Full Post Style - MustVisitPlace.com

Best Tourist Places to Visit in La Guera, El-Aaiun, West Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in La Guera, El-Aaiun, West Africa, Africa

La Guera is a beach town in Western Sahara situated on the Atlantic coast, around 900 km southwest of El-Aaiun, the capital and largest city of Western Sahara. It is located on the western part of the Ras Nouadhibou peninsula, between 20°50′ N latitude and 17°5.5′ W longitude. The name of La Guera may be derived from the Spanish term Aguera. La Guera is currently an abandoned site and home to a few Imraguen fishermen.

History of La Guera:

The history of La Guera starts with its foundation, made by the Spanish, led by the Spanish colonizer Francisco Bens. La Guera became a part of the Spanish colony of Río de Oro in 1924. La Güera Airport served La Guera until the 1970s.

How to reach La Guera?

Although there is an airport in La Guera that currently doesn’t receive any flights as that is abandoned. So international tourists are needed to reach Dakhla Airport first and afterwards they can take a rental car to get La Guera. Dakhla Airport is situated around 440 km from La Guera and receives flights from Gran Canaria (served by CanaryFly) and Agadir and Casablanca (served by Royal Air Maroc).

Food and shopping in La Guera:

As an abandoned site, there may be no food and shopping facilities available in La Guera. So visitors are advised to bring food pockets and essentials before starting their journey to La Guera. The nearest major city to La Guera is Dakhla (around 440 km).

What to do in La Guera?

Walking
Beach exploration

What to see in La Guera?

La Güera beaches:

Although La Güera is abandoned, its beaches are excellent and attractive. It is advised visitors to enquire at Western Saharan tourism department about the opportunity of exploring La Güera beaches.

Dakhla:

Dakhla is the tourism capital of Western Sahara, situated around 440 km northeast of La Guera. Beaches are the highlights of La Guera with the opportunities of different water sports like kite-surfing, windsurfing and surf casting. Dakhla is also famous for Catholic Church, mosques and a Waterfront promenade.

El Aaiún:

El Aaiún is the capital and largest city of Western Sahara, located around 900 km northeast of La Guera. Being a historic city, El Aaiún houses many historic and modern tourist attractions like the Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf, a large traditional market and desert beaches.

List of other places of interest in and around La Guera includes:

Port de Boujdour
Cape Bojador Lighthouse
Mosques in Cape Bojador
Dchira
Smara
Laayoune-Plage
Windfish Pro-Center
Massage du Monde
Moroccan Berm
Bir Lehlou
Centre Artisanal
Laayoune Off Road
Guelta Zemmour
Tarfaya

Best time to visit La Guera:

Generally the months between June and September are ideal to travel La Guera in Western Sahara.

Where to stay in La Guera?

La Guera probably has no accommodation facilities, so below is provided the list of hotels in Dakhla (around 440 km from La Guera) and El-Aaiun (around 900 km from La Guera).

Hotel Calipau Sahara
Palais Touareg
Dakhla Spirit Lagoon Camp
Lagon Bleu Dakhla
Hotel Oued Eddahab
Hotel al Wahda
Hotel Sahara Regency
Hotel Erraha
Hotel Buenavista
Hotel Doumes
Rio Aguila Aventure
Ocean Vagabond
Dakhla Evasion
Bab al Bahar Hotel et Spa
Auberge des Nomades du Sahara

Top Tourist Places to Visit in Guelta Zemmur, Moroccan, West Africa, Africa

Top Tourist Places to Visit in Guelta Zemmur, Moroccan, West Africa, Africa

Guelta Zemmur is a small town in Western Sahara under Moroccan control, located between 25°09′ N latitude and 12°22′ W longitude. Guelta Zemmur is the site of Moroccan military base and is located close to the Moroccan Berm, a sand wall in Western Sahara constructed to distinguish Morocco from the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since Western Sahara is a disputed territory between these two countries. Guelta Zemmur is situated around 260 km southeast of the Western Saharan capital, El-Aaiun.

History of Guelta Zemmur:

As like the rest of Western Sahara, Guelta Zemmur was the part of the Spain until 1975 when Spain peacefully left the territory. Later it was used as a military stronghold by the Polisario Front. Currently Morocco is a part of Morocco.

How to reach Guelta Zemmur?

Hassan I Airport in El-Aaiun is the major nearest airport to Guelta Zemmur, located around 260 km away from the midpoint of Guelta Zemmur. The airport handles flights from/to Agadir, Casablanca, and Las Palmas, served by Royal Air Maroc, CanaryFly and Binter Canarias.

Buses are generally not frequent between Guelta Zemmur and other Morocco controlled Western Saharan cities and towns. If visitors hire a car would be ideal for both local and intercity travel.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Guelta Zemmur:

Guelta Zemmur is the home town of Sahrawi human rights activist Mohammed Daddach. There are some nice shops and food corners in Guelta Zemmur, of which most are traditional options. So tourists are suggested to bring food pockets and other essentials from where they begin their journey to Guelta Zemmur.

Things to do in Guelta Zemmur:

Walking
Tour of surrounding mines
Shopping

Places to see in Guelta Zemmur:

Moroccan Wall:

Moroccan Wall, a sand wall, constructed by Morocco to separate Morocco from the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, in Western Sahara. It is located close to Bou Craa, measuring a length of 2,700 km.

Mines around Guelta Zemmur:

Guelta Zemmur is surrounded by many prominent mines with continuous operation. Visitors can explore these mines through a guided tour to know mining processes followed in Western Sahara.

Smara:

Smara is a historic town, situated around 320 km northeast from Guelta Zemmur by road. Founded in 1869, Smara is known among visitors for many of its attractions, mainly famous for a large ruined fort Zawiy Maalainin and a mosque. There is also an airport.

List of other places of interest near Guelta Zemmur include:

Traditional Market in El Aaiún
Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf stadium
Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi
Dakhla Waterfront
Windfish Pro-Center
Massage du Monde
Moroccan Berm
Dchira
Guelta Zemmour
Centre Artisanal
Tarfaya
Laayoune-Plage
Laayoune Off Road

Best time to visit Guelta Zemmur:

Bou Craa generally experiences a dry weather year round and the best time to visit Guelta Zemmur is from June to August.

Hotels in Guelta Zemmur:

It is difficult to find upgraded hotels in Guelta Zemmur for comfortable stay. So below is provided the list of hotels in El-Aaiun (around 260 km from Guelta Zemmur) and Dakhla (around 700 km from Guelta Zemmur). Buses are not regular between these cities, so visitors can hire a car for comfortable intercity travel.

Hotel Nagjir Ville
Hotel Salwan
Camping Sabor del Sahara
Hotel Josefina
Hotel Residence Lajwad
Hotel Parador
Le Camp Bedouin
Hotel Doumes
Hotel Calipau Sahara
Hotel Erraha
Hotel Buenavista
Bab al Bahar Hotel et Spa
Auberge des Nomades du Sahara
Hotel Oued Eddahab
Hotel al Wahda
Hotel Sahara Regency

Tourist Places to Visit in El Marsa, Moroccan, West Africa, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in El Marsa, Moroccan, West Africa, Africa

El Marsa is a beach city in Western Sahara, under the Moroccan control. It falls under Laayoune Province of Morocco’s Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra region. El Marsa is geographically positioned between 26°08′ N latitude and 14°30′ W longitude, around 25 km southwest of El-Aaiun, the capital and largest city of Western Sahara. El Marsa is located on the highway N1 leading it to Boujdour and holds a port on the Atlantic Ocean. El Marsa has facilities of a hospital, many restaurants and shops. In terms of population, El Marsa is the 2^nd largest city in Laayoune Province following the capital El-Aaiun, according to the 2004 census.

How to get El Marsa?

Hassan I Airport is the closest airport to El Marsa, located around 27 km from the heart of El Marsa. This airport is served by Binter Canarias, CanaryFly and Royal Air Maroc with flights from/to Agadir, Casablanca and Las Palmas. Taxis are generally available at the airport and visitors can also hire a car for comfort and convenient airport travel.

There are buses regularly plying between El Marsa and El-Aaiun. One can rent a car in the city for local travel, sightseeing purpose and inter-city travel.

Food and Shopping in El Marsa:

There are all sorts of shops can be found in El Marsa, ranging from cloth and shoe stores to electrical and electronic devices. Although there are shops and restaurants in El Marsa, visitors can reach the nearby capital El-Aaiun for more qualified options. Some tourist favor restaurants in El-Aaiun (around 25 km from El Marsa) are listed below:

Cafe dubai
La perle
Café las dunas
Pizzeria Samir

Things to do in El Marsa:

Exploring beaches
City tours
Shopping

Places to see in El Marsa:

El Marsa Port:

The port of El Marsa is the major economy source of El Marsa and a famous tourist attraction as well. It is a nice sightseeing spot, can be reached by rental vehicle from the city centre.

Beaches of El Marsa:

Being located on the Atlantic Ocean coast, El Marsa attracts a large number of water sport lovers for its striking beaches. There are also many nice restaurants on the beach-line with a variety of delicacies.

El-Aaiun:

El-Aaiun is the capital city of Western Sahara, located around 25 km northeast of El Marsa. The city is the site of many renowned manmade and natural attractions like Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf, the Spanish Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi and desert beaches.

List of other places of interest in and around El Marsa include:

Bir Lehlou
Smara
Moroccan Berm
Dakhla
Guelta Zemmour
Laayoune-Plage
Windfish Pro-Center
Massage du Monde
Tarfaya
Centre Artisanal
Laayoune Off Road
Dchira

Best time to visit El Marsa:

El Marsa is a year round destination, although the most preferred time to visit El Marsa is from June to August.

Hotels in El Marsa:

There are hotels limited in El Marsa, so visitors are advised to drive towards the capital El-Aaiun, where all sorts of hotels can be found with a wide range of amenities. It is also advised visitors to book hotel rooms well in advance prior reaching the site to avoid difficulty in finding hotel rooms during peak season. The below list includes hotels in El-Aaiun (first 7 hotels, around 27 km) and Dakhla (rest of the hotels, around 510 km):

Hotel Josefina
Hotel Residence Lajwad
Hotel Nagjir Ville
Hotel Salwan
Camping Sabor del Sahara
Hotel Parador
Le Camp Bedouin
Hotel Calipau Sahara
Hotel Erraha
Hotel Buenavista
Bab al Bahar Hotel et Spa
Auberge des Nomades du Sahara
Hotel Oued Eddahab
Hotel al Wahda
Hotel Sahara Regency
Hotel Doumes

Best Tourist Places to Visit in El Aaiun, Laayoune, West Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in El Aaiun, Laayoune, West Africa, Africa

El Aaiún is the capital and largest city of Western Sahara, which comes under the Laayoune Province in Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra region. It is well known as a fishing and phosphate mining centre of the region. The Mohamed Laghdaf Stadium and the Spanish Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi are the two important landmarks of El Aaiún. El Aaiún geographically is located at 27°9′13″ N 13°12′12″ W and features a mild desert climate with an average temperature of 20°C per year.

History of El Aaiún:

The Spanish name El Aaiún is also called Layoun, which came from the Arabic language, meaning “the water sources”. El Aaiún was settled in the year 1934 and built in 1938 by the Spanish colonizer Antonio de Oro. El Aaiún became the capital of the Spanish Sahara in 1940 and since 1976, El Aaiún has been serving as the capital of the Morocco occupied Western Sahara.

How to reach El Aaiún?

El Aaiún is served by Hassan I Airport with scheduled flights from Agadir, Casablanca and Las Palmas. The airport is located around 3 km away from the city centre, can be reached by minibuses and airport taxis.

El Aaiún can be reached by regular bus services from Marrakech and many other southern Moroccan cities. The city of El Aaiún is well catered by public bus services and other local travel options are petit taxis and grand taxis.

Culture, Food and Shopping in El Aaiún:

El Aaiún is culturally grand city with many grand festivals that are mainly celebrated in the middle months of the year. El Aaiún is also home to a football club Jeunesse Massira.

The traditional market of El Aaiún Black houses around 20 shops with colorful locally produced jewelry, handicraft items and clothes. Pizzeria Samir is one of the recommended places to eat pizza and other fast food items in El Aaiún.

Things to do in El Aaiún:

Exploring desert beaches
Walking
Traditional shopping

Places to see in El Aaiún:

Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi:

The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi is a landmark religious site constructed during the Spanish colonial period. The church is surrounded by a well maintained garden, making the area more lovely and pleasant.

Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf:

The Stade Sheikh Mohamed Laghdaf is a multi-purpose football stadium and the home ground of JS Massira football club. The stadium can hold maximum of 30,000 people.

Traditional Market in El Aaiún:

The Traditional Market in El Aaiún is attractive and typical, home to around 20 shops that offer a wide array of local specialties like antique knives, art and craft works and special jewelry. All are affordable and worth a price.

Desert beaches:

As its location in the deserted region, El Aaiún houses many spectacular desert beaches, located to the west of the central business district of the city.

List of other places of interest near El Aaiún include:

Dakhla Waterfront
Windfish Pro-Center
Massage du Monde
Moroccan Berm
Tarfaya
Laayoune-Plage
Laayoune Off Road
Dchira
Guelta Zemmour
Centre Artisanal

Best time to visit El Aaiún:

Probably from June to September is the best time to visit El Aaiún when the weather remains dry and pleasant and supportive for outdoor activities.

Hotels in El Aaiún:

Hotels are limited in El Aaiún but substantially upgraded to draw more number of tourists to the city. There are also many specialty lodges in the city that offer the blend of modern and traditional facilities to provide the real feel of Western Sahara’s hospitality services. Some standard hotels in El Aaiún are listed below: