Madeleine Islands: the park you visit to take nothing away

At the Madeleine Islands (Îles de la Madeleine), you will not come to take anything away: no fish, no shells, no wreck dive, no big thrill. This small volcanic archipelago, four kilometres off the Corniche, has been a national park since 1976, and its rules leave little room for improvisation. That is exactly what makes the visit so precious: a short crossing away from the bustle of Dakar, you walk on an island where seabirds have right of way, among baobabs kept dwarf by the wind. Here is how to approach the Madeleine Islands as a guest, and really make the most of them.

At a glance

Resident or visitor: two ways to miss the Madeleine

If you live in Dakar, you have probably looked at it a hundred times from the Corniche, the Mamelles or a terrace in Ouakam, without ever setting foot on it. It is the ultimate on-your-doorstep getaway: no road, no overnight stay, a departure from town. The classic resident’s mistake is to go on a summer Sunday, at the same time as everyone else, with a cool box and a fishing rod. The cool box is fine, the rod is not: fishing is banned throughout the park. Pick a weekday morning, and you will have the island almost to yourself.

If you are passing through, the Madeleine is a rare breathing space in a Dakar stay often overloaded with traffic and sightseeing. But do not treat it as just a boat trip: it is not a developed beach, and there is no shade, no snack bar and no phone signal. Set aside half a day, bring good shoes and water, and bear in mind that the programme depends on the sea, not on your schedule. If you only have one slot, put it at the start of your stay: if the swell forces a postponement, you will get a second chance.

A national park the size of a garden

The first thing that strikes you is the size. Madeleine Islands National Park is regularly described as one of the smallest national parks in the world. Published figures vary widely depending on whether they count only the land above water or also the strip of sea around it, but the order of magnitude is clear: a few dozen hectares, sea included. You can take it all in at a glance from the top of the plateau.

The archipelago is volcanic in origin, like Gorée and Ngor. The main island, Sarpan, is a basalt plateau edged with dark cliffs, with a natural cove where pirogues can land. A few hundred metres away, the Lougne islets, smaller and steeper, are closed to visitors: they serve above all as a refuge for birds. The site was made a national park by a decree of 16 January 1976. In 2005, Senegal added it to its UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List as a mixed property, both natural and cultural: a candidacy, not a listing.

The name Sarpan itself tells a disputed story. According to some, it comes from a colonial-era officer who was sent here as a punishment and left behind a building that was never finished; according to others, it is a corruption of “Snake Island”, even though snakes keep a very low profile here. On the plateau, the remains of walls feed these stories, and Dakar folklore readily adds its spirits. The file submitted to UNESCO also notes that the island retains a spiritual dimension for part of the Lebou community. Take these stories for what they are: part of the place’s intangible heritage, which also explains the respect the fishermen show it.

The real treasure, though, is alive. The constant wind and the poor volcanic soil have shaped some astonishing vegetation: baobabs that stay dwarf, twisted, sometimes lying flat, and shrubs that creep rather than grow. And above them, the birds. The red-billed tropicbird, a large white bird with a long, thread-like tail, nests in the crevices of the cliffs; it is the bird ornithologists come for first and foremost. The great cormorant has a large colony here, the bridled tern breeds here, and sea turtles frequent the park’s waters.

Key facts & figures

Getting there & official fees

Everything starts from Soumbédioune Bay, on the Corniche Ouest, where the fishing pirogues line up on the sand opposite the crafts village. That is where crossings to the park are organised: a short pirogue trip, life jacket compulsory, to the cove on Sarpan. Departures are during the day, between 09:00 and 17:00, and only if sea conditions allow. In a heavy swell there is no crossing, and there is no point insisting.

The park’s rules, laid down by order, are unambiguous. Landing on the islands and mooring a boat require prior authorisation; sailing at night is banned; fishing, hunting, capturing animals and carrying fishing gear are prohibited; and Article 5 bans “all marine and underwater activities”, including spearfishing with or without tanks. In practice: no fishing, no diving, no snorkelling at the Madeleine Islands, whether from the island or from a boat. Pets are also banned, and nothing may be thrown into the sea.

On site, the visit is made with a park guide, and time on the island is limited to a few hours: you do not settle in for the day. The park entry fee is set by law; along with the crossing and the guide, it is paid on site, in cash, and is not included in the price. There is no card machine on the beach: bring change.

What to see

The landing cove. You arrive in a small sheltered inlet with clear water, edged with black rocks. It is the first visual shock: the basalt, the seaweed, the sea urchins in the hollows of the rock. Watch where you put your feet.

The plateau and its dwarf baobabs. A short climb leads to the top of Sarpan. There, among grasses and shrubs, stand the dwarf baobabs, the park’s emblem. They have none of the majesty of their cousins on the Petite Côte: these are squat, contorted trunks, sculpted by decades of wind. Cormorants sometimes perch in them.

The bird cliffs. From the edge of the plateau, at a safe distance, watch the seabirds’ ballet along the cliffs. You will spot the red-billed tropicbird by its long white tail and its fast flight just above the water. Binoculars make all the difference.

The view of Dakar. This is the Madeleine’s paradox: you are in a national park, and you can see the whole peninsula, from the Mamelles to the Plateau. Few capitals offer this kind of face-to-face.

The ruins on the plateau. A few sections of wall, without signs, which the guide places within the stories told about the island.

Nearby

The Madeleine pairs naturally with the Corniche Ouest. On your way back, Soumbédioune Bay and its fish market come alive as the pirogues return. Heading north, you will find the Mosque of the Divinity in Ouakam, the Mamelles Lighthouse and the African Renaissance Monument, two viewpoints from which you can see the archipelago, then the Pointe des Almadies and Ngor, with Ngor Island, the peninsula’s other volcanic island. To the south-east, the Plateau leads to the ferry landing for Gorée Island and to the Museum of Black Civilisations. To plan it all, see our Dakar page and our ideal three-day itinerary in Dakar.

The right time

The Madeleine can be visited all year round, but it is the sea that sets the calendar, not the season. Aim for the morning: you will get soft light on the basalt and heat that is still bearable on a plateau with no shade. Avoid weekends and the summer holidays, when the island draws plenty of Dakar residents: on a weekday, the experience is completely different. For sunset, there is no point waiting on the island, where nobody stays at the end of the day: instead, watch the archipelago stand out against the sky from the Corniche Ouest or the Mamelles in the late afternoon.

Practical tips

Closed shoes, really. The basalt is sharp and there are plenty of sea urchins in the cove: flip-flops are a bad idea.

Water, hat, sunscreen. There is no shade on the plateau and nothing to buy on site. Bring something to drink and snack on, and take all your rubbish back with you.

No signal. Phone reception is poor or non-existent: let your family and friends know before you leave.

Birds first. Keep your distance from the cliffs and nests, do not try to get close to a tropicbird for a photo, and speak quietly near the colonies. No fires, under any circumstances: the dry vegetation catches fire quickly and the birds nest on the ground or in the rock.

Leave the mask and snorkel at home. The rules ban all marine and underwater activities: for diving, look instead at the sites around Ngor.

Life jackets, no arguments. They are compulsory during the crossing, children included. With young children, the climb to the plateau calls for a firm hand.

Respect the place. The island matters to part of the Lebou community: go as a discreet visitor, not a noisy one.

Book an activity here with QFS

The catalogue does not currently offer a listing dedicated to visiting the park, which remains supervised by the National Parks Department. To discover Dakar’s islands, browse the island excursions, which go to Gorée and Ngor, and the pirogue trips. If it is the birds that draw you, the birdwatching section takes you to the country’s major ornithological sites. On the sea side, boat trips (sunset, islands & sport fishing) follow the Dakar coastline, and diving & snorkelling take place around Dakar, outside the park.

For any activity booked on QFS, you pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day. Official fees, such as entry to Madeleine Islands National Park, are payable on site and not included in the price. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off depending on the activity (the exact rate is shown on each listing).

Frequently asked questions