Nouadhibou sits on the cold Canary Current and is one of the milder spots on the West African coast. Year-round temperatures stay between about 18°C and 28°C, with strong onshore trade winds that keep the air cool but blow sand for much of the year.
November to April is the most comfortable period — pleasant days, cool nights, low humidity, and good wildlife conditions on the Banc d'Arguin and Cap Blanc. The summer months are warmer and the harmattan can drop visibility to a few hundred metres. Avoid Ramadan if you are doing the iron ore train, as services thin out and overland travel slows.