About 550 km south of El Ayoune on the Atlantic coast, Dakhla (ed-Dakhla) sits on a long peninsula jutting into the ocean. A former Spanish outpost, it has reinvented itself in recent years as a world-class destination for kitesurfing and windsurfing — the Dakhla Lagoon on the Río de Oro Peninsula’s inner side offers flat water and steady trade winds almost year-round.
Beyond the water sports, Dakhla is a place of isolated beauty. The Atlantic beaches lie just 20 minutes from town — empty stretches of sand with rough surf and no footprints. The old Spanish colonial Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel near the centre is a relic of Villa Cisneros, the name this city bore until 1976. The atmosphere is still distinctly military — this is disputed Western Sahara territory, and you should not be surprised to find yourself in the company of soldiers or asked to explain your presence.
The region has restrictions: some roads are blocked due to mine fields, and travelling south toward Mauritania requires joining an army convoy (departing Tuesdays and Fridays). Always cooperate with the authorities, and if they tell you an area is restricted, leave without argument. A place with so many restrictions is, paradoxically, filled with possibilities.