Senegal & quad biking: a finish line, then a network of tracks
Quad biking has no tradition here, but it has a famous playground. From its first finish in 1979 until 2007, the Paris–Dakar Rally very often ended on the shores of Lac Rose. The 2008 edition was cancelled the day before the start, and the rally moved to South America from 2009. The dunes remained, the Africa Eco Race still finishes there every winter, and the buggy outing follows the tracks of the old rally.
The second playground is more varied: the hinterland of the Petite Côte. A few minutes from the beaches of Saly, laterite takes over from tarmac, between fields, villages and baobabs. This is where the catalogue is fullest.
The Somone lagoon has been a community nature reserve since 1999; the Popenguine Nature Reserve, created in 1986, protects cliffs and savannah. The outings that pass this way skirt or cross these areas on authorised tracks, never in the mangrove or off-track. In the Sine-Saloum, the quad speeds across the tann (salt flats), the cracked, salty expanses between the bolongs (tidal creeks).
Formats: from a first short ride to a weekend for two
- Taster session and short ride: from 30 minutes to an hour, after a briefing, on the dunes of Lac Rose or the beaches and dunes of Saly. At Lac Rose, the longer formats add a horse, camel or pirogue ride.
- Buggy: at Lac Rose, from 45 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, with a passenger who can take the wheel in turn; in Saly, in a two-seater or a four-seater.
- Two to three-hour ride: the spider baobab between Ngaparou and the Somone (the sacred baobab is added in the 3-hour format), the dunes and beach around the Somone, the tracks and beaches of Nianing, or two hours in the Saloum.
- Half day and full day: about four hours in the bush, towards Nianing or towards the Popenguine Nature Reserve; a half day or a full day from Ndangane, among mangroves, salt flats and villages.
- Hire in Cap Skirring: two hours or a day on your own, or a two-hour guided tour with transport and guide.
- The stay: two days and one night for a couple in the Sine-Saloum Delta, leaving from Dakar, with transport, the night and quad outings included.
Where to go quad biking in Senegal
- Lac Rose: the most spectacular setting, 45 minutes to an hour and a half from Dakar depending on traffic. Free access, no entrance fee; the colour of the lake varies: come for the dunes and take the pink as a bonus. See our Lac Rose page.
- Petite Côte: the heart of the catalogue. Departures from Saly for the taster sessions and the baobabs of Ngaparou, a dunes-and-beach outing at the Somone, the tracks and beaches of Nianing (with pick-up possible in Saly or Pointe Sarène), a half day in the bush as far as Popenguine. See also our Somone lagoon and Popenguine Nature Reserve pages.
- Sine-Saloum: the delta version of quad biking, across the salt flats and around the villages, leaving from Ndangane, or as part of the two-day stay. See our Sine-Saloum Delta page.
- Cap Skirring: the only self-drive hire on offer, on the tracks and beaches of Lower Casamance.
What about Lompoul? In recent years, the zircon mine has spread over part of the historic dunes, and some campements (village guesthouses) have moved further south. Quad biking still exists there, but it cannot be booked on its own: it is included in the day trip and the bivouac leaving from Dakar, listed under adventure & outdoors, and offered as an option, paid on site, on the Saint-Louis & Lompoul tours in guided cultural tours. Read our Lompoul desert page before you go.
When to go
Quad biking is possible all year round; it is the time of day that matters. Under a helmet, the heat builds up fast: book for the morning or late afternoon.
The dry season, from November to May, offers the firmest tracks and the clearest skies. During the rainy season (hivernage), July to October, a downpour can make a track heavy going or push back an outing, especially in the Saloum and Casamance, which get more rain. On the beach, the guide plans the route around the tide.
Good to know & budget
Safety. A helmet is provided on most outings, often with protective gear: never ride without one. Wear closed shoes and clothes that cover you and that you do not mind getting dusty, with sunglasses, a scarf against the sand and sun cream. Listen to the whole briefing and stay in the guide’s tracks: a dune’s side slope is hard to see from the handlebars.
Minimum age: it changes from one listing to the next. 11 or 140 cm for the Lac Rose quad, with no child rate; 15 for the quad on the Saloum stay; 16 for the Lac Rose buggy and the Saly taster, no licence needed; 18 for the Somone outing, where a driving licence or driving experience is recommended. When the listing gives no age, as with the Cap Skirring hire, state each rider’s age and experience when you book.
Price basis: read it before comparing.
| Outing | What the price covers |
|---|
| Quad at Lac Rose | Per person, except the 30-minute and Duo formats, at a flat rate; two people maximum per quad |
| Taster in Saly | Per vehicle: one-person quad, two-seater or four-seater buggy |
| Baobabs, the Somone, Nianing / Popenguine bush, Ndangane | Per quad, same price for one or two people |
| Ride at Nianing | Flat rate for the group, from two people |
| Saloum stay | Flat rate for two people |
| Hire in Cap Skirring | Booked by number of quads |
A price per quad is shared between two; a group flat rate is divided by the number of participants.
The price shown on each listing is the price of the service. You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee). The balance is paid on site, on the day. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate, which varies widely in this category, is shown on each listing). At Lac Rose and on most of the Petite Côte tracks, there are no additional official fees. On the other hand, the Popenguine Nature Reserve entrance charge, for the route that goes through it, and the village or protected-area tax on the Saloum stay are official fees, payable on site and not included in the price.
Who is it for?
Families with children aged at least 11 will head for Lac Rose, where the quad is open from that age; for teenagers aged 16 and over, the four-seater buggy in Saly lets everyone set off in the same vehicle. Couples have the Saloum stay and all the outings where you share a quad for the same price. Independent riders will go to Cap Skirring.
If you are a resident, think of quad biking as a close-to-home outing: a Saturday morning at Lac Rose from Dakar, back before the traffic jams, or a weekend on the Petite Côte with a half day in the bush. Compare the resident rates from one listing to another: the difference is real. If you are a visitor, do not cross the country for a quad ride: take the one on your route. At Lac Rose if you are in Dakar, the baobabs if you are staying in Saly, the Saloum or Cap Skirring if your trip heads south.
A few years before the first start, Thierry Sabine had got lost on a motorbike in the desert, during an African rally. He came back with one fixed idea: to let others experience that crossing. On 26 December 1978, the first Paris–Dakar set off from the Place du Trocadéro; for almost thirty years, the race would very often finish on the dunes of Lac Rose. Today, on those same dunes, an eleven-year-old with a buckled helmet learns to work the throttle behind their guide. They are not crossing the Sahara, but, in their own way, they are riding the last kilometre.
Frequently asked questions
From what age can you go quad biking in Senegal?
It depends on the outing: 11 or 140 cm for the Lac Rose quad, 15 on the Saloum stay, 16 for the Lac Rose buggy and the Saly taster, 18 for the Somone outing. The minimum age is shown on each listing; if it isn’t, state each rider’s age when you book.
Do you need a licence to ride?
Not for the taster sessions: in Saly as at Lac Rose, no licence is required and a briefing comes before the start. For the longer Somone outing, reserved for over-18s, a driving licence or driving experience is recommended.
Is the price per person or per quad?
Both are used. The Lac Rose quad is generally priced per person, the Saly taster per vehicle, most rides on the Petite Côte and in the Saloum per quad, for one or two people, and the Nianing outing at a group flat rate. Read the wording on each listing before comparing.
Can you go quad biking in Lompoul?
Yes, but not on its own: the quad is included in the day trip and the bivouac leaving from Dakar, and offered as an option, paid on site, on the Saint-Louis & Lompoul tours. In recent years, the zircon mine has spread over part of the historic dunes: the scenery has changed.
Are there entrance fees to pay?
At Lac Rose and on most of the Petite Côte tracks, there are no additional official fees. The Popenguine Nature Reserve entrance charge and the tax on the Saloum stay are paid on site and not included in the price; the listing concerned says so.
