Old town (ksar)
Ideal for: culture, couples
Stone houses, the mosque and the manuscript libraries, all within a short walk.
Chinguetti
A UNESCO-listed former caravan town in the Adrar, with its stone mosque and libraries of manuscripts.
First visit: where to stay
Mauritania: the essentials
Plan your stay in Chinguetti
Best areas to stay in Chinguetti
New town
Ideal for: arriving, budget
Across the wadi, with simple guesthouses and shops.
Desert camps
Ideal for: adventure, nights under the stars
Organised tented camps in the dunes around the town.
When to go to Chinguetti: the weather month by month
The warmest months are June and July (average highs up to 42 °C); the coolest, January and December (average lows of 13 °C).
| Month | Average low and high | Rain |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 mm | |
| Feb | 1 mm | |
| Mar | 1 mm | |
| Apr | 1 mm | |
| May | 1 mm | |
| Jun | 8 mm | |
| Jul | 8 mm | |
| Aug | 33 mm | |
| Sept | 35 mm | |
| Oct | 8 mm | |
| Nov | 10 mm | |
| Dec | 1 mm |
Averages from the Atar weather station (— normals): the weather in any given year may differ. Source: Wikipedia, “Atar, Mauritania” (accessed 28 October 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0. This table is shared under the same licence.
Practical info about Chinguetti
Chinguetti is one of the Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. A former caravan stop and a great centre of learning, the town still keeps family libraries of ancient manuscripts.
What to see in Chinguetti
- The historic mosque and its stone minaret, the town’s emblem (the interior is reserved for Muslims);
- the manuscript libraries, kept by local families, which sometimes open to visitors;
- the old town, its lanes and dry-stone houses, threatened by the sand;
- the Adrar dunes at sunset, on foot or by camel;
- on a day trip: Ouadane, another listed ksar, and the region’s oases.
Getting to Chinguetti
Chinguetti is reached by road from Atar, the capital of the Adrar, often by 4x4 with a driver. The best time is the cool season, from November to March.
All our tips for the country: Travel in Mauritania.