White, pink, and golden sands cover the beaches and desert of Mauritania. Desert winds whip whirls of sand as they sweep across the country. Atlantic trade winds bring a calming breeze to coast. Small cities and towns dot the country between two opposing forces of nature: ocean and hot desert. In Mauritania, you will find many such contradictions. You will find a friendly, but troubled, people. Tourists are a novelty, but civil unrest is part of the reason there are so few foreigners.

Many languages are commonly spoken in Mauritania, but English isn’t one of them. Hassaniya Arabic is the native language of the Moors. Wolof, Soninke, and Pulaar are also spoken. French is the most common foreign language.

Due to the high threat of terrorism, travel in Mauritania is inadvisable. The AQIM terrorist group is one of the more active in the region and is known for kidnappings. AQIM has also openly declared the intent to attack Westerners. Travelers should use caution in Mauritania, especially in places designed for or popular with tourists such as hotels and beaches.

With a long Atlantic coastline and desert throughout much of the rest of the country, Mauritania is a paradise for nature-lovers. Much of Mauritania is untouched. It is off the beaten tourist path and, as conditions in some places are harsh, even locales rarely traverse some of the most fascinating locales.

The Banc D’Arguin National Park stretches along Mauritania’s coast protecting the habitat of many species, especially birds like broad-billed sandpipers and bar-tailed godwit. Many migratory birds choose to winter here and birders will find many more species in the park at that time of year.

The Adrar Plateau, located in the Sahara Desert, is a sandy and stony desert with sand dunes that shift swiftly in the wind over Neolithic ruins and stone circles. Float over the Adrar in a hot air balloon to see the blond sand mingling with rock and occasional oases of dark blue water.

In the Adrar, and in many other areas throughout Mauritania, you can hire a guide to lead you on a camel trek in the Sahara. Arrange your trip locally and be prepared to haggle for the best price and the services you want. Guides are flexible and other tourists are rare, so it is possible to arrange exactly the trip you want. One day trek just to get a sense of the desert? Multi-day camping excursion? The choice is yours.

All images are used via Creative Commons Attribution rights. View the original images on Flickr at: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4