Dakar 2027: Back in Africa After 20 Years, But Not in Dakar
The Dakar Rally returns to Africa in January 2027 for the first time in 20 years, but it will not reach Dakar and it does not start in Paris. The rally starts in the Algarve in Portugal on 9 January, crosses to Morocco by ferry and finishes in Marrakech on 23 January. It is also a one time return: Saudi Arabia hosts the 50th edition in 2028.
The route looks new, but much of it is not. We laid six editions on one map and compared the Dakar 2027 with the last African rally in 2007. The result surprised us: on paper, the two are almost the same length, and they enter Africa through the same port.
Is the Dakar 2027 Still the Paris Dakar?
No. The Dakar 2027 neither starts in Paris nor finishes in Dakar. The last edition on the classic Paris to Dakar route ran in 2001, and the last finish in Senegal came in 2007. The name has stayed in people's heads anyway, which is why so many still search for "Paris Dakar 2027". Current dates and stages are on our Dakar 2027 dates page and our route page.
The rally has also changed its route far more often than the name suggests. After Paris came starts in Arras (2002), Marseille (2003), Clermont Ferrand (2004), Barcelona (2005) and Lisbon (2006 and 2007).
Six Dakar Routes on One Map
Each of these editions took a very different path across the continent:
1979, Paris to Dakar: the first edition, about 10,000 km through Algeria, Niger and Mali to Senegal. 182 vehicles started, 74 finished.
1992, Paris to Cape Town: the longest line on our map, across Libya, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Gabon and Congo, then by sea to Angola and on through Namibia to South Africa.
2000, Dakar to Cairo: four stages in Niger were cancelled after a reported terror threat. Antonov 124 cargo planes flew the whole rally from Niamey to Sebha in Libya.
2003, Marseille to Sharm el Sheikh: a rally without West Africa, through Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.
2007, Lisbon to Dakar: the last African edition, through Morocco, Mauritania and Mali. 511 vehicles started, 300 reached the end.
2027, Loulé/Faro to Marrakech: Portugal and Morocco, with a transit through southern Spain.
How Did the Dakar Lose Africa?
The Dakar left Africa because of a security threat, one day before the 2008 start. That rally was meant to run from Lisbon to Dakar over 9,273 km. On 24 December 2007, four French tourists were killed in Mauritania, and direct threats against the rally followed. On 4 January 2008, ASO cancelled the race on the advice of the French government.
The rally never came back to Africa in the years that followed. From 2009 to 2019 it ran in South America, and from 2020 to 2026 in Saudi Arabia. If you want the full story, read why the Paris Dakar Rally is no longer in Africa.
Why Is the Dakar Going Back to Africa Now?
Because the rally had to leave Saudi Arabia for one edition. On 25 October 2026, ASO and Saudi Motorsport Company moved the Dakar 2027 out of the country as an exceptional, one time decision. According to Reuters, the reason was security concerns.
On 30 October, ASO presented the new route through Portugal and Morocco.
So this is not a permanent return. Saudi Arabia hosts the 50th edition in 2028, which makes the Dakar 2027 a single African chapter, at least for now.
2007 and 2027: Almost the Same Rally on Paper
The last African Dakar and the next one are remarkably close in numbers:
Total distance: 7,915 km in 2007, 7,824 km in 2027
Special stages: 4,309 km in 2007, 4,341 km in 2027
Start: Lisbon in 2007, Loulé/Faro in 2027, both in Portugal
Door to Africa: Nador in Morocco, in both editions
Finish: Dakar in 2007, Marrakech in 2027
The real difference lies south of Morocco. In 2007 the rally crossed Mauritania and Mali to Senegal. In 2027 it turns around at a marathon refuge near Dakhla and heads back north. The field has changed too: in 2007 there were bikes, cars and trucks, while the 2027 edition also has SSVs, the Dakar Classic and Mission 1000.
Where the Dakar 2027 Meets the Old Dakar
Several key places on the 2027 route are old Dakar ground. We checked the stage lists of 1999, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2007, and other editions may have used them as well:
Algarve: Portimão was a stage town in 2006 and 2007. In 2027 the start camp is at the Algarve Stadium in Loulé/Faro.
Nador: the rally landed here in 2001, 2006 and 2007. In 2027 the overnight ferry from Algeciras arrives here again.
Agadir: a stage town in 1999 and 2005, and the rest day camp in 2027.
Smara: a stage town in 2001 and 2005, and in 2027 the bivouac for the longest special stage and the marathon stages.
Anyone who followed the Dakar in the early 2000s will recognise these names.
For most of today's crews, they will be new
.
What Does This Mean for the Dakar Classic?
The Dakar Classic will race in Africa for the first time. The category was launched in 2021, and until now it has only ever run in Saudi Arabia. Yet its rules look straight back at the African era: a vehicle is eligible if a similar model competed in the Dakar up to and including the 2005 edition, or in another rally raid of that period.
That gives the Dakar 2027 a special appeal for the Dakar Classic. Models that once raced through the Sahara go back to the continent where their reputation began. Models such as the Mitsubishi Pajero and the Toyota Land Cruiser are part of that history.
Our View
We have been to Morocco many times ourselves, and races such as the Tuareg Rally and the Fenix Rally gave us direct experience in the Sahara. So we are looking forward to this edition. Still, it would be wrong to call it a return to the old Dakar. It is a new route on familiar ground, and it lasts one edition.
Our service crew will be in the bivouac in January 2027. You can follow our daily videos on YouTube. If you want to be part of the 50th edition in 2028, talk to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Dakar Rally going back to Africa?
Yes, in January 2027. The Dakar 2027 runs from 9 to 23 January 2027 from Portugal to Morocco. It is the first Dakar in Africa since 2007, and it is planned as a one time move, because Saudi Arabia hosts the 2028 edition.
When was the last Dakar Rally in Africa?
In January 2007. That edition ran from Lisbon to Dakar and finished on 21 January 2007. The 2008 edition was cancelled one day before the start.
Why did the Dakar Rally leave Africa?
Because of a security threat. After four French tourists were killed in Mauritania in December 2007 and direct threats followed, ASO cancelled the 2008 rally on the advice of the French government. From 2009 the rally ran in South America.
Does the Dakar 2027 finish in Dakar?
No. It finishes in Marrakech, Morocco, on 23 January 2027. The last finish in Dakar, Senegal, was in 2007.
Does the Dakar 2027 start in Paris?
No. It starts in Loulé/Faro in Portugal. The last edition on the classic route from Paris to Dakar ran in 2001.
Has the Dakar Classic ever raced in Africa?
No, the Dakar 2027 will be its first time. The Dakar Classic was launched in 2021 and has only run in Saudi Arabia so far.
Sources
About the Author
Sven Syfrig is the founder and Team Principal of TimeOut Racing, a rally raid assistance team based in Wollerau, Switzerland. Founded in 2014, the team has supported private crews at the Dakar and Dakar Classic every year since 2022.
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