7-Day Sahara & Atlantic Tour from Dakhla: the White Dune

A full day south of town. The White Dune sits where the sand runs straight into the lagoon. Imlili is stranger: a scatter of deep pools in open desert holding fish isolated there for thousands of years.

• Morning departure south along the lagoon
• The White Dune, where the sand meets the water
• Time to swim, or to walk the dune ridge
• The pools at Imlili and their isolated tilapia
• Picnic lunch in the desert
• The natural hot springs at Asmaa
• Return to Dakhla in the late afternoon

Overnight in Dakhla.

Inland on the Aousserd road, which runs east into open hamada. It is the best chance of wildlife on the trip: dorcas gazelle, desert foxes, and the migratory birds that use this stretch of coast.

• Early departure east on the Aousserd road
• Open hamada and acacia country
• Watch for dorcas gazelle and desert birdlife
• Stop at a nomad encampment where one is in place
• Picnic lunch under the acacias
• Return west toward the coast
• Evening at leisure in Dakhla

Overnight in Dakhla.

A long coastal run north, following the empty Atlantic road where the desert meets the sea in a line of low cliffs. Around four and a half hours each way, so this is a day for the road itself.

• Early departure north on the coast road
• The cliffs and fishing camps along the Atlantic
• Boujdour and its lighthouse above the harbour
• Lunch at the port
• The beaches south of the town
• Return along the coast in afternoon light

Overnight in Dakhla.

A gentler day on the water. The lagoon is flat and steady almost every afternoon, which is why the kitesurfers come, and the ocean side of the peninsula is empty enough to have a beach to yourself.

• Morning on the lagoon: kitesurfing, paddleboard or a boat trip
• The oyster farms and a tasting on the water
• Lunch on the lagoon shore
• Porto Rico beach and the cliffs south of town
• Time at leisure on the sand
• Sunset from the peninsula road

Overnight in Dakhla.

East off the peninsula into the interior, where the hamada gives way to a belt of dunes. We set up camp in the late afternoon, and there is nothing else within sight of it.

• Morning departure east from Dakhla
• The hamada and the acacia belt
• Lunch in the shade of the acacias
• Arrival at the dunes in the late afternoon
• Time to walk the ridge before sunset
• Dinner around the fire
• Night under canvas, with no light for a hundred kilometres

Overnight at a desert bivouac.

A slow return west, arriving in town by midday with the afternoon free.

• Sunrise over the dunes
• Breakfast at camp, then west toward the coast
• The cliffs where the desert meets the Atlantic
• Arrival in Dakhla around midday
• The fish market and the town souk
• Lunch on the seafront
• Afternoon at leisure before departure

Drop-off in Dakhla, or transfer to the airport.