Sahara

Mauritania, in the far west of the Sahara, is a busy crossroads from West Africa to the Canary Islands, until the Spanish coast guard take up patrols and stop travel.

Said to have streets paved in gold, Timbuktu is the subject of mythical stories and a dream destination for travellers brave enough to cross the Sahara.

For centuries, the desert-city of Agadez was the starting point for travellers crossing the Sahara, the hub between West Africa and the Mediterranean, but the government of Niger has prohibited the transport of migrants.