The Río de Oro or Wad ad-Dahab Peninsula ( es, Península de Río de Oro or ) is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

coast of

Western Sahara Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the r ...

. The city of Dakhla (Villa Cisneros) lies on the peninsula. It has a northeast-southwest orientation and a length of about 40 km, linked to the mainland at its northeastern end. Its width is relatively uniform, generally between four and seven kilometers. The narrow Dakhla Bay separates the mainland to the west. Its maximum height does not exceed twenty meters above sea level, but the coast that faces the Atlantic Ocean is higher than that which borders the bay. The peninsula begins in a small outcrop of the Atlantic coast called Roque Cabrón. Another promontory, Archipres Grande, lies 26 km further on. At the southern end of the peninsula, there are two capes: on the Atlantic coast is Punta Durnford, which is low, features cliffs, and is dominated by sand-dunes; On the side that faces the bay is Punta de la Sarga, which is low and sandy. Between the two is Punta Galera, which has a lighthouse. In the southern third of the peninsula, on the coast of the bay, is the city of Dakhla, which has an anchorage and port facilities.

References

Geography of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab Landforms of Western Sahara {{WesternSahara-geo-stub