Dakar
A capital on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the island of Gorée three and a half kilometres offshore, and hotels strung along the ocean road of the Corniche.
- Arrival
- Blaise Diagne International · DSS
- To the city
- About 44 km, roughly an hour by car
- Private jets
- At Blaise Diagne, customs on site
- Best time
- October to July
The city
The Plateau, the Corniche and the island.
The old centre is the Plateau, around Place de l'Indépendance with the Musée des Civilisations Noires nearby. West of it, the Corniche follows the ocean past Fann, where the Sea Plaza and the Terrou-Bi marina look out over the Atlantic. Out to sea lies Gorée, an island of memory listed by UNESCO.
The rains are brief and arrive late: August and September bring most of the year's rainfall, and from November to May there is almost none. Afternoons stay between 26 and 31 °C all year, but the sea drops to 19 °C in February and March and only warms to 28 °C in late summer.
Arriving
A new airport inland.
Blaise Diagne International opened in December 2017, about 44 kilometres east of the city, with a runway of some 3,500 metres. The drive in takes around an hour.
- Abidjan 2 h 40
- Marrakech 3 h 05
- Accra 3 h 05
- Luanda 5 h 50
- Toronto 8 h 55 long-range jet
When to go
October to July.
Dakar is dry for ten months of the year, with the rain concentrated in August and September. The air stays mild to warm throughout; the sea is coolest from January to April, at 19 to 20 °C, and warmest from August to October.
- 26° J 2 20°
- 27° F 1 19°
- 27° M 0 19°
- 27° A 0 20°
- 28° M 0 21°
- 30° J 15 25°
- 30° J 72 27°
- 30° A 179 28°
- 31° S 149 28°
- 31° O 39 28°
- 30° N 1 26°
- 28° D 1 23°
What to see and do
Days in and around Dakar.
-
Landmark
Gorée
A small island opposite Dakar, listed by UNESCO in 1978 as a place of memory of the Atlantic slave trade.
-
Landmark
Musée des Civilisations Noires
A museum of Black civilisations on the Plateau, close to Place de l'Indépendance.
-
Landmark
The Corniche Ouest
The ocean road along the west of the peninsula, with hotels and a marina along it.
-
Culture
Musée Théodore Monod d'Art africain
On Place Soweto, the museum of the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire holds collections from across Francophone Africa and becomes a Biennale venue.
-
Nature
Parc national des Îles de la Madeleine
Pirogues leave Soumbédioune bay for these uninhabited islets, one of the smallest national parks in the world, where red-billed tropicbirds and cormorants breed.
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Nature
Lac Rose
Algae turn Lake Retba pink, most strongly from late January to early March, while salt collectors work its shallows behind a strip of dunes.
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Wildlife
Réserve de Bandia
Giraffes, zebras, buffalo, rhinoceros and several antelope species roam this reserve of about 3,500 hectares near Mbour, visited by 4x4.
-
Culture
Dak'Art
Dakar's biennale of contemporary African art pairs an official selection with a city wide Off programme of independent shows.
Where to stay
On the Corniche and the Plateau.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Terrou-Bi A family-run resort at the water's edge, with a private beach, a 34-metre pool, a marina and a casino.
- Noom Hotel Dakar Sea Plaza Rooms looking over the Atlantic, a rooftop bar and a door straight into the Sea Plaza mall.
- Pullman Dakar Teranga Opened in 1973 facing the ocean and Gorée, and fully renovated in 2017 with an African-inspired design.
- Novotel Dakar In the business district, with a heated pool in a garden and some rooms facing Gorée.
Where to dine
Where to book in Dakar.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Senegal. This upscale Italian table is among the best rated in the fine dining category on Tripadvisor.
- Noliane Ristorante Rated 4.5 on Tripadvisor Italian $$$$ Les Almadies
Elsewhere in Senegal
More reasons to come.
- Gorée An island of colonial houses and the House of Slaves, listed by UNESCO.
- Lac Rose A pink lake where salt is gathered by hand.
- Saly The resort beaches of the Petite Côte.
- Sine-Saloum A delta of mangroves, and islands built of shells.
- Saint-Louis Balconied colonial houses on an island in the Senegal river, listed by UNESCO.
Flying to Dakar?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.