The best time to go to Western Sahara

Underestimate the desert. Never forget that the Sahara once reached 58 degrees and there's surely more to come in a warming world. The Western Sahara’s desert is a rocky and hostile place, where there are no roads and it's impossible for visitors to navigate without a guide. The wildlife has specially adapted into weird and wonderful conformations, but you have not, and must go prepared. Avoid travelling between June and October, and prepare for hot afternoons of rest, before going out at night. Expect a border with Morocco. There isn’t one. Western Sahara has been disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front Independence Movement for 40 years, and most of the land – and certainly everywhere you’ll visit – is under Moroccan administration. Many people reach the Western Sahara via Morocco; drive down to Tarifa at the southern tip of Spain and keep going – and going. In fact, overland trips from Marrakech to west Africa are a fantastic way to see the vastness of the landscape, of which this area is part. Disregard the conflict. Though not a real danger for tourists, Western Sahara is known for the highest density of landmines in the world. Between 2008 and 2023 well over 7,000 have been removed by the United Nations Mine Action Service. Their presence is symbolic of this land’s strife, as the Polisario Front and Morocco wait for a seemingly permanently delayed UN referendum to decide the fate of the area.

“It is quite warm! Visitors also need to be prepared for simple conditions, lack of bathroom facilities, and a hot and dusty environment. These are not trips for people who want luxury or guaranteed comfort.”

“It’s fairly normal on all desert trips that you stop and you greet people that you see when you’re travelling. Traditional nomads will ask each other how the grazing and the wells are. We won’t ask that, of course, but we’ll want to say hello and greet everyone – it’s just good courtesy.”

“When we go into the desert we take a guide from the Reguibat tribe who knows the area intimately. It’s difficult to navigate unless you really know it. One dune looks much like another to the untrained eye; without roads it can be quite difficult.”

“The people we meet are usually nomadic herders. Before the trip we ask them for permission to be in certain areas and also if we can use their tents for meal breaks. They often set up several of their large Sahrawi tents and then go out and follow their livestock around. These tents can be rented from the herders for a small fee if you need a place to shelter from the sun or wind or just have a break.”

“There are no official permits needed to visit some of these places (as they are not owned by anyone officially), but you can seriously alienate the local herders who use these areas if you don’t ask for their permission to be there.”

“On the first day, on arriving in the desert around 2pm, we recommend people get some rest (which is not easy as people are not tired) but then we go out for our first safari drive from around 7pm until around 1-2am.”