Ben Amera

Ben Amera is a granite dome standing out of flat desert in northern Mauritania, roughly four hundred metres high and frequently described as the second or third largest monolith in the world after Uluru, though the rankings depend on how the measurement is made. A smaller companion rock, Aicha, stands nearby with sculptures carved around its base from an artists' symposium held in the 1990s.

What you actually see

• The dome - roughly four hundred metres of granite standing out of flat desert.
• Aicha - the smaller companion rock a short distance away.
• The sculptures - carved work around Aicha from a 1990s artists' symposium.
• The isolation - a rock with nothing else in view in any direction.

When to go

November to February is the cool season and the practical window. Summer heat is extreme with no shade at all. The iron ore train passes at unpredictable hours.

Honest expectations

Rankings of it as the world's second largest monolith are contested and depend on the measurement used. Access means either the ore train or a long desert drive, both awkward. There is no water, shade or shelter anywhere near it.

Nearby

Choum is south, and Nouadhibou is northwest.