Imlili, an ancestral oasis in Dakhla
1614 km from Casablanca and 1400 from Marrakech, the area of Western Sahara where Dakhla stands provides experiences of all kinds. The corners of Dakhla are worth a visit during your vacation. Beyond the incredible landscapes that we can appreciate in this area, where the dunes and the Atlantic Ocean are the protagonists, Imlili pools will really surprise you with the characteristic species that live in them.
Although they are not swimming pools, the Imlili osasis has numerous medium-sized lagoons where you can witness a unique phenomenon in the world. Although it is located a little further than the rest of Dakhla’s excursions, 100 km south on the roads of the Sahara is the town in the middle of the Sahara desert known as Imlili. The attractiveness of the lagoons near the town has to do with the strange habitat in which fish of ancestral origin survive.
To understand the existence of these small fish, we must know that these reservoirs are not lagoons as such. This natural spectacle is called “sebkha”, some ancient natural pools that have salinized over time and are characteristic only of Maghreb countries. What makes them special are the fish that inhabit them. This ancestral species has survived in these basins for thousands of years. It survives thanks to the certain conditions of these waters due to the changes in weather conditions that the area has experienced.
The fish that inhabit the sebkha in the middle of the Sahara desert are carnivorous. That is, if some dare to try the care of this natural pedicure, nothing will come out and nothing less than as if he had left any beauty salon. This treatment tries to introduce the feet in one of the pools and the small fish will nibble on dead skin or calluses that one has. However, although many visitors do, it is not recommended since water conditions are not conducive to care due to the stagnation of it.
Despite this, it is worth attending this spectacle of nature for its tourist interest and its natural preservation. During your visit to Dakhla, planning an excursion to the Imlili oasis is an almost obligatory date to learn about the flora and fauna characteristics of the geography of Western Sahara.