Diakène: the gateway to the mangroves, between the Cap Skirring road and Egueye Island

You will not find Diakène on any list of must-sees, and that is just fine: it is not a place you visit, it is a place you pass through, in the best sense of the term. Between Oussouye and Cap Skirring, a short track leaves the tarmac, crosses the rice paddies and stops at the edge of a bolong (tidal creek). There, a pirogue is waiting for you, and within a quarter of an hour the beach resort is forgotten: mangrove trees, calm water, birds, and Egueye Island at the end. Our advice: do not try to “do” Diakène; use it as a gateway.

At a glance

Resident or visitor: the same gateway, two uses

Live in Senegal? Diakène is the answer to the question “what else is there to do in Cap Skirring?” The Diakène bolong can be done in half a day, without organising an expedition: a short transfer, a kayak or pirogue trip, and you are back for lunch or for sunset. On activities booked through QFS, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off.

Just passing through? The risk is staying on the sand all week and thinking you have seen Casamance. The bolongs are the region’s true signature, and Diakène is one of the simplest ways in from Cap Skirring. If you have a night to spare, give it to Egueye Island, on the other side of the water: the mangroves when you wake up are worth all the sunloungers in the world.

Two villages, one name, one stretch of water

The first thing to know is that there is not one Diakène, but two. Diakène Ouolof and Diakène Diola are two neighbouring villages in Oukout commune, in Loudia Ouolof arrondissement. They do not belong to Diembéring commune, the one Cap Skirring is in, even though it is mostly from Cap Skirring that people come here.

For visitors, Diakène Ouolof is the one that matters: it is from its stretch of bolong bank that the pirogues leave for Egueye Island. Diakène Diola, its neighbour, shares the same landscape and the same economy: rice, small-scale fishing, market gardening and mangrove produce.

What makes Diakène is its position. The village sits right on the edge between two worlds. Behind it, the tarmac road and Cap Skirring airport; in front of it, the bolong, the arm of the sea that branches out between the mangrove trees. No road goes any further towards the islands: from here on, it is all on the water.

A landscape being replanted. Kayak trips from Diakène are often combined with mangrove replanting. The mangroves of Lower Casamance suffer from drought and salt, and the riverside villages replant them to protect the fish, the oysters and the rice paddies that depend on them. If you are offered a propagule to plant, say yes.

Key facts & figures

Getting there & official fees

From Cap Skirring or Oussouye. Diakène lies between the two, on the tarmac road linking Oussouye to Cap Skirring. A short track branches off the road and leads to the village, then to the edge of the bolong. From Cap Skirring, allow about half an hour; from Oussouye, a little less. The track is passable in the dry season; during the rainy season (hivernage), it can turn muddy. The simplest option is to book the transfer with the outing.

From Dakar. The flight to Cap Skirring drops you closest; the one to Ziguinchor, or the night boat to Ziguinchor, means adding the road through Oussouye, an hour to an hour and a half’s drive in all from Ziguinchor.

Official fees. No additional official fees: there is no entry charge for the village or the bolong. You only pay for the pirogue or kayak trip and, if you stay overnight, your stay on the island.

What to see

• The Diakène bolong. The stretch of water that borders the village, calm and framed by mangrove trees. Ideal for a first kayak trip.
• The mangroves and their birds. Waterbirds frequent the banks, which are best read by paddle rather than by engine, and better early in the morning than at midday.
• The rice paddies and palm grove. On the way to the bolong and around Egueye, the landscape of diked rice paddies and palm trees tells the story of Diola farming, which still shapes the year. The palm tree gives oil and palm wine.
• Egueye Island. On the other side of the water, a small mangrove island where you can spend the day or the night. See our Egueye Island page.

Nearby

Egueye Island is the natural destination from Diakène; further into the bolongs, Ourong Island. On the land side, Oussouye, heart of the Diola kingdom, the potters of Édioungou, departure point for pirogues to Éloubaline Island, and the two-storey houses of Mlomp. On the ocean side, Cap Skirring, the village of Boucotte and, at the end of the bolongs, Pointe Saint-Georges. Towards the river mouth, Carabane Island. For the bigger picture, our Casamance page.

The right time

During the day, the rule is simple: set off early. The low morning light on the mangrove trees, the smooth water and the active birds make for the best trips. The tide matters as much as the time: some passages can only be crossed at high tide, and it is the tide that sets the departure time.

Practical tips

• Cash: withdraw money in Cap Skirring, Oussouye or Ziguinchor, in small notes; there is no cash machine in the village.
• On the water: a life jacket for everyone, children included; hat, sun cream and water, as the mangroves offer no shade in the middle of the bolong.
• Clothing and photos: modest clothing in the village; ask before photographing a person or a house.
• Sacred places: as everywhere in Diola country, sacred groves and shrines are reserved for initiates; do not approach them unless invited, and do not photograph them.
• Mangroves: do not break branches and leave no rubbish behind.
• Safety: the tourist areas of Lower Casamance can be visited normally; check your country’s official travel advice and travel by day.

Book an activity here with QFS

To enter the mangroves from Diakène, head out with an independent local professional: paddle, kayak & canoe outings on the bolong, all the way to Egueye Island for the fittest, pirogue trips, island excursions to string together several islands in the bolong, birdwatching or the traditional sites & villages of Diola country. To get here, see the airport / Cap Skirring – Ziguinchor transfers.

The price shown is the price of the service. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day, to the professional. There are no additional official fees in Diakène. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing).

Frequently asked questions