Tagânt is one of the most remote and least visited areas of Mauritania, due to the difficult connections that have isolated it from the rest of the country. But precisely because of this, those who venture as far as the Matmata Oasis, famous for its crocodile colony, or to reach Tidjikja, will enjoy a unique and incredible sense of freedom and adventure.
Tidjikja is the capital of the region, founded in 1680 and today surrounded by the most important palm grove in Mauritania. Here you will visit the beautiful market, mosques and Fort Coppolani, an old French military outpost that was used to subdue the Mauritians. Matmata, on the other hand, is the place where the natural pools fed by a large waterfall rise up between imposing rocky walls. Here, a colony of Nile crocodiles, as well as hyraxes and monkeys, is a rare sight in the desert. If you’re looking for adventure, you can’t go farther than 255 km from Tidjikja, to the ancient and isolated town of Tichitt, once inhabited by 6,000 people and now little more than a ghost town. The mosque is very impressive, as are the old houses built from local stone. The facades are decorated and the massive, elaborate doors display heavy wooden latches.
An experienced guide is essential to get to this remote place, as the tracks are often unrecognisable and there are few landmarks. 50 km north of Tidjikja is another pearl, Rachid, characterised by a new town and an old town and located on a cliff overlooking the oued surrounded by palm groves. The old part is made up of mud houses, now in ruins, which blend in with the reddish colours of the surrounding rock. The new part, on the other hand, extends downhill on the slope that joins the cliff to the oued. Finally, Mudjeira is a village about 140 km from Tidjikja. Formerly a French military post, today it is a dusty town surrounded by dunes and cut in half by an asphalt road.
