Quad and buggy for beginners in Somone takes place around the lagoon, on sandy tracks between beach, bush, mangrove and villages. The quad, helmet and instructor are provided, the activity is open from age 16 and no licence is required: a supervised first drive, not a race.

A first ride on a quad or buggy

After getting to grips with the vehicle and a safety briefing, the guide takes you along the track into the surrounding countryside. The route starts near the bird reserve, where you may spot pelicans and herons, then crosses fishing villages and areas of light bush. The trails alternate between easy tracks and a few slightly more technical stretches, just enough to learn to handle the machine without difficulty. The route then follows the shoreline to the beach, where a photo stop looks out over the lagoon and its mouth.

The outing lasts half a day: allow about 2 hours 30 to 3 hours depending on the stops and the group. You can choose between a quad and a buggy; the buggies are two-seaters, which suits couples and friends who want to ride together. The quad, the helmet and a local instructor who supervises the whole outing are provided. Bring closed shoes, a scarf, sunglasses and sun cream.

Somone, a village on the lagoon

Somone is a village built at the mouth where the sea meets the river of the same name, about ten kilometres south of Saly. The atmosphere is calmer than in the neighbouring resort: everything revolves around the lagoon, a community nature reserve, with its mangroves, modest places to stay and restaurants set right at the water’s edge. If you live in Dakar, it is an easy outing to slip into a weekend on the coast; if you are visiting, it is a way to see the lagoon from the land before seeing it from the water. Our Somone page presents the village and its activities, and the Somone lagoon page covers the mangrove and the birds.

After the ride

The most natural thing is to stay on site: visit the nature reserve, have lunch at a restaurant on stilts, or relax on the beach. To extend the day in another way, a pirogue ride on the lagoon, bird watching or the Bandia safari all combine well with a half-day of quad biking on the Petite Côte.