Senegal
Saint-Louis
A three-century colonial capital on a sliver of river island, with painted pirogues on one shore and a wetland full of pelicans upstream.
Saint-Louis grew up on a narrow island in the mouth of the Senegal River, and for most of three centuries it was the capital of colonial Senegal. Its UNESCO-listed old town is a grid of balconied merchant houses in ochre and faded pastels, reached from the mainland over the long steel Pont Faidherbe. Across a second channel, the fishermen of Guet Ndar launch painted pirogues from the Langue de Barbarie, the sand spit between river and ocean, and upriver the wetlands of Djoudj rank among Africa's great bird sanctuaries. The whole place moves at the unhurried pace of a former capital.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
French, Wolof
Currency
XOF
Timezone
UTC
Why you'll love Saint-Louis
The island a UNESCO-listed grid of merchant houses with wooden balconies and shuttered windows, small enough to walk end to end and best taken slowly
Pont Faidherbe the long steel bridge from the mainland is the city's emblem, and crossing it late in the day, with the island's rooftops ahead, is the classic arrival
Guet Ndar across the channel on the sand spit, a crowded fishing quarter hauls hundreds of painted pirogues up the beach through the Atlantic surf
Birds pelicans, flamingos and wintering migrants from Europe fill the World Heritage wetland of Djoudj upriver, and seabirds nest in the Langue de Barbarie park to the south
Best time to visit
Dec-Aug
30-33° days
16.028° N, 16.505° W
UTC · Africa/Dakar
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Weather & when to go to Saint-Louis
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Dec-Aug
Watch for Jun-Nov cyclones & hurricanes risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Saint-Louis
No bad season for the city itself. September is the wettest and most humid month, and October and November are the hottest, with highs in the mid-30s. The bigger question is the birds: Djoudj opens in the dry season only, roughly November to April, when the European migrants are in, so birders should plan around that window.
Top things to do in Saint-Louis
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Ile de Saint-Louis - walk the colonial old town
history culture arts 👍 PopularThe island is little more than two kilometres long, and its grid holds the city's heritage: two-storey merchant houses with wooden balconies and iron railings, the old Governor's Palace on the site of the first fort, the early 19th-century cathedral and the riverside quays. Walk it in the morning or late afternoon, when the light warms the ochre facades.
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Pont Faidherbe - cross the steel bridge
history scenic 👍 PopularOpened in 1897 and more than 500 metres long, the steel bridge links the island to Sor on the mainland and is the symbol of the city. Its central span once swung open to let river traffic through. Walk across near sunset for the view back over the island and the pirogues on the river.
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Guet Ndar - the fishing quarter on the Langue de Barbarie
culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedA short bridge from the island, this densely packed quarter is one of the biggest fishing communities on the coast. In the afternoon the painted pirogues ride in through the surf, catches are carried up the beach and fish is smoked and dried along the shore. The fishermen's cemetery, its graves draped with fishing nets, is nearby. Ask before photographing people.
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Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary - pelicans by pirogue
nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedA World Heritage wetland in the Senegal River delta, Djoudj holds huge numbers of birds wintering from Europe alongside resident species. Boat trips run through the reed channels to a great white pelican colony, with flamingos, herons, cormorants and waders along the way. It opens in the dry season only, roughly November to April.
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Hydrobase - the Aeropostale beach
history scenicSouth of Guet Ndar, the long Atlantic beach on the spit takes its name from the old seaplane base of the Aeropostale mail line, whose pilots, Jean Mermoz among them, flew on from here to South America. Today it is lined with hotels. The surf is strong, so ask locally before swimming.
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Horse-drawn caleche - a loop of the island
history culture artsHorse-drawn carriages wait near the bridge and in the old town to take visitors around the island and over to Guet Ndar. It is the classic way to get your bearings on a first afternoon, and the drivers point out the old houses, churches and mosques as you go.
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Thieboudienne - the national dish in its home town
foodSenegal's national dish of fish, broken rice and vegetables cooked in a tomato sauce is said to have been created in Saint-Louis, and it tastes best here with fish landed that morning at Guet Ndar. It is a lunchtime dish, often served from a big shared platter; look out for yassa, chicken or fish in an onion and lemon sauce, too.
Best areas to stay in Saint-Louis
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Ile de Saint-Louis
First-time visitors $$Balconied colonial streets on the river
Explore hotels in Ile de Saint-Louis →
Hydrobase
Beach and sea air $$Beach hotels on the Atlantic spit
Explore hotels in Hydrobase →
Gandiol and the Langue de Barbarie park
Birders and quiet $$Quiet campements beside the lagoon
Explore hotels in Gandiol and the Langue de Barbarie park →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Saint-Louis
Getting to & around Saint-Louis
Getting there
Most visitors fly into Dakar's Blaise Diagne airport and come north by road, around four to five hours; overlanders arrive from Mauritania just to the north
Drive
From Blaise Diagne airport or Dakar, a private car or taxi takes around four to five hours north through Thies and Louga. Many people break the journey with a night in the Lompoul dunes.
Shared taxi
Gare routiere, on the mainland
Sept-place shared taxis and minibuses run from Dakar's main bus station, leaving when full, then a taxi covers the last stretch over the bridge to the island.
Drive
Overlanders coming south from Mauritania cross at the Diama dam, north of the city, the quieter alternative to the Rosso river crossing further upstream.
Getting around
Walking
The island is small and flat, and the old town, the bridge and Guet Ndar are all within an easy walk
Free
Taxi
Unmetered taxis run between the island, Sor and Hydrobase; agree the fare before you get in
TBC
Horse-drawn caleche
Carriages offer tours of the island and short hops across to Guet Ndar; settle the route and price first
TBC
Pirogue
Boat trips into the Langue de Barbarie park leave from the Gandiol shore, and Djoudj visits use the park's own boats
TBC
Day trips from Saint-Louis
Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary
Full dayWetland bird sanctuary
Huge numbers of birds winter in this World Heritage wetland in the Senegal River delta. A pirogue trip through the channels reaches the great white pelican colony, with flamingos, herons, cormorants and waders along the way. Go early, when the birds are most active. The park opens in the dry season only, roughly November to April.
Getting there
car | tour
About an hour and a half north by car or organised tour, the last stretch on a dirt track
Langue de Barbarie National Park
Half dayLagoon and seabird colonies
At the southern end of the spit, the river meets the Atlantic across a shifting sand bar. Pirogues cruise the lagoon to a sandbank where gulls and terns nest in noisy colonies, while pelicans and cormorants fish the channels. The Gandiol lighthouse and the fishing villages along the shore round out an easy morning.
Getting there
car | tour
About 30 minutes south by car to Gandiol, then a guided pirogue trip on the lagoon
Lompoul desert
1-2 daysSand dunes
An island of orange dunes a few kilometres inland from the Atlantic. Most visitors sleep in one of the tented camps among the dunes to catch sunset and sunrise, and it makes a natural stop on the road between Saint-Louis and Dakar.
Getting there
car
About two to three hours south by car, the last stretch by 4x4 over the sand
A little history of Saint-Louis
Saint-Louis began in 1659, when French traders built a fort on Ndar, a sandy island at the mouth of the Senegal River, and named it after Saint Louis, patron of the French king. It became the base of the river trade in gum arabic, gold, ivory and enslaved people, and changed hands with the British more than once. In the 18th century the signares, Afro-European women traders, owned many of its houses and much of its commerce.
France abolished slavery in 1848, and from 1854 Governor Louis Faidherbe used the town as the base for pushing French rule up the river. It was the first capital of French West Africa until that role passed to Dakar in 1902, and as one of the Four Communes its residents could vote for a deputy in the French parliament. It also administered neighbouring Mauritania, and gave up the last of its capital roles in the late 1950s. Since the 1990s it has hosted one of Africa's best-known jazz festivals, and its island was listed by UNESCO in 2000.
French traders found a fort on the island of Ndar at the mouth of the Senegal River
Britain captures Saint-Louis during the Seven Years' War and holds it for two decades
France abolishes slavery in its colonies, including Senegal
Louis Faidherbe becomes governor and makes Saint-Louis the base for French expansion up the Senegal River
The steel Pont Faidherbe opens, linking the island to the mainland
Dakar replaces Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa
Jean Mermoz flies the Aeropostale mail from Saint-Louis across the South Atlantic to Brazil
The island of Saint-Louis is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
A channel cut through the Langue de Barbarie to relieve river flooding widens into a new mouth for the Senegal River
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Rare
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type C / E
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+221
Cyclones & hurricanes risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
FAQs about Saint-Louis
▸ When is the best time to visit Saint-Louis?
Most of the year. From December to August the weather is at its best: dry and sunny through the first half of the year, with only a few wet days in July and August. September is the wettest and most humid month, and October and November are the hottest. Birders should aim for November to April, when Djoudj is open and the European migrants are in.
▸ How do you get to Saint-Louis from Dakar?
By road. A private car or taxi from Dakar or Blaise Diagne airport takes around four to five hours, and sept-place shared taxis and minibuses do the run from Dakar's main bus station, leaving when full. Many people break the drive with a night in the Lompoul dunes. Saint-Louis has its own small airport, but scheduled flights have been limited, so check before counting on one.
▸ How many days do you need in Saint-Louis?
Two or three days covers the island, Guet Ndar and a boat trip into the Langue de Barbarie park. Add a day for Djoudj in the birding season, and another if you want a night in the Lompoul dunes on the way to or from Dakar.
▸ Is Saint-Louis safe to visit?
Saint-Louis has a relaxed reputation, and walking the island by day and into the evening is normal. Take the usual care with bags in busy spots, expect offers from would-be guides and turn them down politely if you do not need one, and ask before photographing people, especially in the fishing quarter. The Atlantic off the spit has strong surf, so swim only where locals say it is safe.
▸ Why is Saint-Louis a World Heritage Site?
UNESCO listed the island in 2000 for its colonial town plan, its river quays and its houses, a distinctive style of balconies, galleries and inner courtyards built for the heat. Many of the older houses belonged to the signares, the Afro-European women traders of the 18th century. Much of the fabric is faded, and some of it is in poor repair.