Nouadhibou
Mauritania's second city, on a peninsula shared with Western Sahara, built on fish and iron.
Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map
Nouadhibou sits on a long peninsula in Mauritania's northwest and lives on two things: the fishing fleet working one of the most productive stretches of ocean anywhere, and the iron ore railway that ends at its port after running some seven hundred kilometres from the mines at Zouerate. The bay holds a large number of abandoned ships. The old town keeps some colonial fabric among the newer concrete.
What you actually see
- The fishing fleet - boats working one of the world's richest fishing grounds.
- The ore terminal - the end of the seven hundred kilometre railway from Zouerate.
- The abandoned ships - the vessels left in the bay over decades.
- The peninsula - the long spit the city occupies.
When to go
November to March is the cool season. The coast is cooler than the interior year round because of the Canary current. Fog is common in the mornings.
Honest expectations
The ship graveyard has been reduced by scrapping and is less than it was. Facilities for visitors are limited. Photography around the port and railway needs care and permission.
Nearby
Cap Blanc is south, and Baie de l'Etoile is southeast.
What to pack for Nouadhibou
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.