Fly from Nice to Dakar

Dakar is at the very end of Senegal, at the very end of continental Africa! But the city is not isolated, far from it! It's easy to leave the capital and explore the rest of the country. Starting with the Petite Côte, a tourist jewel with fine sandy beaches, small fishing villages, the Bandia nature reserve and Lake Retba, a natural wonder, and its modern, comfortable hotels. A paradise on earth that delights many holidaymakers, whether they come as a couple, with friends or as a family.

But before you head off to Saly for a few days lazing on the beach, it's worth visiting the Senegalese capital. A trip that combines culture and relaxation. You can lose yourself in the city's colourful market stalls and enjoy the "terenga", the legendary hospitality of the locals. Relax on beaches that are both spectacular and immense. Visit historic sites to understand a part of African history. You'll be immersed in a warm atmosphere where art, from dance to painting to music, is alive, popular and festive.

• Take a stroll through the streets of the Plateau, the city's oldest and most chic district. This is the area of colonial mansions, the Presidential Palace, the trendy restaurants and cafés of Avenue Pompidou and the corporate headquarters of Place de l'Indépendance.
• Surrender to the beauty of African art by visiting one of its most beautiful temples: the Musée Théodore Monod. Its exhibition rooms house a formidable collection of ancient masks, jewellery, sculptures, etc.
• Walk on a knife’s edge, the one that separates light from shadow on the island of Gorée. Today, it's a peaceful place, with cobbled streets and colourful facades, where you can enjoy a pleasant stroll. But with the Slave House and the Historical Museum, it also played a key role in the barbarous slave trade.
• Discover Senegalese and, more broadly, African artists and craftspeople by visiting the city's many studios and art galleries, including Galerie Arte, Galerie Adam, Galerie Cécile Fakhoury and Village des arts.
• Sunbathe on Yoff beach, surf the waves and try your hand at canoeing. Looking to chill out? Take to the sea (just 400 metres away) to visit the small island of Ngor to enjoy its art galleries, gourmet restaurants, picturesque landscapes and family beaches.
• Go green at the Hann Forest and Zoological Park, a haven of tranquillity on the outskirts of the city. You'll come across lions, crocodiles, zebras, giraffes, monkeys and gazelles, among many other African animals.
• Think big with Dakar's two most spectacular monuments: the Mamelles lighthouse, the most powerful in Africa along with the Cape of Good Hope lighthouse, and the Monument to the African Renaissance, a 52-metre-high metal sculpture. Each occupies one of Dakar's two ‘Mamelles,’ volcanic mounds that dominate the coastline.
• Plunge into the heart of Senegalese life as you stroll through the stalls of Dakar's main markets: first head to HLM for its fabrics, then to Soumbédioune for its handicrafts, don’t miss Silène market for its grigris, Kermel for its spices and finally Sandaga, the great classic of the genre.
• Enjoy Senegalese cuisine, reportably the tastiest in West Africa. Among the specialities to try are thieboudienne, a fish rice, chicken yassa, Bassi salté, a millet couscous with mutton meatballs, etc. As for drinks, try some original juices: bissap juice (infused hibiscus), ginger juice, boule juice (the fruit of the baobab tree), etc.
• Treat yourself to some great excursions south of Dakar, to discover Lake Rose, whose waters are as full of salt as those of the Dead Sea, the Bandia reserve on a safari where you can see giraffes, rhinos, zebras and many other wild animals, or the fishing villages of the Petite Côte.