APARTMENTHOTELremembered in the Rallye Saint-Exupéry, when planes fly from Toulouse, France to Saint Louis,
Senegal and back. In October 2007, they landed at Tarfaya to commemorate the 80th
anniversary of the writer taking up his post and the 25th year of the rally. In 2010 the last
operational Bréguet 14 landed here.
SAHARAN MANGROVES
Entering Tarfaya from the north, you might notice an incongruous site in the Sahara: a mangrove plantation. Near the beach, at
the northern end of the sand-covered 900m airstrip, 2000 of the trees have been planted to help solve the local problem of
desertification. The sand pile-ups here can get so chronic that cars are unable to drive the streets, and Tarfaya is cut off from
the outside world for hours.
Building a greenbelt was an obvious solution. The big question was, what kind of plant could stand the Atlantic winds, grow
in sand and survive on a salty diet of sea water. The Moroccan and international team decided on mangroves, and this is the
tree’s first appearance in Morocco.
The next issue was that sea water lacks three vital elements for plants: nitrogen, phosphate and iron. In the search for a
solution, some of the fledgling trees are being watered with treated water; others with the good stuff straight from the Atlantic.
The most experimental move, which proved successful, was to plant seeds alongside dead sardines; the fish contain the
three important nutrients and certainly aren’t in short supply here.
If the greenbelt flourishes, it could have wider resonations. Successfully treating sea water could allow oceans to be used
for cultivation, or even deserts to be turned green.Sleeping & Eating
There are a dozen self-catering apartments in Tarfaya, typically costing Dh200 per night. These
are the best sleeping option; Les Amis de Tarfaya can help you find one.
On the port side of the public phone opposite the Supratours office, two unnamed eateries
serve delicious, cheap fried fish, beans, chicken and tajines (meals Dh30).
Residence Touristique Addayouf €
( 0665 43 58 92; [email protected]; apt Dh200) This blue-and-yellow building at
the northern entrance to town, also known as Hotel Cap Juby, has two self-catering one-
bedroom apartments with lounges. The more basic downstairs apartment has a squat toilet.
Meals are available and an adjoining booth sells basic provisions.
Casa Mar €
( 0528 89 59 00; [email protected]; s/d incl breakfast Dh120/150; ) Casa Mar’s
tented pool hall, near the entrance to the port, is the town’s hang-out of choice. It was a little
dirty when we visited, the shared shower was disintegrating and the restaurant didn’t extend
beyond local interpretations of spaghetti bolognese. Nonetheless, when night falls on the
Sahara, it has the wonderful air of a Wild West salon, as overlanders roll in and shoot the
desert breeze.