The Atlantic Coast

The Atlantic coast of Western Sahara is one of the most dramatic and elemental shorelines in Africa, a place where the golden dunes of the Sahara tumble straight into the cool, wild Atlantic. Long, empty beaches stretch for hundreds of kilometres, backed by cliffs, dunes and lagoons, washed by rich, fish-filled waters that have long sustained the coast. The cold Canary Current brings abundant marine life and seabirds, and hidden bays, sea caves and the odd shipwreck add drama to the shore. Windswept, remote and largely untouched, this meeting of desert and ocean offers a raw, beautiful and profoundly peaceful coastal wilderness for the adventurous traveller.

What you actually see

• The empty beaches - the long, wild, near-deserted sands.
• The dunes and cliffs - the desert tumbling into the ocean.
• The rich waters - the fish-filled seas and fishing life.
• The seabirds - the abundant coastal birdlife.

When to go

April to October brings the warmest and calmest coastal weather, ideal for exploring the beaches and bays, though the cool Atlantic current keeps the coast temperate year-round; the winter months are milder but breezier. The wild shore is beautiful in any season.

Honest expectations

This is a remote, undeveloped coastline best explored on organised trips with proper preparation, so it suits adventurous travellers drawn to wild, empty shores rather than resort comforts, and the Atlantic here is cool and often breezy. As a dramatic, elemental meeting of Sahara and ocean, with endless empty beaches and rich waters, though, the coast is a genuinely raw and beautiful wilderness.

Nearby

The Dakhla lagoon and the desert interior lie along the coast.