Dakhla, Coastal city in Western Sahara, Morocco
Dakhla sits on a long, narrow peninsula stretching south between the Atlantic and a large lagoon. The bay forms a sheltered body of water extending several kilometers inland, bordered by shallow sandbanks.
Spanish settlers founded a garrison here in 1884 and named it Villa Cisneros after a 15th-century cardinal. The settlement served as the administrative center of the Río de Oro colony until 1975.
Residents follow the rituals of Sahara nomads when welcoming guests with tea, pouring mint and sugar in three rounds. Women wrap themselves in the melhfa, a long cotton cloth worn in bright colors.
Flights operate several times a week to Casablanca and Agadir, while long-distance buses connect the town to other Moroccan destinations. Roads in the center run parallel to the coast, making orientation easier.
In the Imlili Desert east of town lie shallow basins filled with salty water where small fish live. These pools remain full all year, even though sand and gravel dominate the surrounding landscape.
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