Paris Dakar motorcycle trip to Dakar (Senegal)

On the first day of travel, we meet with our motorcycles in the morning in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The official start will be there. Of course, you have the opportunity to join the guide already in Germany and arrive as a group in Paris. After a short introduction and a few instructions, we are off. The day's goal is the highest dune in Europe, the Dune du Pilat, near Bordeaux in Arcachon.

After we have seen the Atlantic for the first time on our journey, which will greet us again thousands of kilometers further south in much warmer waters, we head over the foothills of the Pyrenees to Spain. After a small mountain pass, we continue over the Iberian Plateau to Burgos, our destination for the day.

One does not know where one is right now. Northern Spain is sparsely populated and the vastness of the landscape and the surroundings remind one of images known from motorcycle trips in America. It is necessary to cover kilometers so that we can reach the goal of the 4th day early and still have a few hours for 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 need to customs clear our motorcycles before we can move onto African soil for the first time. Since it usually takes a while, we will set up our camp just behind the port of Tanger Med.

Along the coast to Rabat and then through small roads towards the Atlas Mountains. The traffic takes some 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 is exactly what we are doing. It is time to hike in the beautiful landscape around Ouzoud, to visit the 120 m high waterfalls, or to maintain 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 to the pass 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, everything from donkeys to 40-ton trucks can come your way.

It goes through a beautiful valley full of almond trees towards Tafraoute. The road winds continuously along the valley wall and makes the heart of motorcyclists 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 towards the desert city of Smara through the western foothills of the great Sahara. On the way lies 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 very widespread in Morocco, suddenly Spanish is more useful now.

It goes along a dusty track always beside Seguiet el Hamra, which also carries water most of the year. The day's 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 about 500 km on the N1 to Dakhla. To our right is the blue Atlantic, and to our left stretches the endless expanse of the Sahara. We will have time to make stops along the beautiful coast and drive parts off-road along the beach. Optionally, we can drive faster and take a rest day in the surfer town of Dakhla.

While Morocco is familiar to everyone, Mauritania is rather 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 entry into Mauritania. Here it is: Europeans may have invented the clock, but Africans invented time. We will set up our camp after the border in the idyll of the 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 namesake of the land.

We are going back to the sea and will be traveling half on-road and half off-road in the Sahara one last time before the Sahel zone begins. We will spend the night on the beach and whoever has just a thread will already 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 route to Nouakchott was along the beach. Due to the tides, the surface is smooth and you still make better progress than on the road. We use this and continue our motorcycle journey on this route. Our daily goal is the capital Nouakchott, where half of the Mauritanian population lives.

Whoever does not know Fech Fech yet will get to know him today. On excessively covered slopes, we proceed to the border of Senegal at the Senegal River. There are again trees along the road and noticeably more animals. Our path 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 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 at the shore 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 submitted the motorcycles to customs for export.