7 Things to Do in M’Bour, Senegal

M’Bour is located on the Petite Côte just south of Dakar in Africa. It offers authentic Senegalese culture, vibrant fish markets, wide Atlantic beaches, and delicious local cuisine. This M’Bour travel guide covers the best things to do, top attractions, cultural highlights, and essential travel tips to help you plan your visit. Here’s everything you need to know.

The trip to our hotel was long, but during the ride, we had a culture shock. We passed many villages that were built with rocks, branches, or even without a roof. We also noticed cows along the road that were eating plastic bags due to no plants. Wherever you drove, the banks beside the roads were filled with plastic bottles and plastic bags. Such a shame for such a beautiful country.

Where to stay in M’Bour, Senegal?

We stayed in one place and discovered Senegal from thereon. The Royal Horizon Baobab Hotel has 2 swimming pools, which were both excellent with a view on the ocean. There weren’t many guests in the hotel in our first week. The second week, it was sometimes hard to find a chair to put your towel on due to the frnech holiday period.

Top Things to do in M’bour

1) Slave Island

When you are in Senegal, you must visit the Slave Island on Gorée Island near Dakar. The island has a population of 1600 people. The small island has pastel-colored houses with narrow streets where no car can fit in.

House of slaves

The island has been a notorious trading post for the transatlantic slave trade. The house of slaves was a notorious slave-trading spot. It is turned into a memorial to remember the brutality of the slave trade. The house shows the horrible cells where people were put in.

2) Dakar

You can visit the Royal Palace in Dakar but you can also visit a local market in Dakar. Even though Dakar is a city, it still resembles a poor city. Once you are out of Dakar, it’s a barren wasteland for kilometers. Until you reach M’Bour.

3) Dakar Rally

This is a must-do when you’re in Dakar. We took a jeep and went on to drive the final part of the old Dakar Rally. Nowadays, the Dakar Rally is held elsewhere due to some terrorist attacks in the past. This is a shame because locals were gaining income from this event. Now, they must survive on other means. The Dakar Rally was held across the white beaches of Senegal.

When driving, you’ll be able to see a pink lake (number 4) and a local village. We stopped in the village, and they showed us their ways.

4) Lake Retba (Lac Rose)

Lake Retba can be compared to the Black Sea. You’ll float! Locals are mining salt from this lake daily. The salt miners are covered in butter to protect their skin from the salt.

The lake gets a pink color due to the dry season. So it’s not that pink in the wet season. Our guide told us that the lake hadn’t had a pink color for the last 3 years. But the color was coming back because there was a drought.

5) M’bour Town

We did a day tour to visit the local villages in M’Bour. You visit many villages in M’Bour, and all the kids will be waving and yelling for presents. Our guide told us not to give toys to the kids because the older kids will take them from them. Give them sugar, candles, things that can be used to feed them instead.

Tip: Only photograph children. People believe their aura will be taken if they are photographed. Photographing children is ok.

The trees you’ll see in Senegal are Baobab trees. Special trees that can survive with almost no water. There is also a Baobab tree that is supposed to be the largest in Senegal. It lies in Samba Dia.

6) M’Bour Harbour

You also want to see the fisherman returning ashore after fishing the whole day. When we arrived, the smell was so bad! Rotten fish! Around the harbor are fields filled with dried fish. When you dry your fish for 4 weeks in the sun, it could still be eaten 10 years later.

I did see some horrible things at the harbor. I saw a fisherman with a bag of shark fins. Just terrible. When I said the Dutch word “illegaal“, which means illegal in English, they were suddenly watching their backs for the police. They know they aren’t allowed to sell shark fins, but they don’t care. I also saw some giant spiders in the harbor. Mind your head!

7) Lagune de Somone

There are many mangroves in Senegal. We were able to do one in M’Bour and one not that far from our hotel: Lagune de Somone. You can spot many birds, crabs, oysters, and fish, and sometimes jackal footprints.

Fun Fact: The Mangrove next to our hotel had a Baobab tree that was dead. The locals put up shells on the tree and make a wish.

8) Bandia Reserve

The Bandia Reserve in Senegal houses many wild animals. You can spot giraffes, ostriches, zebras, buffalo, and the black rhino! Read my tips in my Bandia Reserve Safari Guide.

What to pack for Senegal?

Make sure to bring these top 5 items on your trip to Senegal:

• Snorkel set: for seeing all the fish and coral in the sea
• Camera: to take amazing photos of your trip!
• Sunscreen: don’t get sunburned when visiting Egyptian temples!
• Microfiber towel: compact towel to take everywhere with you & that dries quickly!
• Malaria pills & mosquito repellent: There is a high risk of malaria throughout Senegal. Prevention through malaria tablets and strict mosquito repellent measures (DEET, mosquito nets) are essential. The risk is highest during and after the rainy season (June-December).

Use my ultimate packing list to have everything in your luggage for your trip.

Transportation in Senegal

Most travelers fly into Blaise Diagne International Airport, which is 50 km from Dakar. Dakar is the largest city in Senegal and one of the largest in West Africa. We flew with Brussels Airlines from Brussels to Dakar in about 8 hours.

Tip: Booking early is often the cheapest option. Check now for a cheap ticket.

Popular transport to travel within Senegal includes minibuses, buses, taxis, and private drivers. We used a mix of private drivers and taxis.