Nouakchott Travel Safety Guide — Mauritania

Safety Score: 6/10 · Value: 8/10 · Beauty: 6.7/10

Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania, a vast Saharan nation spanning 1 million km² at the crossroads of Arab North Africa and sub-Saharan West Africa. The city was built almost from scratch in 1958 when Mauritania gained independence, starting with a population of just 5,000 and growing to over 1.5 million today. The Sahara desert literally arrives at the city's eastern edge, with sand dunes advancing on the suburbs. The Port de Pêche (fishing port) is one of West Africa's most extraordinary spectacles. The ancient desert city of Chinguetti (250km northeast) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was once the seventh-holiest city in Islam, a caravan staging point for Saharan pilgrims heading to Mecca.

Tripvey Score — estimated from travel advisories and publicly available data. Not official safety advice.