Horse riding in the Sine-Saloum is an hour or two in the saddle in the delta, among mangroves, bolongs, rice paddies and empty beaches. An instructor leads the ride, equipment is included, and the price is per person.

Two lengths, one region

Two options exist: a guided one-hour ride, and a two-hour ride. Both are accompanied by an instructor, and the equipment is provided. An hour suits a first approach to riding in the delta; two hours leave time to go further along the paths.

The routes run among mangroves, bolongs (tidal creeks) and wide stretches of sand. You pass rice paddies, empty beaches and the tans, those long sandbanks made for galloping, while migratory birds fly over the route. The delta is a bird sanctuary, and is also home to warthogs, monkeys and sometimes dolphins in the bolongs. The ride passes through Serer and Fulani villages, where you can chat with local people. Some rides include a swim with the horses or a bolong crossing by pirogue.

Senegalese guides know the local traditions and the wildlife of the region. Bring closed shoes, a hat and sun protection.

If you live in Dakar or on the Petite Côte, it is a nature escape of a few hours, away from the beaches. If you are visiting, it is a way to see the delta other than from a pirogue.

The Sine-Saloum, between land and sea

The Saloum delta is about 150 km south of Dakar. A UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1980 and a Ramsar site, formed by the confluence of the Sine and the Saloum, it covers more than 180,000 hectares: bolongs, mangroves, baobab forests, islands and villages on stilts. The Sine-Saloum belongs to the Fatick region. The page on the Sine-Saloum Delta describes its landscapes.

Around the ride

In the region, the Fathala reserve is a safari outing, Mar Lodj and Simal are islands and villages to visit, and island excursions complete the discovery. A pirogue trip and birdwatching give other views of the delta, and other horse and camel rides are available on the coast.