Río de Oro Peninsula

The Río de Oro Peninsula is the narrow spit of land on which Dakhla sits. It extends about 40 km into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Western Sahara, creating the sheltered lagoon on its eastern side and leaving the open Atlantic on the west. The peninsula is mostly flat, sandy Saharan desert — remarkable for its emptiness and for the quality of light.

Driving or cycling along the peninsula rewards patience: the beaches on the Atlantic side are completely empty for long stretches, and the dunes near the tip are dramatic. The sandscapes change colour through the day, and the silence is absolute once you are away from the kitesurfing camps. If you have your own transport, exploring the length of the peninsula is one of the better days out from the city.

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A story
The name Río de Oro — River of Gold — was given to this peninsula by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century. There is no river and no gold, but the name stuck. The Spanish later built a trading post here in 1884, establishing what became the colony of Spanish Sahara. The "gold" was presumably the shimmering light off the shallow lagoon waters, or perhaps wishful thinking by men who had sailed very far south looking for wealth.

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