Just off of the coast of Dakar, Gorée Island is a paradise of warm colors, sandy beaches, and tranquil community. But though it is breathtaking on the surface, the island has a difficult history that actually serves as its bigger tourist draw – Gorée Island was one of the most popular outposts for the slave trade, and it has become an important stop for people to pay respects to their ancestors who were affected by the slave trade and remember the horrors of the era.
Retba Lake, or Pink Lake, is so named for its incredible pink-purple color, the result of high salt content, unique bacteria, and the reflection of sunlight. An hour’s drive north from Dakar, visitors can also view the salt harvesting that takes place on the lake, an important agricultural industry for the country.
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of Darak in the coastal region south of the city known as Petit Cote. With golden sandy beaches and inviting Atlantic waters, this is a favorite holiday spot for many Senegalese, but the calming meditative atmosphere is welcoming to all.
Saloum Delta National Park, in western Senegal, is over 76,000 hectares of incredible biodiversity, including a wide variety of birds, fish, mangrove forests, savanna, forest, and more. The park forms part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is most definitely worth a visit.
The country’s natural border with Mauritania, the majestic Senegal River flows an impressive 1,700 kilometers and creates a unique fertile valley in the midst of the Sahel Desert. With impressive dams and marine life, the river itself is a sight to behold, but it’s the historical importance of the river and its uses in traditional Senegalese life that is the true draw.
Located in the southeastern corner of the country, the tropical vegetation makes the Casamance region of Senegal an ideal stop for wildlife-lovers. Dolphin watching, fishing, snorkeling, and more are the main attractions of Casamance, but visitors can also learn about the culture of the Jola people, the ethnic group that dominates the region.
The Lompoul Desert offers visitors a taste of desert, and all of the incredible activities it has to offer – including camel trekking, sand dune buggies, magnificent vistas and more. The orange sand dunes, also characteristic of the Sahara, are almost out of place in the Senegalese landscape, but make for incredible views. The Festival du Sahel, an enormous music festival, also takes place in the Lompoul Desert, and has since its inception in 2009.
Senegal has become a force to be reckoned with when it comes to football on the African continent, and visitors will have to work hard to not get swept up in football fever. Even if the national team isn’t playing (though, with the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations fast approaching, the entire nation is looking to the Lions of Teranga to come through), the ASC Jeanne D’Arc, Dakar’s biggest team, is always fun to watch at the city’s massive 60,000-seater stadium.
Bird lovers need to pay a visit to le Parc National des Oiseaux du Djoudj, as over three million birds make a stop here between November and April as they migrate south from Europe. One of the only places with a permanent water source south of the Sahara, the park is one of the most crucial bird sanctuaries in the world, and is home to over 30 species, including the plentiful pink flamingo and pelican.
For a taste of a true sea town, visitors should not miss Guet N’Dar, south of Saint-Louis, and entirely tuned to the sea. One can enjoy the day’s freshest catch while watching hordes of boats floating down the river and out to sea, and observe local culture at its best.
