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Travel and Tourism in Mauritania
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Mauritania.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 3: Reconsider Travel
- Time Difference
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- ouguiya (MRO)
- Climate
- Mauritania's climate is hot and arid, except in the far south, which has higher humidity. In Nouakchott, daytime temperatures reach 85°F in the winter, although at night sweaters and blankets are needed. Summer temperatures regularly reach over 100°F during the day. It is usually a dry heat that most find more bearable than the same temperatures with high humidity. Summer evenings can be considerably cooler. The area's fine sand makes beach going one of the highlights of a tour in Nouakchott. However, winds can stir this sand into sandstorms that last several hours. These infrequent sandstorms occur throughout the year, although they are less frequent during the summer and fall months.
- Ethnic Groups
- mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 20 00 N, 12 00 W
- Location
- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
- Airports
- 24
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Medical facilities in Mauritania are limited. There are few modern clinics or hospitals beyond the capital and a few major towns. At local pharmacies, some medicines are difficult to obtain or may be counterfeit; travelers are advised to carry their own medical supplies and medications (over-the-counter and prescription). There are no modern mortuary services available in Mauritania. Procurement of caskets and materials to ship the remains of deceased citizens internationally are not available in Mauritania.