Nouakchott's fishing beach is one of the most vivid and chaotic scenes in West Africa. Every afternoon, hundreds of brightly painted pirogues return to shore laden with fish, and the beach becomes a spectacle of sorting, selling, gutting, and loading onto waiting trucks. Women traders with baskets on their heads haggle at the water's edge while men haul boats clear of the surf.
The port operates around the tidal cycle and the time of day, so the best time to visit is late afternoon when the fleet returns. Go early morning to see the boats setting out. This is working Mauritania, largely unaffected by tourism — bring your camera and your willingness to be stared at in return.