Paris Dakar motorcycle trip to Dakar (Senegal)

Am ersten Reisetag treffen wir uns mit unseren Motorrädern morgens vor dem Eifelturm in Paris. Der offizielle Start wird dort sein. Ihr habt natürlich die Möglichkeit euch dem Guide schon in Deutschland anzuschließen und bereits als Gruppe in Paris anzukommen. Nach einem kurzen Kennenlernen und ein paar Instruktionen geht es auch schon los. Das Tagesziel ist die höchste Düne Europas, die Dune du Pilat, bei Bordeaux in Arcachon.

After we have seen the Atlantic for the first time on our journey, which will meet us much warmer thousands of kilometers further south, we head over the foothills of the Pyrenees into Spain. After a small mountain pass, we travel over the Iberian Meseta to Burgos, our day's destination.

You don’t know where you are. Northern Spain is sparsely populated and the vastness of the landscape and the surroundings remind you of images you know from motorcycle trips in America. We need to cover kilometers so that we can reach the destination of the 4th day early and still have a few hours for the beautiful Seville.

In the morning we set off and cover the last kilometers to the ferry port in Gibraltar. After we have crossed over, we have to clear our motorcycles through customs before we can move onto African soil for the first time. Since it usually takes a while, we will set up our camp just beyond the port of Tanger Med.

Along the coast it goes to Rabat and then via small roads towards the Atlas Mountains. The traffic takes getting used to and riding a motorcycle requires a lot of concentration. We will leisurely make our way through the foothills of the Atlas towards Ouzoud. The first mountain passes are already waiting for us.

On the seventh day you shall rest and that's exactly what we will do. It's time to hike in the beautiful landscape around Ouzoud, to visit the 120 m high waterfalls or to take care of your motorcycle. After all, we have already covered about 2500 km.

In Assni at the foot of Jebel Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa, we set off together towards the summit of Tizi n'Test. Even though it's not too many kilometers, it takes almost a day until we reach Taroudant on the other side with our motorcycles. On the single-lane road, anything from a donkey to a 40-ton truck can come at you.

It goes through a beautiful valley full of almond trees towards Tafraoute. The road winds continuously along the valley wall and makes a motorcyclist's heart race. The first dromedaries will be visible and slowly the desert begins. Upon arriving in Tafraoute, we can stock up on supplies for the next few days and admire the gigantic monoliths that look as if they were built by human hands.

The first major off-road stage lies ahead of us. For two days we will drive through the western foothills of the great Sahara towards the desert town of Smara. On the way, there is the disputed border between Morocco and former Spanish Sahara. This is still noticeable today in the mentality of the inhabitants and the language. While French is widely spoken in Morocco, suddenly Spanish is more useful now.

It goes along a dusty path always along Seguiet el Hamra, which has water most of the year. The daily destination El Aaiún is not far away and there is time to let the motorcycle rest, stretch your legs in the afternoon, or take a bath in the sea.

For two days, we will travel approximately 500 km on the N1 to Dakhla. To our right is the blue Atlantic Ocean and to our left stretches the endless expanses of the Sahara. We will have time to make stops along the beautiful coast and drive off-road along sections of the beach. Optionally, we can drive faster and take a rest day in the surfer town of Dakhla.

While Morocco is a well-known term for everyone, Mauritania is relatively unknown despite its size. From Dakhla, we drive to the border and cross the no man's land. Then we will spend the rest of the day dealing with the entry into Mauritania. There it is said: Europeans may have invented the clock but Africans invented time. We will set up our camp after the border in the idyllic dunes.

We follow the route of the iron ore train Off Road to Atar. The route is challenging, and we will need two days to reach the oasis. Atar was once an important city in the high culture of the Moors, who are the namesakes of the country.

We are heading back to the sea and will be traveling one last time half on-road and half off-road in the Sahara before the Sahel zone begins. We will spend the night on the beach, and whoever has just a thread will be successful at fishing. The sea off Mauritania is considered one of the richest in fish in the world.

Before the road was built in 2006, the official way to Nouakchott was along the beach. Due to the tides, it is smoother and you can still progress better than on the road. We take advantage of this and continue our motorcycle journey on this route. Our daily goal is the capital Nouakchott, where half of the Mauritanian population lives.

Anyone who does not yet know Fech Fech will get to know him today. We head towards the border of Senegal along overrun pistes by the Senegal River. There are again trees along the road and noticeably more animals. Our route takes us through a bird protection national park where many of our European birds winter. The day's goal is Saint-Louis. The city is located on an island in the delta of the Senegal River and has a very beautiful colonial town center.

We set off from Saint-Louis in the morning and will reach Dakar around noon. Like the Paris Dakar, our journey ends on the shores of Lac Rose, the pink salt lake on the outskirts of Dakar. We will spend the last evening together and celebrate our arrival with good food. The next day is the official end of this tour, after we have handed over the motorcycles at customs for shipping.