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Voykit pocket guide · Western Sahara
Guerguerat
الكركرات
Skip Guerguerat as a destination: it is a vehicle border post with no beds or food. Budget 2–3 h for the crossing, or 4–5 h to reach Dakhla.
Guerguerat is the only official crossing between Moroccan-administered Western Sahara and Mauritania, at the end of the N1 south of Dakhla. There is no town to visit: three Moroccan controls, a 3.3 km buffer zone with an unpaved sandy stretch, then Mauritanian passport, customs and visa counters. Travellers pass through in a few hours and sleep in Dakhla or Nouadhibou.
- Country
- Western Sahara
- Local name
- الكركرات
- Best months
- Oct–May
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (strong winds and sandstorms)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MAD
- Money
- The Moroccan dirham (MAD) is used in the Moroccan-administered areas. Cards work in larger hotels and kite camps; elsewhere use cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget MAD 100–200 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Moroccan SIMs (Maroc Telecom, Orange, inwi) work; buy in town with your passport.
- Emergency
- Police 19 · Gendarmerie 177 · Ambulance 15
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 220 V · 50 Hz · European plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 5–10%.; Kite instructor: MAD 50–100 per session if you wish.
- Water
- Drink bottled water; desalinated tap water tastes salty.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and camps.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Mauritanian-side helper (fixer) to coordinate counters | ≈MAD 200 |
| Mauritanian visa, paid at the border | Cash in euros or dirhams |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- VIL · Dakhla Airport
- Nearest airport; road south on the N1 to the border
- NDB · Nouadhibou Airport
- Mauritanian side, for onward travel south
Typical fares
- Moroccan side checkpoint processing
- No fee; expect 30–45 min
- Mauritanian side helper (fixer)
- ≈MAD 200
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Road only, on the N1. Moroccan police enforce a complete standstill at stop signs, and speed checks are frequent on the Dakhla approach. Carry 20–40 completed fiche copies for the checkpoints ahead.
See and do
Known for
- Only official Western Sahara–Mauritania border crossing
- Three Moroccan controls plus a 3.3 km buffer zone
- Fiche data sheets that cut Mauritanian checkpoint stops to seconds
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dakhla | Road north on the N1 | About 4–5 h |
| El Aaiún | Road north on the N1 via Dakhla | About 10–12 h |
| Akhfenir | Road north on the N1 | About 7–8 h |
| Boujdour | Road north on the N1 | About 6–7 h |
| Smara | Inland road east from the N1 | Check |
| Nouadhibou | Road south from the Mauritanian post | About 1–2 h |
Sleep
- None in Guerguerat
- No accommodation or restaurants at the border; sleep in Dakhla before the crossing or Nouadhibou after it.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the border office? | وين مكتب الحدود؟wein maktab al-hodood? |
| How much is the fixer fee? | كم تكلفة الفاكسر؟kam takleefa al-fixer? |
| I need a fiche filled out | أحتاج ورقة الفيشةahtaj waraqet al-fiche |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum', handshake with men; avoid: Political small talk
- Tea: Accept the three glasses; avoid: Refusing
- Photos: Ask first; avoid: Checkpoints and police
Scams and watch-outs
- Landmine danger off the paved roads north of Nouadhibou: never leave the track, even without warning signs.
- Strong winds and sandstorms cut visibility and raise fuel consumption.
- Carry enough cash in euros or dirhams: ATMs at the border and in Nouadhibou are unreliable.
- Mauritanian visa is paid in cash in euros or dirhams; the international Green Card is usually not valid, so local car insurance is bought at the border.
The border area is manageable if you stay on the main road, stop fully at checkpoints and keep off unpaved ground where landmines may be present.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Guerguerat yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Only official Western Sahara–Mauritania border crossing
- Three Moroccan controls plus a 3.3 km buffer zone
- Fiche data sheets that cut Mauritanian checkpoint stops to seconds
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Guerguerat, revision 5310474 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5310474
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/guerguerat). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.