Zouerate

Saharan mining town and eastern terminus of Mauritania's long iron ore railway to Nouadhibou.

Zouerate is Mauritania's main mining town, built around the vast iron ore deposits of the Tiris Zemmour region in the far north. There is not much here for travellers beyond the mining operations themselves — but that is not why most people come. Zouerate is the eastern terminus of one of the great train journeys in the world.

Once a day, the iron ore train runs the 700 km line between Zouerate and Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast. Passenger cars are attached — basic, but functional. The journey takes around 12–16 hours through open Saharan landscape, and the scale of the thing is hard to describe: the ore trains are among the longest in the world, sometimes stretching over two kilometres. Many travellers skip the passenger cars entirely and ride in the open ore wagons, which is cold, dusty, and memorable in equal measure.

The train stops at Choum, about 460 km west of Zouerate, where it meets the road south to Atar — the capital of the Adrar region and the gateway to the ancient desert cities of Chinguetti and Ouadane, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. From Choum you can also head south toward Nouakchott via Akjoujt. The train connection at Choum is what makes Zouerate relevant to travellers routing between the Moroccan border crossing near Nouadhibou and the interior.

Guide

Getting There

The iron ore train from Nouadhibou is the classic way to arrive in Zouerate, and for most travelers also the reason to come. The passenger car departs Nouadhibou daily, and the journey of around 700 km takes 12 to 16 hours depending on delays — which are common. Riding in the open ore wagons (free) is the legendary option; the passenger car costs a modest fee and involves somewhat less coal dust.

There is also a road from the south connecting to Atar and eventually to Nouakchott, but it involves many hundreds of kilometres of piste through the Sahara and requires a 4x4 and desert navigation experience. A small airport serves Zouerate with occasional domestic flights, but schedules are irregular and checking current service before relying on this option is essential.

Guide

Things to Do

Zouerate is not a tourist destination — it's a mining town, and most visitors pass through specifically for the iron ore train. But if you have time between trains, the town itself offers a glimpse into a very different side of Mauritania: not the ancient cities of the Adrar or the Atlantic coast, but the utilitarian world of a working mine in the deep Sahara. The scale of the industrial operation is genuinely impressive, and the people — miners, truck drivers, nomads passing through — are often the most interesting part of a visit here.