From Chinguetti to Terjit

From Chinguetti to Terjit (camel trek, 9 days, including 7 days of walking)

“He will have thought he was merely living an adventure here, and that he would find what truly matters back home, but he will discover with dismay that the only true riches he ever possessed were here, in the desert: the majesty of the sand, the night, the silence, this homeland of wind and stars.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, *Wind, Sand, and Stars*.

Six intense days traversing the beautiful dunes, vast plateaus, and stunning canyons and valleys. A classic Mauritanian tour, this circuit offers a comprehensive overview of the Adrar region.

YOUR TRIP

J 1 NOUAKCHOTT - CHINGUETTI

Arrival by flight (from Casablanca, approx. 1:45 a.m.), followed by a 30-minute transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, departure from Nouakchott for the city of Chinguetti. Stop for lunch in the city of Atar, capital of the Adrar region. Lunch in Atar, then continue the journey to Chinguetti. Arrival around 4:00 p.m.

Chinguetti, the seventh holiest city in Islam, is located on the edge of the Erg Ouarane. Overview of the city and its surroundings. Visit one of the famous libraries.

Founded around the year 777, the city was an important center of trans-Saharan caravan trade between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, and above all the region’s greatest cultural metropolis since the early 11th century.

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.

Transfer by minibus and 4x4, approximately 7 to 8 hours (510 km) & Overnight stay at a guesthouse.

J 2 CHINGUETTI – LAGUEYLA – M'GHALIG

Meet our camel team, who will accompany you throughout the tour. Then we’ll set off toward the dunes, heading for “Lagueyla,” a beautiful little oasis in the heart of the “M’ghalig” dunes. Dinner and overnight stay in a camp in the sand in the middle of the Erg Ouarane.

Approximately 5 hours of walking & overnight stay in a camp.

J 3 M'GHALIG – TINOUAGHERIT – AROUEITINE

Staying in the M'ghalig region, we continue our trek through a landscape of rare and unimaginable beauty: vast, similar dune massifs follow one another before the Ouarane erg ends its westward course at Tinouagherit. We'll take a lunch break under a beautiful acacia tree.

Our late afternoon walk will take us across a stony reg (stony plain) dotted with barchans (rocky outcrops). We'll camp at Aroueitine, opposite Mount Zarga, which means "the variegated mountain."

Between 5 and 6 hours of walking & Overnight camping.

J 4 AROUEITINE – TICHILIT – DKHALILIMOISINE

We hike along and across Mount Zarga to admire the panoramic views.

Lunch under the acacia trees at the foot of the beautiful Tichilit El Ateg dune. We then cross the last dunes of Erg Ouarane and camp at the foot of the Lemmoïzine plateau.

Between 4 and 5 hours of walking & Overnight camping.

J 5 DKHALI – EGEYLIT – NWAJE

A rapid ascent and hike across the Lemmoïzine plateau, following ancient caravan routes, then a descent into the Irat canyon. Overnight camping at Nwajje.

Between 4 and 5 hours of hiking & overnight camping.

J 6 NWAJE - M’HEIRETH - ICHIVE

Descent to the beautiful 8 km long oasis of M'Heïreth. Ascent to the pass leading to the sandy wadi of Ichive. Overnight bivouac.

Between 3 and 4 hours of walking & Overnight bivouac.

J 7 ICHIVE – TERJIT– NTEZNT

From the top of the N'Tourvine pass, you can admire the Adrar canyons. Terjit and its warm spring await you for a refreshing swim. In the late afternoon, we continue towards the Nteznt wadi, our final campsite.

Between 3 and 4 hours of walking & Overnight camping.

J 8 OASIS DE SEWEIGUYA - NOUAKCHOTT

A short morning walk to the meeting point with the vehicles at the Seweiguya oasis. Early morning picnic lunch followed by departure for Nouakchott.

2 hours of walking + 4-5 hour drive.

Dinner at a restaurant and transfer to the airport at midnight.

J 9 NOUAKCHOTT – CASABLANCA return flight at 02:45.

 Fiche Technique de Chinguetti à Terjit