Senegal has a rich culture, political stability which gives it the status of an exceptional democratic model in West Africa, a favorable climate for tourist activity with 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, more than 700 km of coastline and 530 km of beaches. Many animal parks and reserves classified as World Heritage by Unesco, representative of African fauna, delight wildlife enthusiasts in Sine Saloum and Eastern Senegal.
The 14 regions of Senegal each have their own cultural specificities, products and tourist sites. A diversity that meets the expectations of all travelers looking for authenticity and unique experiences.
Located at the most advanced point of the Atlantic Ocean, Senegal is a true maritime and air crossroads. Dakar, the capital, is a natural hub and its airport is ranked 1st in WAEMU in terms of traffic. Its proximity to Europe and the Americas as well as the low time difference with the major European capitals make Dakar one of the most accessible and best served cities in the world. Endowed with an exemplary health policy, Senegal has a medical platform which is one of the most developed in Africa and has a multidisciplinary staff trained in the best medical practices.
The motorway network, in particular thanks to the toll motorway, facilitates travel within the country and draws corridors to other countries in the sub-region. Major tourism development projects, the opening in 2014 of a high-end conference center and the forthcoming opening of a new airport with a capacity of 3 million passengers are all assets for the development of tourism. A combination of security and relaxation that completes a wide range of receptive and hotel structures, enhanced by the presence of major brands such as the King Fahd Palace, the Terrou Bi and the majors such as Accor and Radisson.
Senegalese Agency for Tourism Promotion
Ngor Virage –route de l’Aéroport
BP 29 753 Dakar –Yoff.
Tel : +221 33 869 61 90
The Senegalese capital first seduces with its architectural heritage, vestiges of French colonization. Dakar is a cosmopolitan city with multiple treasures. From the tip of Almadies to Cap Manuel, it vibrates to the rhythm of the waves, revealing its festive places, its cultural spaces and its colorful markets.
A link between the past and the present, Gorée exerts an extraordinary fascination on its visitors, famous and anonymous, who, strolling through the alleys of the island, walk on the footprints left by the ghosts of the past. A unique place full of emotion where the old pink houses suggest, through their windows, the history of an entire people.
Classified among the tallest monuments in the world, the Monument is made up of an imposing 52m bronze and copper statue representing a couple and a child resting on a hill of about 100m. An ode to Africa, it offers a spectacular view of Dakar and its beaches.
A natural curiosity, Lac Rose is a lagoon surrounded by dunes and casuarina trees. It owes its fame to its color which changes from pink to mauve depending on the intensity of the sun’s rays. The surroundings of the lake are an excellent playground for excursions on the dunes in 4×4, motorbike or quad or for more peaceful walks on horseback, on the back of camels.
The largest tourist center in West Africa, the seaside resort of Saly Portudal is home to many hotels and restaurants with varied charms and eclectic entertainment programs. Diving into the ocean, lounging by the pools and admiring the sunset are great classics of this destination. You can also practice fishing, windsurfing, water skiing, tennis, horse riding, and the Golf de Saly is a course on which amateurs will find their happiness.
Animal reserve in the direct vicinity of the hotels of Saly Portudal, it invites to safaris within everyone’s reach. The 3,500 hectares of this forest are home to a variety of fauna (rhinos, monkeys, gazelles, giraffes, reptiles, etc.) in a setting of giant baobabs and lianas. The visitor can also discover vestiges of the Serer civilization scattered throughout the reserve.
Joal is a small fishing village which has grown to become one of the largest artisanal fishing ports in Senegal today. A guided tour of the birthplace of poet President Léopold Sedar Senghor and of the mysterious island. Also, the local populations play the role of guides to discover the other wonders that make up the tourist catalog of Dindefelo. of Fadiouth, entirely built on a pile of shells and connected to the land by two wooden bridges, plunges you into an enchanting universe.
The mixed cemetery, shared by Christians and Muslims, is a fine proof of the harmonious coexistence of these two religions.
Classified as a World Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Delta through its cultural activities such as its festivals and traditional ceremonies organized in December of each year. du Saloum is an invitation to contemplation, serenity and gentleness. The canoes that criss-cross the maze of bolongs (narrow inlets) lead to the discovery of the multitude of islands, thousands of birds (pelicans, hornbills, flamingos, etc.), and mammals (hyenas, jackals, warthogs, dolphins ). Among the most fish-rich areas in the world, the Saloum Delta is an ideal site for recreational fishermen.
Kaolack, capital of the Saloum region and capital of groundnuts and salt, is a crossroads region whose market is one of the largest in the country. The region is home to a considerable number of megalithic sites or “Breton menhirs”. In Nioro du Rip, more than 1,000 concentric circles have been erected with more than 30,000 stones. These are the funerary remains of a civilization that took place from the year 200 BC until the 16th century.
Classified as a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve, the Niokolo-Koba Park covers an area of ??more than 950,000 hectares and offers a rich and very varied landscape, where almost all the plant and animal species of the savannahs of West Africa. It also contains small hills including the Assirik (311 m), which overlook the rivers where the animals come to drink.
At the foot of Fouta Djallon, a wild and mountainous territory is home to the Bassari and Bédick peoples. Atypical communities whose discovery of cultures is a real journey to the heart of original African rites.
The osmosis with nature is reflected in the rites, the initiation ceremonies, the architecture of the dwellings, the stories of myths and legends. A wealth classified since 2012 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A rustle of water and then the discovery of a majestic waterfall: this is the magic of the Dindefello Falls. From the top of the mountain, the water crashes on the different levels until it lands on the basin, in a fabulous choreography. An invitation to a refreshing swim in a spring with therapeutic and mysterious properties. Also, the local populations play the role of guides to discover the other wonders that make up the tourist catalog of Dindefelo.
In a setting of bolongs and lagoons, Kafountine is a magnificent spot for birdwatchers and fishing enthusiasts thanks to its magnificent beaches. Not far from there, Abéné attracts many people with its cultural activities such as its festivals and traditional ceremonies organized in December of each year.
Former colonial counter, the island located at the mouth of the river, retains traces of its past as a leading administrative city. Accessible by canoe, the village is a heavenly refuge covered with lush vegetation: palm trees, coconut trees, baobabs, cheese makers, mango trees, flamboyant trees, bougainvillea. The island is at the center of a huge fishing area with countless species of tropical fish; a dream place to fish and swim with dolphins.
Geographical crossroads of Lower Casamance, Oussouye is the center of a region steeped in animism and organized into tiny kingdoms. It is also the cradle of culture in Lower Casamance where the palm wine harvest and traditional wrestling ceremonies are celebrated each year. You can discover the impluvium huts of Enampore and Séléki which are often transformed into camps to welcome visitors.
Very popular and equipped with an aerodrome, Cap Skirring is one of the most beautiful seaside resorts in West Africa. The sand is of a rare finesse and the coast is very wooded (coconut trees, palm trees, etc.). Large tourist hotel complexes are deployed there where all tastes will be served and all luxuries allowed. The resort has made a name for itself among lovers of beautiful fishing and you can also practice horse riding and water skiing.
It is the transition between the forest zone of the south and the wooded savannah of Eastern Senegal but also a large hunting zone, in particular game birds or four-legged. The landscapes there are very beautiful. Sédhiou and its foothills are the stronghold of the “kankouran” and the “Djambadong”, the dance of the leaves.
Island located in the delta of the Senegal River, Saint Louis, or the majestic “African Venice”, was the former capital of French-speaking West Africa. Its colonial past can be admired through its colorful houses with wrought iron balconies which are an integral part of the charm of the city. On foot or by horse-drawn carriage, excursions in the city reveal all the elegance of its society and the richness of its cultural heritage. The International Jazz Festival, the Fanal and the regattas of Saint Louis are vibrant moments in the city’s festive calendar.
Further north, the Fort de Podor, better known as the Fort de Faidherbe, built between 1818 and 1819 is classified as a world heritage site. 190 years old, this site rests on a hill overlooking the city and offers a superb panorama and a beautiful view of the Senegal River.
Located 70 km from Saint Louis, the Djoudj park is the third ornithological reserve in the world. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park covers 16,000 hectares and has nearly three million migratory birds, of which around 400 species have been listed (pink flamingo, white pelican, egrets, Gambian goose, gray heron , ducks, great cormorants, kingfishers…)
Conducive to the meeting of nomadic tribes, this small ocher-colored desert extends over about twenty kilometers to the sea, and fascinates with its landscape of dunes. A night in bivouac in this small desert can constitute an original and unforgettable moment.