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Discover Nouakchott

The Saharan city of Nouakchott was a small fishing village until 1957, when Mauritania attained independence. The new capital city of a young country, Nouakchott has changed quite a bit since the Sixties, with mosques, government buildings, and street markets rising up out of the desert sand. Spread out over land that constantly being encroached upon by massive dunes, and inhabited by a nomadic people that don't keep their tents pitched in one place for very long, the city is always in flux.

 Restaurants

Mauritanian fare is quite simple and heavily based on meat and starch dishes. There is only a small drinking and clubbing scene in the country, as Islam is the dominant religion, but if you're looking for fun after dark, there are a few places in the capital which are worth a visit.

the 5 best recommanded restaurants in Nouakchott

1. Le Prince
2. Restaurant Al Fantasia
3. Tafarit Sun House
4. Savana Café
5. Portuguese House

Top Attractions

Musée National

Moderately worthwhile for anyone with an interest in Moorish culture. On the first level is a prehistoric gallery with archaeological exhibits while the second level is taken up with more recent ethnographic displays from Moorish society. The building is labelled as the Ministry of Culture.

Port de Pêche

The Port de Pêche is Nouakchott's star attraction. Lively and colourful, you'll see hundreds of teams of mostly Wolof and Fula men dragging in heavy fishing nets. Small boys hurry back and forth with trays of fish, which they sort, gut, fillet and lay out on large trestles to dry. The best time to visit is late afternoon, when the fishing boats return. Before or after, it's no less an impressive sight with the pirogues crammed like sardines on the beach.

Cinema

Here are the recommended cinema in Nouakchott

Le Galaxy

Transportation

There are many private taxi companies in Mauritania’s large towns, including the capital, Nouakchott, and Nouadhibou. But the popular mode of transportation is bush taxis, which travel between towns, as city cabs can be expensive. Taxis can be flagged down from the side of the road and while they are not metered, most have set fares. Travelers wanting to use cabs for longer journeys should negotiate the fare before departure and bear in mind breakdowns are common. There are no public buses in Mauritania, but there is a handful of private bus companies that run routes between a few cites.