Kayaking in Saint-Louis, like canoeing and rowing, takes place on the Senegal River, supervised by a local club. There are two 1-hour options, priced per person: canoe or kayak on one side, rowing on the other, with a life jacket provided.

Canoe, kayak or rowing: an hour on the river

Two one-hour sessions are offered: one in a canoe or kayak, the other rowing. In both cases the price is per person, and supervision is provided by a local club. Canoe and kayak are paddled, rowing uses oars: it is a different, more coordinated movement, which appeals to those who want to try a water sport less common on the coast.

The life jacket is provided, which makes the session accessible to anyone who has never paddled or rowed. In Saint-Louis the river is the thread of the town: it surrounds Ndar Island and separates it from the Sor bank, so you glide on a stretch of water that is part of the urban landscape.

If you live in Dakar, Saint-Louis suits a long weekend, and the session on the water is a way to fill a morning. If you are visiting, it is a different way to discover the town, from the river rather than from the bridge or the quays.

Saint-Louis, between river and ocean

Saint-Louis is a former colonial capital, located at the mouth of the Senegal River, facing the Atlantic, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic island and its architecture. The town is organised around three parts: Ndar Island in the middle of the river, the Langue de Barbarie on the ocean side and Sor on the riverbank. This is the Senegal of water and light, read horizontally along the river, which you can follow upstream from the Atlantic to the Fouta. The Saint-Louis region extends the scenery inland.

Around Saint-Louis

The Langue de Barbarie and its national park offer another face of the water, with estuary birds. You can extend your trip with a pirogue trip, with birdwatching, or with a guided cultural visit of the town.