Our last and also one of the best destinations during our trip was Taghit. It is one of the most beautiful oasis in the entire Sahara, situated in the far west of the Grand Erg Occidental around 95 km south of Bechar. At the last check-point before the town, we got again Gendarmerie escort, which brought us to the gated parking of the hostel (1500 DZD / night) next to the police station. The desert town of Taghit is known for its imposing sand dunes and 11th-century ksar. Close by are the rock carvings of Tahtania, which rank as some of the most ancient to be found anywhere in the Sahara, perhaps up to 20000 years old. We took also a local man (4000 DZD) with a small car to go around “Ksour Route”, a UNESCO project that is designed to combat poverty by protecting the region’s heritage (including the local mud-brick architecture) by means of responsible and sustainable tourism. The Ksour themselves were fortified villages that served as a trading and religious centers in the 11th and 12th centuries to meet the needs of caravans crossing the Sahara. Every evening we took one oversized grilled chicken (1200 DZD) in a friendly and clean local eatery. And after that, we enjoyed few overpriced beers in a nearby resort (Beaufort beer / 250 ml / 500 DZD).
Parking location – Taghit: 30.915135N 2.028696W (🔌, 💦, 🚻, 🚿)