15 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Senegal - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Senegal

Rufisque, Senegal

Lake Retba

This deceptively salty lake looks like blushing pink lemonade.

House of Slaves

Despite a fraught and controversial history this African island holds a powerful monument to the tragedy of the slave trade.

The Great Green Wall of Africa

Over 4,700 miles of trees being planted to hold back the desert.

African Renaissance Monument

This giant statue is the product of a mixture of corruption, Stalinist architecture, and North Korean manpower.

IFAN Museum of African Arts

Dakar is home to one of the oldest African art institutions in West Africa.

Fadiouth Shell Island

An island made out of shells, including a cemetery.

Ndieulé Mbam, Senegal

Langue de Barbarie

A tree seems to grow from the ocean floor on this strange strip of sand slowly being overtaken by the sea.

Gorée Island

This tiny, tranquil Senegalese island serves as a powerful symbol of the Atlantic slave trade.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Senegal

Bantyii Dibiterie

A smoky doorway in Dakar leads to one of the city’s great communal eating experiences.

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Stories About Senegal

An aerial view of a newly built <em>tolou keur</em> garden in Boki Diawe, within the Great Green Wall area, in Matam region, Senegal.

Why Are Farmers in Senegal Creating Gardens That Look Like Crop Circles?

A new project emphasizes practical designs that may stave off desertification.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

Once upon a time there was a cemetery here, in Tangier, Virginia.

From Indonesia to Ingonish, Some Bones Won't Stay Buried

As seas and storms erode coastlines, cemeteries are giving up their dead.

by Jennifer S. Holland

October 28, 2019

Baye Fall women cook the touffé chicken to be gifted to fellow Muslims at the Grand Mosque.

The Muslims Who Don't Fast During Ramadan

Members of Baye Fall eat, cook, and deliver food in grand processions.

by Katie Jane Fernelius

The Gambia River at Janjanbureh, in the eastern part of the country.

The True Origin of The Gambia's Bizarre Borders

According to an apocryphal story, British ships defined the country by shooting cannonballs off the sides of their ships.

by Sarah Laskow

January 20, 2017

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