Sables Blancs Beach

Sables Blancs runs along the coast west of Tadjoura, a stretch of pale sand backed by acacia and low hills that is the best beach on the northern side of the gulf, with clear shallow water and reef a short swim out. A simple camp operates behind it with huts and shade. Whale sharks pass through the gulf offshore between roughly October and February. The gulf is deep enough close inshore that whale sharks come within a short boat ride of the beach during the season.

The landscape

• The pale sand - the best beach on Djibouti's northern coast.
• The reef - coral within an easy swim of the shore.
• The camp - the huts and shade behind the beach.
• The whale shark season - the animals passing offshore in the cool months.

When to go

November to March is the cool season and the whale shark window. Summer heat makes the coast unusable. Weekends bring visitors from the capital.

Practical notes

Facilities are basic huts and there is little shade beyond them. Summer heat is extreme. Getting there means the ferry or the long road round the gulf.

Nearby

Tadjoura is east, and Obock is northeast.