Official Language:
French
Secondary Language:
Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, and Mandinka
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Currency:
CFA (African Financial Community) Franc.
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Population:
Approximately 1.5 million people call Dakar home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Dakar Senegal: The climate is dry from September to May and rainy from June, July to August. Temperatures are in the 80°F/26°C from May to November, and in the 70°F/21°C from December to April.
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Dakar is the capital of Senegal and located on the tip of Western Africa. This is a modern town with a charming colonial center known for its handicrafts, textiles, silver-work and beaches. Senegal is a modern city of 1.5 million people. Home to beautiful contemporary buildings and some historical colonial houses. Cruise passengers will find open-air markets, terrace cafes, delicious cuisine and a great night life. Discover Dakar on foot by taking a walk along the ocean or the busy city streets. Art lovers will find plenty of galleries, artists' studios, museums, and festivals. Senegal is a shopper's paradise and exquisite crafts can be found in markets, and on the streets. This city by the beach offers all water sports as well as golf, tennis, biking, and more.
Once a French overseas territory, the friendly Dakar is a thriving seaport on Cape Verde Peninsula. A city where the skyscrapers are mixed with old colonial buildings, animated street markets, museums and art galleries.
Dakar was founded in 1857 by the French. Dakar gained importance from the completion of the railway linking it with the city of St Louis in 1885 then replacing St Louis as the capital of French West Africa in 1902. A French commune until 1924, after which it became a dependency and in 1946 part of Senegal. Just a 20 minute ferry ride from the Port of Dakar is Goree Island. Once a focal point for the Atlantic slave trade and the original settlement from which Dakar developed in the middle of the last century. Stroll through the streets of Goree and experience the history of this region first hand. Buildings here are 200 years old, including the original Slave House. Visitors will enjoy the Historical Museum, which is housed in an old fort, and the Museum of Marine Life. Allow time for a stop in one of the charming cafes along the beach. Something you wont want to miss while in Goree is the former slave terminus. It was an active hub in the slave trade for 350 years, until slavery was outlawed in Senegal.
The markets are one thing you will want to see when in Dakar. There are many and they all have names. Some of the most popular include: the Kermel, with crafts, food, and flowers; Marche de la Gare, located at the railroad station, offering fabrics, beads, incense, and food from Mali; and the Soumbedouine, combining crafts with a fish market that opens in the evening. The largest market is the Sandaga. Here you will find plenty of fresh food, crafts, spices, clothes, shoes, cosmetics, electronics and much more. There is more to buy than one has time to buy it!
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Attractions |
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Deep-sea fishing:
Senegal offers some of the world's best sport fishing September through November. Blue Marlin, Swordfish, Sailfish, Barracuda and countless other species are found in abundance. Well-equipped Fishing Centers are located in Dakar, Saly, the Saloum Islands and the Casamance.
Hunting:
Pursue Africa's most exotic game, including lions, warthogs, antelopes, various small game animals and game birds on designated areas. Hunting season is from December to April.
Goree Island:
The really only "must see" in Dakar. A 25 min. ferry from the Dakar harbour. Approximately 10 million slaves were shipped to 'the new world' from there, most of them to Brazil, the Caribbean and some to the US. It is suggested that you hire a guide to avoid being hasseled.
The Slave House:
In Goree Island, an exhibition center made from a slave mansion. Offers moving displays of slave artifacts, and the old fortress looms over all, offering an idea of what it might have felt like waiting there to be shipped away.
Other museums on the island of Goree that are worth looking at: the African Art Museum, the Museum of the Sea, and the Musee de la Femme Henriette Bathily, or the museum of Senegalese women.
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More Information |
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Useful Links About Senegal:
Senegal Travel Information
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