Tarfaya has a medical centre, internet cafe, laundrette and a Banque Populaire with an ATM.
Attijariwafa Bank was set to open a branch here when we visited.
Les Amis de Tarfaya ( 0661 07 94 88; [email protected]) Tourist information is available
from the helpful, English-speaking Sadat at this local association, based at Musée Saint-
Exupéry.
Getting There & Away
Bus companies including CTM stop in Tarfaya, but Supratours ( 0528 89 50 56; Rte du
Port) has the only reliable office. It’s the best option anyway, given the brutal journey times in
the Western Sahara. Daily Supratours departures head for the following places.
DESTINATION COST (DH)DURATION (HR)
Agadir (via Inezgane) 180 8
Dakhla 220 11
Essaouira 245 11
Goulimime 130 3½
Laâyoune 40 2
Marrakesh 250 12
Tan Tan 80 3
Tiznit 150 5½
Grands taxis go to Laâyoune (Dh35) and Tan Tan (Dh70). Tarfaya has petrol stations and car-
washing services.
WESTERN SAHARA
Ask any Moroccan about the status of the Western Sahara and they will insist it belongs to their
country, yet the UN is clear that this is still under dispute. Local maps may show this region as
a seamless continuation of the hammada around Tarfaya, but few outside Morocco will agree.
This area largely comprises the former colonies of Spanish Sahara and part of the Tarfaya
Strip. Crossing the vast tracts of desert here, one does marvel at the dispute. The towns are
merely administrative centres, and the terrain stretching away from the N1 is featureless, arid,
inhospitable and uninviting. Despite this distinct lack of postcard prettiness, this environment has
phosphate, oil and fishing potential – significant factors in the dispute.
It’s one of the world’s most sparsely populated territories, and, despite the 1991 ceasefire in
the Polisario-led war, the Moroccan military sometimes seem to outnumber civilians. If you want
to appreciate the Sahara and see oases and dunes, the likes of Merzouga, Figuig and Tata are
better choices – more scenic, safer and reached via less gruelling journeys from central
Morocco. For travellers who need to cross the Western Sahara to reach Mauritania, bear in
mind that this is a disputed area and read our safety guidelines.
History
Despite its windswept desolation, the Western Sahara has a long and violent history. Islamic
missionaries started to spread Islam among the Zenata and Sanhaja Berber tribes in the 7th
century. A second wave of Arab settlers, the Maqil from Yemen, migrated to the desert in the