Mauritania is a country most travellers never even consider, and that is exactly why the stories here are unrepeated. Between the Sahara and the Atlantic, life runs on trade routes older than most borders.
The centrepiece is the iron-ore train: one of the longest in the world, ridden by locals across open desert. It is uncomfortable, unforgettable, and a window into how a whole region moves.
What the journey covers
- The iron-ore railway crossing
- Desert nomad hospitality
- Ancient Saharan trade towns
- Atlantic fishing coast