It is important to carry a good supply of water. In winter it is also essential to carry a warm
sleeping bag and some warm clothing as desert nights can be bitterly cold.
Language
In the Western Sahara, Arabic and French are spoken almost universally. As a previous
Spanish Protectorate, the more common second language was, until recently, Spanish, a habit
that lingers on with the older generation. English is also spoken, due to the UN presence.
SAFE TRAVEL IN THE WESTERN SAHARA
Trouble flared in the Western Sahara in November 2010 ( Click here ) and travelling to the region has become inadvisable. It is
recommended that you avoid Laâyoune in particular; the city was the focus of the violent clashes and remains in a volatile
state. While there is the obvious danger of being caught in a riot or a confrontation between Moroccans and Saharawi, dealing
with the Moroccan authorities at the numerous roadblocks actually poses more risks.
In engineering a media blackout, the Moroccans are determined to keep journalists from the region. Following the Gadaym
Izik raid, reporters were prevented from boarding planes to Laâyoune, and Spanish journalists who reached the city were
detained and deported. Spain has been most critical of Morocco’s occupation and recent actions, so Spanish travellers are
likely to field most questions from Moroccan officials.
However, everyone should treat the checkpoint stops seriously, tedious though they are, as there is a small risk of travellers
being taken for a journalist or Polisario sympathiser. Even as you approach the Western Sahara, entering and travelling
between towns such as Tarfaya, Tan Tan, Goulimime and Tata, foreigners are invariably asked about their profession, next
destination and purpose in the region. Sometimes these questions will quickly dissolve into enquiries about your soccer
allegiances, and you will be waved on. In the Western Sahara, your passport and visa details will be noted down, along with
your vehicle details if you are driving. If you’re on a bus, often you can stay in your seat while the police take your ID and write
down your particulars; sometimes you will be summoned to speak to a head honcho in a hut.
Occupations that are likely to ring alarm bells at police posts are journalism or working in aid. If police confirm that you work
in an occupation of that nature, you could be followed, detained, sent back to Morocco proper or even deported to a nearby
location such as the Canary Islands. The authorities are generally more wary of travellers visiting Laâyoune than Dakhla or
Tarfaya.
Once in both Laâyoune and Dakhla you will be aware of the military and police, both of whom are sensitive to photography
around military installations. Similarly, they will not take too kindly to you photographing or trying to visit the depressing refugee
camps around both cities, where many Saharawi still live. The busy red-light district in Dakhla, opposite the military
headquarters and barracks, is also off-limits to visitors.Getting There & Away
There is no officially designated border between Morocco and the Western Sahara, and
Morocco treats the region as an integrated part of the country.
Laâyoune and Dakhla are served by daily flights from Casablanca, and weekly flights from
Gran Canaria. There’s also a weekly flight from Agadir to Dakhla, and a new ferry line to
Laâyoune from Gran Canaria.
Supratours and CTM both operate buses to Laâyoune and Dakhla, although Supratours
provides the faster and more efficient service.
One of the benefits of the area’s tax-free status is that petrol costs a couple of dirham less
per litre than in the rest of Morocco. The first of the Atlas Sahara petrol stations is just south of
Tarfaya.
For advice on travelling to/from Mauritania, Click here.