7 days for drivers

Day 0 - Arrival in Dakhla. You can reach Dakhla by plane or by car (own or rented). Depending on your choice, you will be picked up at the Dakhla airport or drive directly to the hotel. First get-together to catch up once the entire group is settled.

Day 1 - White Dune, Oyster farm, first contact with sand. One of Dakhla's "must-see", this is a single white dune surrounded by the ocean at high tide, flamingos often at sight. You'll get a first impression of the area's stunning colours and views. We will then head back along the peninsula to reach the Oyster farm. A long-established cooperative, it has become one of the best fish restaurant of the region. Pick your favourite among fresh oysters, baked fish with vegetables, octopus, sepia, squids or razors shells tajine, grilled lobster (notes: depending on the season and on the catch of the day, some items might not be available; lunch at the Oyster farm is to be paid separately by each participant). After lunch, we will head north again to have a first sand approach on the Atlantic coast. Return to Dakhla in the afternoon. Participants will be free for dinner and for the evening. Total km: about 100, starting from Dakhla and returning to Dakhla.

Day 2 + 3 - Planes, mountains, sand and "savannah". This leg of itinerary reaches the easternmost area of the Dakhla region, offering an incredible mix of landscapes and terrain to test your off-roading skills. We will leave around 10:00 am on Day 2 and take a long stretch of tarmac. We will first head south along the Atlantic coast and then east, cutting through changing desert landscapes. Just before Aousserd, our final destination, we will leave the tarmac to cross a savannah-like environment and get into a rocky area with beautiful black rocky outcrops (low  mountains). We will have a short tour and reach a sheltered crack into the outcrops, where water pools form during the winter season. We will have lunch there and, after some rest and hiking, will start our way for a short stop in Oued Jenna – this area it is internationally recognized as one the best birding spots in the region and we might see eagles, other raptors and a variety of other typical desert animals. Finally, we will move to our Aousserd base, where we will rest and have dinner. Aousserd is a tiny traditional village at the end of the road that runs eastwards from the Dakhla peninsula. Here we have access to a basic but functional house turned field-base. It features two saloons and three sleeping rooms, running water (note: not heated), a proper bathroom, kitchen, large roof terrace for star watching, traditional furniture with carpets and matrasses on carpets (as beds), electricity from 6 pm to 2 am. Day 3 will start with a good breakfast. We will then leave our base and move back towards Oued Jenna. After crossing the Oued, we will head north on an easy track that will bring us on a nice plateau with wells and hopefully herders with their animals. Some smooth drive will lead us to cross another Oued - here the sand mixes with low bushes making some passages possibly challenging. The actual location for lunch will be chosed based on conditions. The panorama will begin to change approaching mountains and we will climb on top of one of those. A breathtaking view over the valley is expected. We will finally head back towards Dakhla – depending on timing we will decide which track to follow to minimize the drive on tarmac and enjoy as much as we can the continuous changes of landscape. Participants will be free for dinner and for the evening. Total km for Day 2 + 3: about 500-530, starting from Dakhla on Day 2 and returning to Dakhla on Day 3.

Day 4 - Free day.  A day to relax, take to watersports, sail, visit the citiy of Dakhla etc. You will be autonomous, however we are at your disposal for any suggestions, indication on what to do, where, how etc …

Day 5 + 6 - Into the dunes, canyons and wells. This second 2d/1n leg of the itinerary will take you into the dunes, not without some exciting driving on different terrains. Departure on Day 5 will be around 10:00 in the morning, after breakfast and having re-fuelled the cars. A 50 km drive on tarmac will bring us to a track heading north and running parallel to the coastal road towards Layounne. We will drive through a stony area until reaching wells surrounded by colourful cliffs and will have lunch, possibly meeting herders. After lunch we will keep driving est and then north/north est, through cliffs and canyons and towards the dunes. We will end our day setting up the camp in the dunes, having dinner and enjoying the night in the desert. If willing, spotlighting on foot to look for small animals in the immediate surrounding is also possible (headlights provided). On Day 6 we will have breakfast, pack the camp, keep driving a bit into the dunes and then move on smooth terrain until close to tarmac. We’ll have lunch under acacia trees and take a pause. In the afternoon we will take the road and drive back to Dakhla. Time permitting, we may have a stop at La Source for a special thermal shower. Participants will be free for dinner and for the evening. Total km for Day 5 + 6: about 380, starting from Dakhla on Day 5 and returning to Dakhla on Day 6.

Day 7 - Sebkha of Imlili. You can't leave Dakhla without being here! This is a classic one-day trip with a good mix of desert and coast. We'll leave in the morning around 9.30-10.00 and drive on tarmac for about one hour and a half, taking short breaks for pics of the bay and of the desert around it. We'll then move off road to reach a small Sebkha (depression with salted floor) characterised by permanent pools of salt water with fish. Pools are small, but unique and beautifully colored. The sebkha is surrounded by bushes and plants, close to three wells and a regular venue for wild animals and herders. We will have lunch there and Saharawi tea. Depending on the timing and on weather conditions, we might eventually spend some time on the coast or head back directly to Dakhla. Participants will be free for dinner and for the evening. Total km for Day 7: about 300, starting from Dakhla and returning to Dakhla.

Day 8 - Flaying back home. If you rented a car in Dakhla and arrived by plane, you may decide to fly back home today. In this case, make sure you already redelivered the car - the majority of flights are very early in the morning!