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City and commune in Saint-Louis Region, Senegal
Photo: Ingvar from world66 - uploaded Botev, CC BY-SA 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Saint-Louis is a city and a world heritage site on the Grande Cote in Northern Senegal, at the mouth of Senegal River which serves as the border with Mauritania. With some 254,000 inhabitants (2023), it's the country's eighth largest city.
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This museum has displays about the colonial airmail service that played a role in the development of Saint-Louis as well as an exhibit about the pilot Jean Mermoz.
Grande Mosquée de Saint-Louis
A beautiful but rather low-key mosque that features a colonial-style architecture. The two minarets features both a clock and a ringing bell.
The oldest functioning church in West Africa, this Roman Catholic church was opened in 1828. Perhaps surprisingly, Saint-Louis didn't have a real church before this, despite almost two centuries of European presence here. It's the seat of the Diocese of Saint-Louis du Sénégal.
As boats were insufficient to handle traffic between Saint-Louis island and the mainland, a bridge opened in 1865 and named after the colonial administrator Louis Faidherbe. With the introduction of rail traffic across the bridge, it too became insufficient and the current bigger one was opened in 1897, but it inherited the name of the older bridge. There's a myth that the bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel – it's not, though his company indeed came second in the bidding process.
Walk to Guet Ndar, the fishing village that is located on the Langue de Barberie and watch the fisherman bring in their catch. If you're lucky, you might get a great deal on seafood. Dozens of trucks wait to buy up the fish (for as little as 500 CFA a crate) and transport them into the interior as far as Kaolack, Tambacounda and Mali. Local people carry the fish in baskets on their neck and on their heads. Women can be found smoking and drying fish next to the beach in vast cauldrons. Nearby very colorful pirogues are always under construction. It is possible to see nearly every stage from the first carvings to the final painting. If you walk into the residential district of Guet Ndar, you will see thousands of people trying to live their lives squeezed in a tiny area. The scene is very colorful and lively, but when you walk along the beach you will see the effects of overcrowding in the squalid sanitary conditions and insufficient trash disposal. There is a decent-sized market in Guet Ndar, somewhat smaller than the larger Sor market two bridges away.
Plage de Sal Sal to the north of the city is pristine and deserted, so much that you might not encounter anyone else here. The beach stretches across the border to Mauritania, so you should be careful not to go too far north. There's a chance you will see police officers on your way here, tell them that you are going to the beach.
This is where the city meets the Atlantic. You can see the colorful fishing boats here, but this beach unfortunately also doubles as a kind of landfill. Therefore, it's not a place for beach activities like tanning or swimming.
The long Plage Hydrobase stretching along the Langue de Barbarie Peninsula is the proper beach of Saint-Louis, popular with locals, tourists and cattle. A number of the city's hotels are also along or near this beach. However, also on Plage Hydrobase you will find plastic and other waste in the sand.
The local tourist office.
French cultural centre. Here you will find a café, library and often times there are concerts, films and art exhibitions. Pick up the monthly program brochure at the center, one of the hotels around Saint-Louis or the Syndicat d’Initiative.
This annual event generally occurs in late May for about a week. The 2025 edition of this internationally renowned event attracted over 30 jazz musicians, and visitors from around the world. It is the most important jazz festival in Africa. The events of the festival take place all over town. Dates and programs can be found online.
This festival is held each year between Christmas and New Years and is a night parade of lanterns, lit from within by candlelight that resemble carnival floats and are accompanied by songs and drums. This historic procession is unique to Saint-Louis and was initiated by the signares, who in colonial times were the colonists’ prestigious wives.
This is a great neighborhood bar and restaurant where you can sit out back in the large garden and order warthog brochettes from the grill as well as Senegalese dishes. They also have some of the cheapest and coldest beer in Saint-Louis. It's off the Rue De La Corniche, down the street from the Pharmacy Malang Lyss.
Known as the original patisserie of Saint-Louis, they serve pastries, omelets, pizza, desserts (try the chocolate ice cream or a piece of cake) and hot drinks. They also have Wi-Fi if you need to get online. Prices for the pastries start at 400 CFA. It's off the Rue Blanchot & Quai Roume.
This small restaurant with quick service on Avenue Malick Gaye offers hamburgers, chawarmas, sandwiches, fatayas, pizzas and rotisserie chicken dishes. They also offer a Senegalese plate of the day. Prices range from 300 CFA for more of a snack to 6,500 CFA for a whole rotisserie chicken served with fries, in a tasty onion sauce along with a basket of bread, absolutely delicious!
This small restaurant doesn’t look like much when passing by, but a stop here guarantees a delicious pizza with prices starting at 2500 CFA. If you’re not in the mood for pizza try a hamburger. Chat with the friendly owner who hails from Lebanon.
Stop in this restaurant for a great plate of Yassa Poulet or your choice of many other Senegalese dishes, the prices start at 1500 CFA. The brochettes are also an appetizing option. Smaller dishes start at 1000 CFA and fish and meat dishes start at 2500 CFA.
This restaurant and bar with Wi-Fi has a nice selection of drinks which range in price from 1,000 CFA for a beer to 4,000 CFA for some of the house cocktails. The menu features French dishes, starting at 3000 CFA, and a small selection of desserts with the menu changing weekly. You can dine outdoors on the inviting patio or sit inside in the lounge. It's on the rue Blaise Diage.
When this historic ship docs here every other weekend on the Saint Louis River you can either have dinner, starting at 3000 CFA or just go for a drink and listen to live jazz music on Saturday night. Check with the agency Sahel Decouverte to confirm when the boat will be docked.
Satisfy your craving for beef with one of the best steaks in Saint-Louis at La Résidence Hotel, with prices starting at 3200 CFA. Also check out the menu of the day which is a little pricier, the cost, 8000 CFA but you will get a starter, entrée and dessert.
Sindone
It's out on a dock right on the river at the Hotel Sindone. It serves some of the best food in Saint-Louis and a great steak. It is expensive: meals run 4000-6000 CFA.
It's right on the river, it’s a great place to grab a bite to eat or a drink and you can swim in the pool for 4000 CFA, they have the only pool on the island that is not inside a hotel. The food is a little pricey, with entrees starting at 4000 CFA but a swim in the pool could be worth it.
A popular night club in Saint-Louis, come here to dance until the wee hours of the morning.
Try some of the creative house made cocktails or just go for a cold beer and listen to live music, also stop in during the day for a bite to eat.
This small hostel situated right off the Route De Hydrobase, offers the chance to stay in huts that back right up to the ocean or in the small rooms and studios in the main part of the hostel. The rooms are small yet comfortable and the owner a great host and a pleasure to talk to. There is a bar and restaurant at the top of the main building of the hostel that has a beautiful panoramic view of both the ocean and the river. Stay here and you will be sure to come away feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
As of late January 2026 this information is not correct. The hotel is in a state of disrepair and there is no rooftop bar or restaurant. The building is primarily a family home and they seem somewhat surprised that guests turn up there, even with a reservation.
This small hotel with 20 comfortable rooms sits between the river and the beach and is a great option for those with smaller budgets that want to stay on the Route de Hydrobase. The hotel also has meeting facilities, pool, and a nice bar and restaurant. Breakfast is also included with the price of the room. Hotel has A/C, fans, generator, hot water, electricity and no mosquito nets. Reception speaks French and English.
This small hotel with friendly staff is situated along the Route de Hydrobase and also right on the beach of the Langue de Barbarie Peninsula, set in a garden of 2½ acres the hotel offers basic rooms and lovely bungalows along the ocean. Hotel has A/C, fans, generator, hot water, electricity, and no mosquito nets. Reception speaks French and English.
This tranquil seaside oasis sits right on the beach and features a spa and pool. The hotel even offers child care for those parents who just need a break from the kids. Once the kids are in child care go horseback riding for 5,000 CFA or even take part in the various water sports that are offered by the hotel. Also a sure bet is the restaurant which serves up delicious seafood and other offerings. It's on the Route de Hydrobase. Hotel does not have A/C or fans, has a generator, hot water, electricity, mosquito nets. Reception speaks French and English. Hotel has fans, A/C, a generator, hot water, electricity, mosquito nets. Reception speaks French, English, Spanish and Italian.
On the north end of the island off the Quai Giraud, Sunu Keur is right on the Senegal River. Eight of the rooms offer views of the Senegal River, with balconies and there is a lovely patio in the center of the hotel with tables and chairs at which you can sit after a long day of exploring and enjoy mint tea, hibiscus punch or a drink served from the bar.
In a great location, opposite the Palais de Justice and close to the governance and an easy walk to the restaurants and bars in the area, this hotel is sure to make you feel right at home. The rooms are decorated simply but are clean and comfortable. There is also a bar that opens up into the street as well as a patisserie that serves delicious pastries and tasty coffee.
The classic hotel of Saint-Louis. This is where pilots flying mail from South America and Africa spent their nights during stop-overs. Jean Mermoz, the most famous French aviator in the inter-war period spent his last night here before disappearing over the Atlantic in 1936. All rooms have air conditioning and free WiFi. The onsite restaurant offers great views over the mouth of Senegal river.
On the south end of the Island on the Quai Henri Jay right along the river, which many of the rooms face, this hotel retains its colonial architecture and also has a restaurant situated right on the river so bring your appetite because their restaurant serves a delicious steak. Hotel does not have A/C or fans, has a generator, hot water, electricity, mosquito nets. Reception speaks French and English. WiFi is available.
By car
If you have your own car, from Dakar take Route N2 all the way to Saint-Louis. It is approximately 260 km from Dakar and should take 4-6 hours depending on traffic.
By bus
The easiest way to get to Saint-Louis from Dakar is in a sept-place, which is a seven-passenger station wagon. They leave from the main station in Dakar (also called Pompier).
By taxi
You should be able to get a personal taxi from Dakar airport to St. Louis or Mouit for around CFA 60,000 depending on the condition of the taxi and negotiation skills. (4 people maximum.)
By bike or scooter
To see more of Saint-Louis, why not rent a scooter or a bicycle, this is a great way to cover more ground and to explore some places that you might not be able to reach on foot.
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