Dakhla

Get around

The city centre is small enough to navigate on foot. Should you want to head further out, petits taxis abound and are metered.

See

thumbnail|Ad-Dakhla Lighthouse. thumbnail|Kite-Surfing at Ad-Dakhla. thumbnail|Ad-Dakhla Lagoon.

Take a road trip to Aoussard: UN base, followed by mine field, followed by Moroccan army base. Take water with you and fill up with gas: it's a 3-hour drive (if you obey speed limits) and it gets hotter with each kilometre. Take a break at the laguna and watch kite-surfers. They even have a special road sign that says "watch out for kite surfers that sometimes crash on the road". Drive to the historic lighthouse west of Ad-Dakhla: albeit as of January 2014 climbing it was no longer permitted, the building continues to be one of the most recognisable landmarks of Western Sahara due to the black-and-white ring pattern.

Do

There are windsurfing and quad driving opportunities north of Dakhla. Inquire locally. A kite shop next to the Supratours office at the waterfront is helpful with all the necessary info. You can wind and kitesurf on both the western (ocean) and eastern (lagoon) side of the peninsula.

You will hardly see anyone around during daytime, but don't worry, Dakhla, like most other cities in the area, comes to life after sunset.

thumbnail|Ad-Dakhla Lagoon (low-tide).

Eat

Many patisseries offer cheap pastry. The restaurant at Sahara Regency hotel has decent European food, though the choice is limited and it is not always fresh. There are also numerous eateries in town.

Sleep

There are plenty of budget hotels clustered around the city centre. Due to military presence, most only have twin rooms and you will pay almost the same price if you are alone. Twin rooms usually cost 150 dirham (2023). Prices, as always, are negotiable.

There are a few campsites by the road to the north of Dakhla. Camping Moussafir is a popular spot with overlanders, and is located just south of the first checkpoint out of town.