Lisbon to Dakar, rally spirit
This plan turns the African 2007 Paris-Dakar route into a flight from Lisbon to Dakar, crossing Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal.
It works very well in a single-engine aircraft: fast enough for the stages, low enough to read mountains, desert, plateaus and the final Sahel landscapes.
A Lisbon - Dakar route before the rally moved away from Africa.
Progress through large dry and readable stages.
A simple aircraft lets the terrain matter.
Long desert areas require anticipation and fuel planning.
Understanding the flight
The page carries the rally imagination: a European departure, Morocco, Sahara immersion and the descent toward Senegal.
The flight should remain direct and readable. Each chapter is a change of scenery more than an extreme technical challenge.
Before departure
- Choose a comfortable single-engine aircraft with good downward visibility.
- Plan fuel before Mauritania, where distance and alternates matter more.
- Use dry, hot and bright weather to keep the raid atmosphere.
- Fly at moderate altitude to read terrain transitions.
Suggested route
Portugal, Spain and northern Morocco
Lisbon, Portimao, Malaga and Nador create a gradual entry from Atlantic Europe to North Africa.
LPPT → LPPM → LEMG → GMMW
Atlas, southern Morocco and Sahara
Errachidia, Ouarzazate and Tan Tan shift the flight toward desert, relief and longer distances.
GMMW → GMFK → GMMZ → GMAT
Mauritania
Zouerat, Atar, Tichit, Nema and Ayoun el Atrouss form the Saharan heart of the route.
GMAT → GQPZ → GQPA → GQNC → GQNI → GQNA
Mali, Senegal and Dakar
Kayes and Tambacounda open the final transition into Senegal and the arrival in Dakar.
GQNA → GAKD → GOTT → GOOY
Experience tips
Keep a raid atmosphere: clear stages, dry weather, route notes and arrival screenshots.
Do not fly too high over Morocco and Mauritania; relief and colors are central to the experience.
Copyright Michel Lagneau 2008