Paddle hire in Saly lets you glide upright on the water along the coast at your own pace, for 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour. The board and paddle are provided, and a first time is no problem: the activity is suitable for beginners, with supervision if needed.

Three durations for stand-up paddling

The idea is simple: you hire a stand-up paddle (SUP) board with its paddle, and you choose the duration. The 15-minute option is for testing your balance, the 30-minute one gives you time to find your bearings and follow the coast a little, and the full hour lets you move away from the shore and enjoy the water.

The short options are the strong point of this hire: you can fit a session in between a swim and lunch, without giving over half a day to the activity. The board and paddle are provided, and each duration is chosen according to the time you have.

If you live in Dakar and come down to the Petite Côte for a weekend, this is an activity that needs no preparation and slips in between two swims. If you are staying in the resort, it is a calm alternative to the beach, to try once and then repeat for longer if you take to it.

Saly, the seaside resort of the Petite Côte

Saly-Portudal plays a central role in the country’s beach tourism. About 80 km south of Dakar, it stretches along the Petite Côte and owes its creation to the 1980s, when the State and the private sector decided to build an international destination there, around a sheltered coast, in place of a former Serer fishing village. Today the resort has more than 10,000 beds spread across club hotels, private residences and villas. The Saly page covers a stay there in detail.

Things to do around Saly

Several sites are worth the detour nearby: the Bandia Reserve, the Somone lagoon, the Popenguine Reserve and Joal-Fadiouth. To stay on the water with more adrenaline, jet skiing is the resort’s other big activity.