Overview
Gorée Island
Markets & Music
Coast & Surf
Food & Lac Rose
Dakar, the capital of Senegal, occupies the tip of the Cap-Vert peninsula — the westernmost point of the African continent — jutting into the Atlantic, and it is one of West Africa's most vibrant and welcoming cities. Energetic, colourful and intensely musical, it rewards travellers with a rich blend of bustling markets, Atlantic beaches and surf, a thriving arts and fashion scene, superb food, and the famous Senegalese spirit of teranga (hospitality). Just offshore lies its most significant site, the Île de Gorée, a UNESCO World Heritage island of pastel-coloured colonial houses, bougainvillea-draped lanes, art galleries and the sobering House of Slaves memorial — a car-free, hauntingly beautiful place of reflection reached by a short ferry. On the mainland, the city's pulse beats in its markets — the vast Sandaga, the colonial-era iron-roofed Kermel, and the fabric stalls of Marché HLM — and along the Corniche, the coastal road that curves past the great Mosque of the Divinity, the surf breaks and beaches of Ngor and Yoff, and the towering African Renaissance Monument on its hill. Dakar's music is legendary: this is the home of mbalax, the driving Senegalese dance music made famous by Youssou N'Dour, and live music spills from clubs and venues across the city. The food is a highlight too — thieboudienne (the national dish of fish and rice), yassa (onion-and-lemon chicken or fish), mafé (peanut stew) and fresh seafood from the colourful pirogue fishing boats. The IFAN museum of African art, the craft village and fish market at Soumbédioune, the surf and island of Ngor, and the otherworldly pink Lac Rose (Lake Retba) on the city's edge round out the appeal, and Dakar is the natural gateway to the rest of Senegal — the colonial town of Saint-Louis, the Sine-Saloum delta and the great baobabs. The climate is warm and dry for much of the year; the cooler, dry season from November to May is the most pleasant, with a short rainy season around July to September.
Discover Dakar
A short, frequent ferry from Dakar's port carries visitors to the Île de Gorée, the city's most important and most atmospheric site — a small, car-free island of narrow lanes, pastel colonial houses draped in bougainvillea, and a quiet, reflective beauty that has made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gorée was a trading post during the era of the Atlantic slave trade, and its House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves), with its symbolic 'Door of No Return', is a memorial and museum that draws visitors from around the world to remember and reflect; the island also holds art galleries, a small history museum in an old fort, craft stalls and cafés among the ochre and pink façades. Spending a few hours wandering its lanes, climbing to the old gun emplacements for the sea view, and pausing at its memorials is a moving and essential part of a visit to Dakar — a place of both painful history and serene beauty.
The Île de Gorée — a short ferry from the port. This small, car-free UNESCO World Heritage island of beautiful pastel colonial houses is also home to the House of Slaves memorial, a moving place of remembrance and reflection on the Atlantic slave trade. Spend a few hours wandering its lanes, visiting the memorials and museums, and taking in the sea views; it's the essential and most affecting part of a Dakar visit.
The cooler, dry season from November to May is the most comfortable, with warm days, ocean breezes and little rain — and the best conditions for the beaches and surf (the surf season peaks roughly November to March). The short rainy season runs around July to September, hotter and more humid. Dakar's Atlantic position keeps it milder than the inland Sahel, so it's pleasant for much of the year.
Start with thieboudienne, Senegal's national dish of fish and rice cooked with tomato and vegetables — rich and delicious. Try yassa (chicken or fish in a tangy onion-and-lemon sauce), mafé (peanut stew) and the fresh grilled seafood landed by the colourful pirogues. Meals are traditionally shared from a communal platter in the spirit of teranga (hospitality), and the bissap (hibiscus) and bouye (baobab) juices are refreshing local drinks.
6 embassies based in this city, grouped by region.