What's on in Nouakchott, Mauritania through the year

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: The cool season (20 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)), Sand and dust season (25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Ramadan

  1 Feb – 25 Mar · usuallyClosures

  In an Islamic republic the fast is close to universal: cafes shuttered through the day, offices on short hours, and the city only really opening after sunset. The month moves about eleven days earlier each year. Source ↗

Still on: The cool season (20 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)), Sand and dust season (25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Ramadan (1 Feb – 25 Mar (usually)), Sand and dust season (25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Sand and dust season (25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Busy — Tabaski (Eid al-Adha), school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Tabaski (Eid al-Adha)

  10 May – 5 Jun · usuallyRamadan & EidClosures

  Sheep markets spread across the city in the run-up and prices rise; on the holiday itself shops and offices close as families gather, and intercity transport is busy with people heading home. Source ↗

Busy — Tabaski (Eid al-Adha), school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) (10 May – 5 Jun (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  The guetna exodus

  15 Jul – 31 Aug · usuallyHarvest

  The date harvest in the Adrar and Tagant palm groves draws city families away for weeks of reunions and weddings, and Nouakchott thins out. Atar is a long day's drive, not a day trip. Source ↗

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Hazard

  Flooded districts after storms

  1 Aug – 30 Sep · usuallyFlood season

  Parts of the city lie below sea level with almost no storm drains, so the few heavy downpours of the short rainy season leave Sebkha and El Mina under standing water for days, cutting roads. Source ↗

Still on: The guetna exodus (15 Jul – 31 Aug (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Flooded districts after storms (1 Aug – 30 Sep (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in October.

Busy — Independence Day, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  The cool season

  20 Nov – 28 Feb · usuallyDry season

  The one stretch when the desert capital is comfortable: warm days, genuinely cold nights off the Atlantic, and the season the iron-ore train and the Banc d'Arguin trips are worth doing.

• Season

  Sand and dust season

  25 Nov – 15 Apr · usuallyRisk

  The harmattan carries Saharan sand straight over the city and the dunes keep working their way into the eastern quarters. Days on end go by without a horizon, and flights out have been held for it. Source ↗

• Holiday

  Independence Day

  28 NovNational holidayClosures

  28 November closes government offices and banks. The main ceremony has been moved around the regional capitals in recent years rather than always being held in Nouakchott. Source ↗

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: The cool season (20 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)), Sand and dust season (25 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))