Best Tourist Places to Visit in Amgala, Oasis, North Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Amgala, Oasis, North Africa, Africa

Amgala is an oasis in Western Sahara in North Africa, located between 26°16′45″ N latitude and 11°7′59″ W longitude. It is situated in the Polisario controlled Western Sahara, between the towns of Tifariti and Smara, near the Moroccan Wall, a sand wall built to separate Moroccan Western Sahara from the Polisario’s Western Sahara. Amgala is located around 250 km southeast of El-Aaiún, the capital and largest city of Western Sahara.

History of Amgala:

Amgala was the site of many SPLA-RMA battles fought in the second half of the 20^th century. The first major war was fought in January and February of 1976 between Royal Moroccan Armed forces and Polisario Front troops. Amgala saw another major war on 8 November 1989.

How to reach Amgala?

Smara Airport is the closest airport to Amgala, located around 50 km from Amgala. It is served by Casa Air Service with connection from Rabat and Royal Air Maroc Express with scheduled flights from Casablanca, Ouarzazate and Zagora.

Probably there are no buses running between Amgala area and Smara, but visitors can choose rental vehicles like car and taxis to easily reach Amgala from Smara.

Food and shopping in Amgala:

There are no big shopping and restaurant complexes near Amgala, but one can find many traditional shops and restaurants near Amgala that are mainly famous for offering a wide range of locally produced products.

What to do in Amgala?

Sand Skiing
Village tour
Walking

What to see in Amgala?

Amgala:

Being an oasis, Amgala itself is a well known tourist destination and draws a substantial number of tourists year round as a site of many historical wars fought between Royal Moroccan Armed forces (RMA) and Polisario Front troops (SPLA).

Moroccan Wall:

Moroccan Wall is a sand wall constructed by Morocco to distinguish Moroccan Western Sahara from Polisario controlled Western Sahara. The structure measures a length of 2,700 km.

Smara:

Smara is a city situated in Morocco occupied Western Sahara, around 50 km from Amgara. The city is famous among visitors mainly for ruined stone fortress Zawiy Maalainin. There is also a large and famous mosque in the city.

Smara Airport:

The Smara Airport is the airport serving Smara city, known for its nice construction and lovely surroundings. It is located around 50 km from Amgala.

List of other places of interest in and around Amgala includes:

El Aaiún
Bir Lehlou
Tarfaya
Dakhla
Guelta Zemmour
Laayoune-Plage
Windfish Pro-Center
Massage du Monde
Centre Artisanal
Laayoune Off Road
Dchira

Best time to visit Amgala:

Generally from June to September is the best time to visit Amgala in Western Sahara.

Where to stay in Amgala?

Hotels in the area of Amgala are difficult to find, so hotels in El-Aaiun and Dakhla are listed below that can be reached by rental vehicle to have genuine Western Saharan hospitality services. Visitors are also advised to book hotel rooms well in advance prior reaching the city to avoid difficulty in finding hotels during peak season.