Nouadhibou, Mauritania

Capital City

With a population of 173,525, Nouadhibou is the second-largest city in Mauritania, but it's hardly an oasis. As a major hub for migrant smuggling, the city is plagued by corruption and criminality, making it a far cry from the idyllic coastal retreat some might imagine.

The port alone is a testament to Nouadhibou's gritty reality - a graveyard of over 300 scuttled ships, the result of shady officials accepting bribes to allow boat owners to dump their vessels. And the climate is no picnic either, with the city seeing virtually no rainfall and soaring temperatures year-round.

In short, Nouadhibou is a place for the hardy and the pragmatic, not the faint of heart. If you can navigate the bureaucratic headaches and safety concerns, it might just be the city for you.