The Langue de Barbarie National Park protects a narrow strip of sand between the ocean and the Senegal River, at its mouth, renowned for its bird colonies. A guided outing of 2 h 30 to 3 h from Saint-Louis combines a walk, a pirogue crossing and a hike on the trails, from 2 people.

The outing in practice

Pelicans, flamingos and terns gather on the sand spit, and bird island is one of the observation points. The accompanying guide and the discovery of the park are included: river mouth, birds and beach. The price is per person, reduced for groups. The best time for watching is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the birds are most active.

Meals and personal spending are not included.

What is paid on site

Park entry, the compulsory local guide for the trails and bird island, and the pirogue crossing are official fees: they are payable on site, on top of the price. Entry is free for children under 10, and the price of the crossing depends on the number of passengers.

Options for one or several

Two options exist: for a single person (Solo) or for a group of 2 or more (group flat rate), both lasting 2 h 30.

Saint-Louis and the river mouth

The Langue de Barbarie is a piece of coastline in the far north-west of the country, very close to Mauritania. Saint-Louis, a former colonial capital listed by UNESCO, is the gateway to it, in the Saint-Louis region. The Langue de Barbarie page gathers the offers for the place, and the Langue de Barbarie Park page describes the site. If you live in Senegal, it is a half day to slot into a weekend in Saint-Louis; if you are visiting, it is a nature outing from the town.

To extend your trip

The Djoudj is the large neighbouring bird park, the Guembeul Reserve another stop and a pirogue ride another way to see the water. Birdwatching gathers outings of this kind.