THE DAKAR
ENDURO RALLY 2022

TOURING/COMPETITIVE RALLY

November 9 to 28, 2022

 

This is a marathon to match other events such as the Peking to Paris and the Grand Prix of South America, where you will find camaraderie and competition in equal measure. The roads will vary from smooth tarmac to completely off-road so a well thought out car which can operate on the rough will be essential. 

Not for the faint-hearted, the Dakar Enduro Rally is a chance to follow in the footsteps of some classic adventurers. Dust yourself down for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Due to a revised ferry timetable we will now gather in Jerez on November 9^th.

Itinerary 

Day 1/2 | Nov 9/10
Arrive Jerez.  The participants gather at our rally HQ in Jerez.

 

 

Day 3 | Nov 11

The rally is flagged away on its adventure to Dakar.

Sailing from Algaceris to Tangier Med, we soon leave the familiar sights and sounds (and roads) of Europe behind. On arrival we are immediately on the road to Tetouan, our first stop in Morocco. From Tangier Med we head north and east across the coastal mountain range before following the coast south to Tetouan.

Day 4 | Nov 12

Today we get our first chance to drive some of original Dakar route.  Setting off with the Rif mountains to the West, we head across country inland to the medieval Moroccan capital of Fez. This atmospheric city provides a real trip back in time with its maze of cobblestone streets where Mosques, Hammams, and tanneries are hidden behind vast oak doors. Shoemakers, blacksmiths and carpenters can all be seen working and selling their wares in its 8th century medina.

Day 5 | Nov 13

Leaving the sprawl of Fez behind, today’s route provides some breathtaking views across the large hinterland between the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountain ranges. We pass through wetlands and glorious cedar forests, and past alpine villages that serve as ski-resorts during the winter months. Midelt, a largely Berber city provides us with a stopover before the rally’s desert stages begin.

Day 6 | Nov 14

Today’s drive takes us up and over the High Atlas mountain range where the terrain transforms into rocky scrubland – stunning views open up across the epic landscape of the Moroccan Sahara beyond.  We descend through prehistoric valley walls into the lush surrounds of the Ziz Valley and past the fortified villages that hug its meandering path. 

Erfoud is a true oasis town and is known as the gateway to the Sahara Desert, providing direct off-road tracks into the golden sand dunes.  It has been used as a location for many films including the Mummy, Prince of Persia and the 2015 Bond film, Spectre.

Day 7 | Nov 15

The lush terrain of palm groves and gardens soon gives way to wide open desert – you might be forgiven for feeling like you’re on another planet, and in fact this area has been used for simulations for missions to the surface of Mars. 

The route running to the south of the Atlas mountain ridge is one of the world’s great drives, taking us along the so-called “road of a thousand Kasbahs” to the desert capital of Zagora. This small town’s fame as a desert outpost was established thanks to its legendary sign – “Tombouctou 52 Days” – the supposed time it takes to get to the famously inaccessible city.

Day 8 | Nov 16

We head northwest, tracing the twists and turns of the Draa valley, a long fertile band in the middle of the immense desert plateau en route to Ouarzazate. A critical trading post on the historic caravan trails between Marrakech and the Sahara, Ouarzazate is the largest town in the Moroccan Sahara. Its majestic buildings and arid landscape have earned it a reputation in the film world as a backdrop for movies supposedly set in ancient Rome and Egypt.

Day 9 | Nov 17

The road from Ourzazatte to Marrakech takes us up and across the famous Tizi N’Tichka mountain pass with its hairpin bends and spectacular views across the undulating snow-capped peaks of the Atlas range. Reaching an elevation of 2,260 metres (7,415 ft) above the sea level, this is the highest major mountain pass in North Africa and it follows the ancient Caravan Route towards Morocco’s capital city, Marrakech.

Day 10 | Nov 18

Often called the Red City after the local sandstone from which so many of the buildings are constructed, Marrakech is like another world. Use this rest day to wander through its vast medina and labyrinthine souks – maybe visit a hammam for an argan oil massage and scrub. And be sure to take in the vast square of Djemaa El Fna where acrobats, musicians and magicians keep the party going until lights out and beyond.

Day 11 | Nov 19

Back on the road, the route takes us through the southern Atlas mountains via gorges and high passes including the incredible Tizi n’Test. We stay overnight in Taroudant after a hard day in the mountains.

Day 12 | Nov 20

Back into the lower Atlas today en-route to Tiznit where the desert meets the mountains. From Taroudant we climb out of the valley and head for Tafraoute over quiet and empty roads. It’s a day of twists and turns to before we drop down to Tiznit and the plains.

Day 13 | Nov 21

Today the Sahara comes face to face the waves of the North Atlantic Ocean. This is the landscape for which the Paris Dakar was famous, with sand dunes, limestone plateaus, and the occasional lagoon appearing along our route.

Near the village of Tan Tan the road passes two colossal camel sculptures, the symbolic entrance gate to the Western Sahara. This former Spanish colony remains a disputed territory but is to all intents and purposes a part of Morocco – it is also one of the most sparsely populated regions on Earth. We end the day at Laayoune, Western Sahara’s principal city.

Day 14 | Nov 22

With the Sahara to our left and the brilliant blue of the Atlantic ocean to our right, the road unfurls on and on into the horizon. With its vast open spaces and hypnotic emptiness, this is the very definition of “off the beaten track”. Our day ends at Dahkla, a Spanish colonial town of whitewashed houses clustered around a shallow lagoon. Jutting out into the ocean on a sandy peninsula, this is a remote desert experience at the edge of the world. 

Day 15 | Nov 23

We head out of Dahkla past the striking Spanish lighthouse that sits alone on a cape a couple of miles to the south. The road onwards is straight, flat and paved with sticky black tarmac that takes us first across the tropic of Cancer and then to the border with Mauritania beyond. We stop over at the sleepy fishing port of Nouâdhibou, site of the world’s largest ship graveyard, the rusting hulls of over 300 ships half-submerged in its clear blue waters. 

Day 16 | Nov 24

The former French colony of Mauritania is a land of sand. Approximately 90% of its surface is covered by the Sahara and today is a case in point. Through miles and miles of beautiful dunes, the sand, sea and sunshine are mesmerising, offering a challenge to both man and machine. Nouakchott, the capital city and the biggest city in the Sahara will come as a welcome change after the rigours of the desert. 

Day 17 | Nov 25

Heading south, the landscape finally begins to change: as we approach the Senegal river delta and head through the Diawling National Park with its flamingos, warthogs and monkeys, it can only mean one thing: the Sahara has been crossed! Before long we are heading into neighbouring Senegal and St Louis, the oldest colonial city on the western African coast. With its crumbling architecture and maze of tidal marshes it was once known as the “Venice of Africa”.

Day 18 | Nov 26

Today, just one long strip of tarmac separates us from our final destination, and the finish line. Rural vegetation begins to appear and skinny cattle graze by the roadside in the shade of baobab trees and sugar palms. Before long we reach the bustling colonial city of Dakar, marking the end of the road. It’s time for one last hurrah, a celebratory dinner and sunset drinks.

Day 19 | Nov 27

Depart Dakar

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