Paddle in Somone takes place on the lagoon, standing on the water, between mangrove and birds, at your own pace. You hire the board and paddle for 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 h 30 or the day, or you set off on a guided 1-hour trip.

Five options on the lagoon

Five options are offered: four equipment hires and one guided trip. The hires come for 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 h 30 or the day: if you can already stand on a board, you pick the duration that suits you and go off exploring at your own pace. The guided 1-hour trip suits those who prefer to set off accompanied the first time, with someone who knows the stretch of water. Equipment is provided in every case: board and paddle.

An official fee applies on the lagoon. The mangrove tax is an official fee, per person, payable on site, on top of the price of the option. The lagoon is classed as a community nature reserve.

If you live in Dakar, this is an idea for a day out on the Petite Côte, peaceful and away from the bustle of the neighbouring resort; if you are visiting, it is a way to see the mangrove from the inside rather than from the bank.

The Somone lagoon, between sea and estuary

Somone is a peaceful village about ten kilometres south of Saly. It is built on the edge of an estuary where the sea and the Somone river meet, and everything revolves around the lagoon, among mangroves and quiet beaches: modest lodgings, family guesthouses, stilt-house guesthouses and restaurants set right at the water’s edge. The page on the Somone lagoon describes this natural mangrove site, where you will come across birds. You are a few kilometres from Saly, on the Petite Côte.

Around Somone

To extend your trip, nothing is more natural than to stay on the lagoon with birdwatching or a pirogue trip. Further along the coast, the Bandia Reserve and the Popenguine Reserve round out the day.