Guided excursions in Saint-Louis come in six options: the city by horse-drawn carriage, Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, the Langue de Barbarie with the Guembeul reserve, the Langue de Barbarie by pirogue, the Lompoul desert or a discovery of Podor. An English and French-speaking guide with fifteen years’ experience goes with you.

Six outings from Saint-Louis

Several excursions are offered, from an hour and a half to several days depending on the option:

• The city by horse-drawn carriage, to travel the island and its streets;
• Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, a major birdwatching site;
• The Langue de Barbarie and the Guembeul reserve, between ocean, river and reserve;
• The Langue de Barbarie by pirogue, to see it from the water;
• The Lompoul desert, with its ochre dunes;
• A discovery of Podor, further upstream on the river.

The guide speaks English and French, with fifteen years’ experience. Entry to the parks and reserves is an official fee: it is payable on site, on top of the price, depending on the visitor’s status, and entry is free for children under ten.

If you live in Saint-Louis or are passing through, the “city by carriage” option is the easiest to fit into a weekend stay, while the more distant outings need more time. If you are visiting, you choose according to your time and your appetite for nature or heritage.

Saint-Louis, between river and ocean

Saint-Louis is a former colonial capital at the mouth of the Senegal River, facing the Atlantic, and its island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is organised around the island of Ndar, the Langue de Barbarie on the ocean side and Sor on the mainland bank. The Saint-Louis region is best read along the river, as far as Podor.

The sites on the programme

The Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, the Langue de Barbarie National Park, the Guembeul reserve, the Lompoul desert and Podor are the stops mentioned. To extend your time, pirogue trips, birdwatching and guided cultural visits complete a stay in the region.