It’s one of the world’s most sparsely populated territories, and despite the 1991 ceasefire in the war between Morocco and the separatist Polisario Front, the Moroccan military sometimes seems to outnumber civilians.
Largely comprising the former colonies of Spanish Sahara and part of the Tarfaya Strip, this seemingly barren environment has phosphate, oil and fishing potential – all significant factors in the dispute.
Dakhla (Ad-Dakhla) الداخلة
Pop 106,277
Established by the Spanish in 1844 and formerly called Villa Cisneros, Dakhla lies just north of the Tropic of Cancer on a sandy peninsula stretching 40km from the main coastline. It’s a very lonely 500km drive from Laâyoune (more than 1000km from Agadir) through endless hammada, and Dakhla is actually closer to Nouâdhibou (Mauritania) than any Moroccan city.
And yet Dakhla feels less remote than many southern towns and certainly more prosperous, with good hotels, restaurants and an emerging tourism scene driven by kitesurfing.
Although Western Saharan tensions do still linger under the carefree, sea-breeze surface, Dakhla’s inhabitants appear relatively modern and progressive. Investment by the Moroccan government and developers continues, and the population continues to grow with new arrivals from the north. New apartment blocks stretch the town boundaries, the presence of the Moroccan navy and army is tangible, and Dakhla's port is home to Morocco’s largest fishing fleet.
Dakhla
4Sleeping
1Dar Rio OroD2
2Hôtel AigueC4
3Hotel Al BarakaD2
4Hôtel ErrahaB4
5Hôtel SaharaC4
5Eating
6Café Restaurant SamarkandC3
7Café-Restaurant BahiaD4
8Casa LolaD2
9Casa LuisD4
10GladysC4
11La Maison du ThéB3
6Drinking & Nightlife
12Hassan FruitsC2
7Shopping
13Complexe d'artisanat de DakhlaD3
14Ensemble ArtisinalD4
2Activities
Kitesurfing is the biggest game in town, with dynamic breezes and the calm waters of the lagoon providing year-round access to some of the best conditions on the planet. When the Moroccan royal family holidayed and kitesurfed here in 2016, the profile of Dakhla for Moroccan visitors from the northern cities surged overnight.
Windsurfing and paddleboarding are also popular if the wind is not quite right, and the resorts offer desert trips and surfing to their guests.
Sailing on the lagoon and exploring Dakhla's desert hinterland is also possible, and fishing excursions can be booked through the better hotels.
The team at Hotel Al Baraka can book 4WD excursions incorporating visits to remote beaches, hot springs and an ostrich farm. Ask about incorporating lunch at the Dakhla oyster farm. Excursions for up to six people cost from Dh88,000 to Dh154,000 per vehicle.
oSahara SailingBOATING
(%0619 250 454; www.saharasailing.com; 1hr Dh350, half-/full-day Dh650/1200)
British expats Neil and Jackie Hutchinson are joined by local sailors as they negotiate their catamaran around the lagoon. Excursions incorporate lunch – including terrific carrot cake – and guests are encouraged to be as active or relaxed as they wish in sailing the boat. Helping the crew hoist sails is a good way to earn another slice of cake.
oDakhla RoversOUTDOORS
(%0636 808 514, 0636 808 515; www.dakhla-rovers.com)
Italian couple Nico and Martina incorporate all their experience as adventurers, marine biologists and diving instructors in providing a range of experiences exploring the natural diversity around Dakhla and the Western Sahara. Options include birdwatching in Dakhla's Ramsar zone, 4WD desert trips from two to four days, and customised excursions taking in local wildlife such as the big-eared Saharan fennec fox.
Dakhla Rovers is very focused on ensuring the embryonic travellers' scene in Dakhla develops with good adherence to sustainable and ecologically sound practices.
4Sleeping
Hôtel ErrahaHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 89 88 11; Ave Banchekroune; s/d Dh250/350; W)
The Erraha’s spacious rooms have hot water and balconies overlooking the new Edderhem Mosque and its green square. The staff are a genial bunch and there’s a cafe. The location, about 1km southwest of the centre, is a little out of the way, but convenient for grands taxis and bus company offices.
Hôtel SaharaHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 89 77 73; Ave Sidi Ahmed Laaroussi; s/d from Dh60/80)
The Sahara's rooms have little balconies. The basic options share showers and squat toilets; the better-value en-suite rooms have sit-down toilets and TVs. If you're headed south to Mauritania, the Sahara is your best option in town to arrange a place in a car or grand taxi. Just ask at the downstairs cafe or at reception upstairs.
Hôtel AigueHOTEL€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 89 73 95; Ave Sidi Ahmed Laaroussi; s/d Dh80/120)
In a tall, narrow building, the Aigue is one of the central budget hotels overlooking the pedestrianised shopping lanes just southwest of the waterfront promenade. It has basic, pokey rooms with shared showers and squat toilets, but it’s clean, secure, and centrally located near transport and eating opportunities.
Dakhla AttitudeRESORT€€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0661 835 010; www.dakhla-attitude.ma; Km 30, Dakhla Lagoon; s/d incl full board from Dh1045/1540; W)
The first of Dakhla's kitesurfing camps has now evolved into an expansive and very comfortable resort with breezy hillside bungalows, an excellent restaurant, and a sandy beachfront bar attended by quite possibly the most laid-back dogs in all Morocco. It's a true destination resort with yoga, massage and activities for children, and has a prime location right on the lagoon.
A new cable park for wakeboarding enthusiasts provides an adrenaline-fuelled alternative if the Western Saharan winds are not quite right for kitesurfing.
Hotel Al BarakaHOTEL€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 934 744; [email protected]; Ave Allal Ben Abdellah; s/d incl breakfast Dh550/759, ste Dh850-1000; W)
Located a short walk from good restaurants, the spacious rooms at the Al Baraka still retain that minty-fresh just-opened ambience. Big-screen TVs provide access to a planet's worth of satellite services, and a new licensed rooftop restaurant was in the works when we dropped by. Hotel manager Charlie definitely has his pulse on what's going on around town.
A few points off for cramped and awkwardly shaped bathrooms, but still a very good choice popular with business travellers.
Dar Rio OroGUESTHOUSE€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0655 821 260; [email protected]; Ave Mohammed V; s/d incl breakfast from Dh400/450; W)
This multistorey townhouse a short walk north of Dakha's waterfront has a variety of comfortable and stylish rooms and mini-apartments with kitchen facilities. Some rooms share bathrooms, but only ever with one other guest room. The decor incorporates traditional Berber motifs and the rooftop terrace provides great views, especially at sunset. Excursions and rental cars can be arranged.
Ocean VagabondRESORT€€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0613 037 861; www.oceanvagabond.com; Km 28, Lagoon; s/d incl full board from Dh1125/1700; W)
Popular with French travellers, Ocean Vagabond combines brilliant ocean views with a beach bar, yoga and massage pavilions and a pleasing New Age vibe courtesy of massive day beds and lagoon-side fire pits. Villas and bungalows are stylish, and the focus on providing a brilliant kitesurfing experience is maximised with a well-stocked gear shop and lessons from world champion kitesurfers.
Ocean Vagabond has also been awarded Green Key status for sustainable tourism practices, including solar electricity and a massive tree-planting program.
Zenith DakhlaRESORT€€€
( GOOGLE MAP ; www.zenith-dakhla.com; Km 27, Lagoon; s/d incl full board from Dh950/1350; Ws)
Located across the road from t
he lagoon, this new German-owned kitesurfing resort compensates for its slightly inferior location with stellar design features, including a stunning swimming pool, and a restaurant with soaring ceilings and furniture crafted from recycled timber. The chic design continues to the rooms and villas with rainforest outdoor showers, cooling tones and romantic and classy bathrooms.
5Eating & Drinking
Central Dakhla has a couple of surprisingly stylish eateries and a good cafe, while the restaurants at the kitesurfing resorts are also well regarded. Unfortunately, only grands taxis are authorised to visit this area from town, making a journey just for a meal an expensive exercise.
Options for a drink include La Maison du Thé and Casa Lola. The team at Casa Lola will probably serve your beer with an empty non-alcohol beer bottle beside the glass. Don't worry, the Casablanca lager is still the real deal. Things are more open at the funky beachside bars in the kitesurfing resorts.
GladysMOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains Dh20-30; h6pm-10pm)
Located on a busy shopping street lined with tailors and mobile phone shops, Gladys serves up well-priced tagines to a loyal band of locals including savvy Daklha expats and thrifty businessmen. The kitchen is helmed by female members of a single family, and no, we don't know why it is called Gladys.
Café Restaurant SamarkandSEAFOOD, MOROCCAN€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 89 83 16; Ave Mohammed V; mains Dh50-70; h8am-11pm)
This waterfront cafe has views of the white cliffs of Africa from its Silk Road–inspired pergolas. The menu features fish and other dishes; order in advance for couscous or fish pastilla. An upstairs pavilion is a great escape from Dakhla's dusty streets, and Samarkand is one of the town's only cafes where the clientele regularly includes both men and women.
oCasa LolaSPANISH, SEAFOOD€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 930 692; [email protected]; Ave Al Wallae; tapas Dh45-85, mains Dh85-120; h1-3.30pm Mon-Fri plus 8.30pm-midnight daily)
This stylish eatery celebrates the region's recent Spanish heritage with hot and cold tapas – the shrimp croquettes and the calamari are both very good – while local octopus and grilled merlan (whiting) are popular menu items. The erstwhile Lola keeps regular business visitors from the Canary Islands very happy, dispensing both good humour and complimentary aperitivo shots.
Beer and wine are also served.
Casa LuisSEAFOOD, SPANISH€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 898 193; Ave Mohammed V; mains Dh70-120; h8.30am-11pm)
Spanish flavours and Atlantic seafood come together at this long-established local favourite. The inner dining room is a bit formal, so try and secure a table on the outside patio for lobster, paella and well-priced grilled fish including meaty corvina (sea bass). Chicken and grilled beef also feature, and beer and wine is served.
Café-Restaurant BahiaSEAFOOD€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 93 00 62; 16 Ave Mohammed V; mains Dh50-70; hnoon-10pm)
A good, unlicensed fish restaurant serving catches including calamari and octopus. It's pretty smokey and blokey, but staff will serve you a furtive cold beer (concealed in a tea cup) if you ask them in your best French.
La Maison du ThéMOROCCAN€€€
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0673 224 110; 100 Ave Mohammed V; mains Dh130-180; h7-11pm)
Trimmed with Asian design cues, this elegant lounge and bar would be more at home in cosmopolitan Casablanca. Blackboard menus highlight fragrant tagines and an excellent seafood pastilla, and the wine list with French, Spanish and Moroccan varietals is the best in town. The dining room segues to exterior terraces with ocean views, a great spot to share a shisha.
At the time of writing, the owners were putting the finishing touches on an adjacent boutique hotel.
Hassan FruitsJUICE BAR
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave al-Walae; juices & smoothies from Dh15; h6pm-late)
Across the pedestrian crossing from the Dakhla peninsula monument, this is popular for a slice of gâteau and a mixed fruit cocktail. Look for the fluorescent plastic chairs out front.
7Shopping
A pedestrianised shopping lane runs north from Ave Sidi Ahmed Laaroussi between Hôtel Sahara and Hôtel Aigue. Vendors here sell goods ranging from argan oil to bright melhaf (fine, colourful Saharan fabrics). The striking new Complexe d'artisanat de Dakhla is also worth a look.
Complexe d'artisanat de DakhlaARTS & CRAFTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Ave Mohammed V & Blvd 4 Mars; h6-10pm)
This brand new building is one of most striking structures in town and hosts a variety of local artisans working with silver, textiles and other traditional crafts. There will eventually be around 20 stalls across three levels. Hours were limited to evenings at the time of writing, but will probably increase when it becomes more busy.
Ensemble ArtisinalJEWELLERY, SOUVENIRS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ave el-Moukouama; hnoon-10pm)
Marrakesh medina it ain’t, but you can find last-minute gifts here, particularly Saharan jewellery.
8Information
Your best bet for local information and the current ins and outs of travel to Mauritania is Charlie, an affable Frenchman managing the Hotel Al Baraka. Look for the guy wearing the stylish hat.
Banks with ATMs and exchange facilities are clustered around the waterfront along Ave Mohammed V.
Post Office ( GOOGLE MAP ; Ave el-Moukouama; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat)
8Getting There & Away
As the distances in Western Sahara are so great, flying direct from Agadir or Casablanca is recommended.
Air
Dakhla Airport ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 93 06 30; www.onda.ma) Located a short 2.5km drive north of the waterfront. A shared taxi from the airport to central hotels costs Dh15.
Royal Air Maroc (RAM; %0528 89 70 49; www.royalairmaroc.com) Regular flights to/from Casablanca and Agadir, and to Las Palmas on Gran Canaria (Tuesday only).
Bus
CTM ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 89 81 66; Blvd 4 Mars) and Supratours ( GOOGLE MAP ; Ave Mohammed V) both have offices in the centre.
Bus companies also have offices on and around Ave Banchekroune, between the grands-taxis station and the Edderhem Mosque. Dakhla also has a new bus station west of the waterfront in the new town, and some buses from the north terminate here.
Book ahead for popular daily services to: Agadir (Dh395, 20 hours), Laâyoune (Dh175, 8½ hours), Marrakesh (Dh490, 23 hours) and Tan Tan (Dh300, 13½ hours). These fares and durations are for CTM buses.
For onward travel south to Mauritania, Supratours runs daily services leaving Dakhla at 8.30am and 7.30pm (Dh160) south to Gargarate, around 5km north of the border. At the border, Mauritanian taxi drivers will want around Dh200 per person to drive you through the border and a further 25km into Mauritania for onward transport. At the time of writing, Mauritanian visas (a whopping €120) were not available at the border so arrange one at the Mauritanian embassy in Rabat prior to travelling. Note that the border is open from 9am to 6pm, and while the Supratours 8.30am departure from Dakhla is scheduled to arrive at 2pm in Gargarate, it sometimes runs late and arrives after the border is closed. There is one very basic guesthouse near the border on the Moroccan side and more comfortable accommodation 80km north of the border at Motel Barbas.
Car
There are plenty of mechanics, mostly in the newer part of town to the southwest, who can service vehicles before a trek south. Laargoub Car ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0528 93 04 47; www.laargoubcar.com; Ave Ahmed Bahnini) has one-way car rental available within Morocco.
Taxi
The grand-taxi station is in al-Messira, southwest of the centre. Destinations include Inezgane (for Agadir; Dh440) and Laâyoune (Dh200).
Shared grands taxis run from Dakhla all the way through to Nouadibhou (around Dh450 per person) or Nouakchott (around Dh700 per person) in Mauritania. Ask around at the Hôtel Sahara or see Charlie at Hotel Al Baraka to find out when one is leaving. The potential advantage for a taxi over travelling s
outh on the bus is that there is less risk of arriving after the border closes at 6pm.
8Getting Around
White-and-turquoise petits taxis whiz around town (average trip day/night Dh5/6).
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