Western Sahara & Mauritania update

[Jose Brito]

Dear friends,

Just return from a 2,5 month trip to Mauritania and here's an update on fuel price and others:

Morocco: Agadir - 7.3dir; Rabat - 7.2dir; Tangier - 7.4dir

Western Sahara: Sidi Akhfenir - 5.2dir; Laayoune - 5.0dir; Oued Lacraa - 5.2dir; Hotel Barbas (last fuel station) - 5.33dir

Mauritania: Atar - 253oug; Kiffa - 234oug; Nouakchott - 225oug; N'Beika - 285oug (a N'beika price changes according to the amount of fuel that you're buying; the more you buy the less expensive it is).


Travelling in Western Sahara is now easier. In most Moroccan checkpoints along the road, they just wave for you to pass by, and don't care anymore about the paper with your details (with one or two exceptions). Even in points where in the past it was a pain (like the Dakhla crossroad), they just wave and that's it!
A new fuel station is being built in the Moroccan border and it should be ready after the summer. Also, a fully functional restaurant is already operating.

Both Moroccan and Mauritanian border posts have been improved and new facilities have been built. Vehicle inspections on the Mauritanian side are particularly harder; officials are very keen to find alcohol and fuel (inside jerrycans!).

Finally, VISAS are currently not issued at the border due to the forthcoming elections. You must get a VISA before getting to the border. No one knows when VISAS will be re-issued at the border, but certaintly it will not be before the 6th of June.

Cheers,
José

[brend]

helllo
thanks for the info. Are the prices for diesel or petrol (benzin). good to hear about the checkpoints. i hope we can obtain our visa on the border in july again. we will see.

thanks
brend

[Chris Scott]

Thanks for the update José. This sort of news is always welcome here.

Ch

[Jose Brito]

Yeap, forgot to say that the fuel prices are for diesel.

Cheers,
José