The city: on the way from the airport we find one of the most curious monuments - an entrance with three arches in pink and white. We will soon discover that these are the colours used to paint most of the buildings in El Aaiún. Near this entrance is Mechouar Square, one of the largest squares in the city, which is surrounded by dwarf palm trees. Another interesting square is Resistance Square, especially if you want to enjoy a coffee in the open air. In the surrounding area you will find shops and service offices as well as the bus station. Probably the most striking feature of the city are the half-spherical roofs that crown many of the houses. Traditionally, this type of construction was the best way to alleviate the desert heat. You can see some of them next to the Moulay Abdel Aziz Mosque, the most imposing building in Laayoune. The old Catholic church is located in the oldest part of the city and both it and the surrounding buildings also adopted this unusual way of topping the roof.
The new area of Laayoune is home to the shopping area, several hotels and street markets for fruit, vegetables, meat, etc.
Beaches: El Aaiún has magnificent beaches, many of them deserted. It is well worth the effort to visit them and take photographs on their almost endless stretches of sand.
Tarfaya: This small town is located about 100 km from our destination. On 1 March 1799, Sulayman of Morocco signed an agreement with Charles IV in which he recognised that the regions of Saguia el Hamra and Cape Juby were not part of his dominions.
In 1879, the British North West Africa Company set up a post here and named it Port Victoria.
It also has the charm of lost corners and a special seafaring atmosphere. In its port you can watch the dunes that surround the city flow into the sea. This view inspired Saint-Exupéry to write his masterpieces "The Little Prince" and "Citadelle". If you're looking for a windsurfing atmosphere, you're also in luck, because its wide beaches are home to many windsurfers.
Khnifiss National Park: this ecological gem lies about 80 km north of Laayoune. It is an area of wetlands, desert and coastal dunes that is a candidate for inclusion on the list of World Heritage Sites. The interior of the park is home to the Nahila Lagoon, one of the largest on the Moroccan coast and home to a large number of birds. To the south is another spectacular landscape: the Sebkh Tazra Salt Pans.
Sidi Akhfenir: 110 km away on the same road by the sea is this rapidly developing village with good transport services, restaurants, shops and cafes, a hub for small-scale fishing and a paradise for shore angling enthusiasts. A few kilometres away in the direction of Tan, there is an impressive hole in the cliffs by the sea that is also often admired by tourists.
Tah: travelling 35 km north of El Aaiun, you will find this town, a former Spanish-Saharan border and military outpost. The most interesting feature is that from here you can reach the large salt lagoon of Sabkhat Tah.
Amgriou: we stumble upon this fishing village if we travel along the coastal road. The Spanish called it Playa Las Negritas and it stands out for its fishermen's huts, for its seaweed export industry and, above all, because the immense dunes that surround it will leave you speechless.
