CityOutline guide

El Aaiún

Largest city of Western Sahara

Photo: Collage compiled by LLs -- see constituent images for individual author information, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

El Aaiun (Laayoune, Arabic العيون) is the biggest city in Western Sahara, in its northern part. It has a population just over 210,000. It is the claimed capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, but the city is controlled by Morocco.

Sights and activities

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St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral
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Catedral de San Francisco de Asís de El Aaiún
Roman Catholic church that serves as the cathedral church of the apostolic prefecture of Western Sahara. The church was built in 1954, during the Spanish colonial period.
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Al-Zawiya Mosque
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A restored historic mosque.
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Getting there and around

Getting there

By car
Road N1 from southern Morocco to El Aaiún is in good condition, checkposts are frequent.
By plane

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Getting around

El Aaiún's central sights can easily be explored on foot.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Laayoune Hassan I International Airport

El Aaiún · International · EUN

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Read before you go to El Aaiún

Articles and travel topics about El Aaiún and Western Sahara.

Itineraries

Cycling the Western Sahara

The Western Sahara cycle route runs from Guelmim in Morocco via Mauritania to Saint-Louis in Senegal. It is 2,100 km (1,300 mi) through the Western Sahara, crossing the westernmost part of the Sahara (bordering the sea)…

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Food & drink

Tea

Tea is a drink made from either fresh or dried leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to Asia. Because it normally requires very hot water to steep, it is a healthy way to drink water contaminated with…

Wikivoyage

Itineraries

Silk Road

For modern-day trade in China, see Shopping in China The Silk Road (丝绸之路 sī chóu zhī lù), also known as the Silk Route, is not a single road, but a network of historical trade routes across Asia from China to Europe.

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Itineraries

Africa itineraries

Itineraries in Africa

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Full travel guide

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Get inBus services connect El Aaiún to major transport hubs in southern Morocco, particularly Inezgane; CTM and Supratours offer direct connections from, Casablanca, Marrakech and Agadir to the north and Dakhla to the south.

Get aroundEl Aaiún's central sights can easily be explored on foot.

SeeThe main roads are lined by shops selling non-descript Moroccan goods, the bird park seems to be permanently closed and the adjoining tourism office is very well staffed but doesn't seem to have any ideas on how to…

DoDesert and deserted beaches are aplenty.

EatMoroccan standard fare at most places, and nothing particularly noteworthy. Wonderfully beefy camel meat available at butchers around town, dates of excellent quality in the markets.

DrinkAbout the only place serving alcohol to the public is Hotel Al Massira, which is a large hotel on Boulevard de la Mecque. They serve local beer, a limited selection of Moroccan wine and a few spirits.

SleepWith the UN still having a relatively large presence, there are lots of hotels but they are all fairly expensive compared to the rest of Morocco.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "El Aaiún" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Laayoune", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Collage compiled by LLs -- see constituent images for individual author information, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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Overview

Sights and activities

St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral

Al-Zawiya Mosque