to the Hnouk Gorge (the “jaws”) through the beautiful N’teirguent Valley. We set up camp at Hnouk.
J 14 Hnouk - Wakchouda - Toungad - Atar
From the Hnouk Gorge, we head out along the wadi toward the beautiful village of Wakchoda, with its charming dry-stone buildings. We then follow the Timint Wadi down into the Vallée Blanche. We visit the palm grove and the Toungad guelta, and return to Atar in the late afternoon. Overnight at the Auberge du Bonheur.
J 15 Atar - Paris
Departure from Atar to Paris according to the charter flight schedule.
