Senegal has a whole range of interesting places to visit, whether it’s monuments from the colonial era, local rural areas where you can still observe an outdated way of life that has changed little since the Neolithic era, or various nature reserves with local fauna, especially various birds.
In the north we have the city of Saint Louis with the original colonial city on Ndar Island at the mouth of the Senegal River, which was the largest colonial city. Nearby is the Djoudje National Park, which is especially interesting shortly after the rainy season, when the local lake is filled and there are many interesting species of birds. A little further south is the Lampoul desert, which is not very big, but still you feel like you are in the desert and you can spend the night in nomad tents, which are quite modernly furnished.
The most visited place is Gorèe Island, which is associated with a history of slavery. However, Dakar and its surroundings offer other interesting places to visit. Whether it’s the Plateau district, the oldest part of Dakar with colonial buildings and the presidential palace. Then there is the western coast, the so-called Corniche, with beautiful views of the sea with the bay of Ouakama and its monumental mosque and, of course, the African Renaissance monument on the hill. If you want to indulge in luxury, you can choose one of the hotels on this west coast or directly on the Almadie point, which is the westernmost point of Africa and also the most luxurious part of Dakar. Another nice place to stay in Dakar is Ngor Island, where you will find absolute peace and pleasant accommodation, as well as a place to swim. Not far from Dakar to the east is the famous Pink Lake, where the famous Paris Dakar Rally used to finish, and which is one of the most visited places in Senegal (we wouldn’t like to discourage anyone from visiting it, but it’s actually not that interesting a place).
Petite Cote is the most developed tourist area of Senegal for several reasons. The main thing is the local climate, because unlike Grande Cote, which is located north of Dakar, there is not such a strong and cold wind during the dry season, and therefore it is pleasant to swim and laze on the beach. Another reason is the proximity to the International Airport, and especially in the recent past, when infrastructure did not yet exist, this was absolutely essential. The most developed resort in this area is Saly, where the largest number of hotels and other services are concentrated. However, if you are looking for more peace and quiet, it is better to stay in some of the other villages on the coast, such as Somone, Popenguine, Warang, Nining, Ponto Serene.
Near the Petite Cote is the Bandia reserve, which is an artificially created fenced area, but where there is a whole range of African fauna, especially herbivores, at large, and you can get close to them and have a good look at them.
Another interesting place to visit and another National Park in Senegal is the Saloum River Delta. This vast area, where seawater penetrates deep inland, is made up of more than two hundred islands. The local mangroves are an ideal environment for fish and their reproduction, and as a result, they also attract a large number of diverse birds. There are about 70 villages on the islands, which make for an interesting visit to this secluded place. Cruises here are an unforgettable experience, where you can see a large number of birds, but you can also get to know the life of the locals. Ndangane is the gateway to interesting cruises, either in its surroundings or from here you can go on a long cruise through the delta to Toubakuta – another spectacular place in this delta. And of course fishing is another big attraction that brings more and more tourists here.
Casamance is completely different from the north of Senegal because here the green region of Africa with dense forest begins.This is because the rainy season is much more abundant here, so it is best to go here only during the dry season. There is a beautiful coast with white beaches and a minimum of tourists, but you can also visit interesting places such as the original village of the Djiola ethnic group (People whose spiritual entity is the Spirit of the Forest and who lived in the undergrowth of giant kapok trees, which grow up to 70m) or, for example, the island of Caraban, associated with slavery.
And one of the most beautiful areas of Senegal is its southeast around the city of Kedougou, which has a completely different character from the rest, because the landscape is hilly and many different interesting ethnic groups live here with an ancient way of life. There is also the Dindefelo Cascade on the Gambia River, a spectacular set of waterfalls. The journey here is lengthy, but the spectacle the local area offers is worth it.
Beautiful Senegal 