Tips for Dakhla. Your complete guide N °1 : accommodation, excursions, beaches ...
The geographical location of Dakhla makes this city so special. Although arid and without architectural fantasy, the city of Dakhla is endowed with exceptional landscapes! One of the few cities in the world where the desert meets the ocean, where the blue of the sea contrasts with the beige of the Saharan sand offering an authentic and breathtaking setting.
It is best known for its hot springs as well as its water surfing sports. The kitesurf sails can be seen all year round, floating everywhere above the water, providing a nice spectacle. Moreover, a stage of the World Kitesurfing Championships is organized each year in Dakhla.
Also, in the context of sustainable development and in order to highlight the strengths of the region, the city organizes the annual “Sea and Desert” festival.
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Dakhla city
📍Location
Dakhla is located at the southern end of Morocco, 650 km south of Laayoune, and 1,690 km south of Rabat, on a narrow peninsula. The Rio de Oro peninsula located between the bay of Dakhla and the Atlantic in the far south of Morocco, which stretches for about 40 km parallel to the Atlantic coast in a north-east-south-west direction. It is one of the last cities before Mauritania.
🚌How to get there?
By air
An airport serves the city from Casablanca with at least 3 flights per week with the company Royal Air Maroc . Around 2000dhs return flight.
New lines from the cities of Tangier and Marrakech serve the city of Dakhla with the airline Air Arabia . Around 1400dhs round trip.
The airline Transavia has put into service a new direct but seasonal line Paris-Dakhla. Average price of 340 Euro round trip.
By road
Several coach transport companies now provide daily trips between the city of Dakhla and the country's major cities such as Laayoune, Agadir and Marrakech. It is also interesting to take a road trip to Dakhla. Soon an Agadir-Dakhla express road will be operational in 2022.
(For more info on Agadir, Agadir Travel Guide - All You Need To know )
When to go to Dakhla?
A year-round temperate climate between (17 ° and 29 °) offers this region of Morocco an exceptional microclimate thus promoting its tourist potential throughout the year!
If you want to tan, the months of December, January and February are to be avoided.
For kitesurfing enthusiasts, you can kite all year round in Dakhla without worry. But the wind blows stronger from April to November.
📜History
Villa Cisneros
Colonized since 1502 by the Spanish, it was renamed Villa Cisneros in 1884.
From the 1920s until the 1960s, it served as a stopover for many Aéropostale pilots coming from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America. Following the Madrid agreements, the city was annexed by Mauritania in 1976. In 1979, Dakhla became annexed and controlled by Morocco. And it is at this time that the city continues to develop on all fronts: tourist, industrial, port and agricultural.
Dakhla excursions
Dragon island
A wild island in the form of a sleeping mythological dragon in the middle of the bay of Dakhla. We bask in the sun on the sandbanks, bathe in its warm waters, go on a shell hunt, take a bath in white clay, or explore its heights on foot. The panorama from the top of Dragon Island is breathtaking.
- To get there we took a boat from Dakhla Attitude which normally costs 150dhs per person and 110dhs for hotel residents.
-Tips: Remember to take comfortable shoes when walking around the island. And don't hesitate to brush yourself over with natural white clay, which is found in abundance on site.
➖ Unfortunately the duration of the excursion is only 1 hour. It is estimated that this is very little for such a paradisiacal island. The proof, we came back a second time, it's so beautiful. So to spend more time the best is to rent a boat or a catamaran - especially if you are a group.
La dune blanche
About thirty kilometers from Dakhla, the White Dune, immaculately white, is a very large sand dune that plunges into the lagoon and forms a small lagoon in its center. The swimming is fabulous, do not hesitate to put the clay on your skin.
– Pour le transport, il faut absolument y aller en 4*4 pour traverser la piste de dunes de sables . Il y a beaucoup d’agences sur internet qui proposent ca.
Asmaa thermal spring
A shower at the Asmaa hot spring in the middle of the desert is a moment of pure relaxation and a must-see for tourists passing through Dakhla!
In the middle of the desert, a divinely warm spring of water springs up with a temperature of around 35 ° C. Despite the strong and unpleasant smell of sulfur (like the smell of rotten eggs), this sulphurous water is renowned for its benefits for the skin, rheumatism, and respiratory diseases.
The construction of a real spa and tourist resort is an upcoming project.
Imlili
The Imlili wetland is about 100km south of Dakhla town. A journey of about 2 hours in 4 * 4 through the dunes to see the emergence of natural pools populated with small fish in the middle of the desert for a natural fish pedicure.
-Excursion à 1000dhs en 4*4 pour un max de 6 personnesTente à Imlili pour un max de 10 personnes .
- Tips: In Imlili, do not hesitate to set foot in the water, the small fish will be happy to tickle you and get rid of your dead skin. Much better than pedicures from Thai beauty salons. And also experience in a tent with tasting of Saharawi tea and costumes. You can bring meat 🥩 with you, they'll prepare it for you on the spot.
Porto Rico Beach
From Imlili, we take the track towards Puerto Rico beach about ten km away. A long, pristine beach, which seems endless, with a stone cliff in the middle.
-Tips: on site in Puerto Rico, for adventurers, there is the possibility of spending the night in a tent ️ or in a bivouac.
Hotels in Dakhla
There is an array of hotels to choose from in Dakhla. I had the opportunity to test these three hotels which turned out to be some of the best.
Bavaro Beach Dakhla
The BAVARO BEACH hotel is located in the heart of the beautiful Dakhla Peninsula with a breathtaking view of the bay.
🏖 From our arrival we felt cut off from the world. The place invites a change of scenery and meditation.
➕ The direct access to the hotel's private beach is a great highlight.
🍴The Restaurant Bar Chiringuito is among the best in Dakhla. Public access. They organize themed evenings depending on the day of the week. Often a Latin singer animates the evening. Very nice atmosphere that took us to the Caribbean Islands! 💃 🥳
💰 The value for money is unbeatable, especially when you have the atmosphere, the sea view, very good service and direct access to the beach. 🤤 We only had tapas, they were good.
🛌 All the bedrooms have a magnificent view from the terrace. They also have a wonderful villa to rent for large groups.
📣If you find the price too expensive to stay there, I recommend going there to spend the day (swimming pool, beach and restaurant) or to go to the Chiringuito in the evening.
🤸♂️Activities:
Possibility of jet skiing next to the hotel at 400dhs / 30min.
La Crique Nature & SPA
Nestled on a cliff, the Nature & Spa Cove overlooking the Dakhla lagoon is a hotel resort where everything is luxury, calm and pleasure.
-Price: between 180 € and 350 € per night with half board
: very calm and romantic atmosphere,
⚠️ not recommended for young people looking for a party🥳
: the gourmet restaurant named Ancre des Gourmets was a real favorite. We were impressed by the quality of their international cuisine with an à la carte choice and also by their succulent desserts 🤤
➕ Biggest advantage is the hotel's magnificent private tropical beach with the white sand and turquoise water of the lagoon Then, there is a free shuttle to all the other hotels in the chain (Dakhla Attitude, PK25, Westpoint. .)
Dakhla Attitude
It's hard to get bored at Dakhla Attitude, an ecolodge camp with full board for all budgets with a young atmosphere where you can do lots of activities.
The bungalows are simple, private or shared according to budgets with bathroom, without air conditioning or tv and generally with a beautiful view of the bay.
Catering: you are on full board, belly all the time full yey! The food served varies, each day a different buffet specialty. It is certainly not haute cuisine, but it is still rich in nutrients. 🪁
The RihFly nautical center offers kitesurfing and windsurfing lessons, rental equipment, a surf shop, a repair shop, etc.
And on the other side there is a cable park which forms a nice backdrop in the middle of the desert.
- Other activities: Kayak , standup paddle, trampoline, table football, table tennis, billiards, daily yoga sessions 🧘♀️, thematic evenings 🥳
- The prices are really suitable for all budgets, you will find all the prices detailed on their official website, whether for accommodation or activities.
Restaurants in Dakhla
Gourmet travelers will take the opportunity to discover Sahrawi specialties, such as Tichtar (a dish made from dried camel meat cut into strips) or tagines of fish caught the same day.
Saharaoui Village Dakhla
Inspired by a nomadic heritage, the Saharaoui village is a magnificent concept which highlights the local heritage.
⛺️ At first glance, Sahrawi tents directly placed on the sand are decorated in the purest Sahrawi traditions offering a panoramic view of the desert and the ocean on the horizon.
🍽 Lunch or dinner, each with its own charm. At lunch you will enjoy the desert landscape better. Dinner, the entertainment is much more interesting under the stars around a fire with traditional music. I recommend going there early to watch the sunset from the tents 🌅
🫖 You will be greeted there by warm Sahrawi hospitality. Throughout the evening, distribution of tea which is the symbol of hospitality in the Sahara.
💰A single menu (something I love):
Nomadic meal pack at 150dhs:
Tea ceremony + Rice with camel meat or fish + Dessert (usually seasonal fruits) + Drink
🤸Activities:
Camel ride 🐪 Quad at 300dhs for 1 hour
📣Unique experience, to do absolutely! This allowed us to discover another facet of Dakhla, tinged with culture, history, and symbolism, this place is the ideal place to better measure the tradition of this people.
Talhamar
Dakhla is best known for being the African capital of oyster farming 🦪.
We go to TalhaMar, an oyster park - restaurant, inserted in the heart of the bay in front of Ocean Vagabond.
-You have all the prices detailed in the map in photos below
➕Fish platter with grilled vegetables légumes or even Mixed tagines with mussels, oysters 🦪, octopus, sepias, knives, .. everything was beautiful and very good 🤤. All this in the face of an evolving decor over the tides
➖ The service may seem a bit slow, but you won't be disappointed to wait 🤤
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