Plage de Virage is a popular spot with surfers. This small beach gets packed on weekends with a mostly local crowd, though a few foreigners pass by, sometimes before or after a flight as it's fairly close to the airport (located 1.5km south).
©Dereje/Shutterstock
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.95 MILES
For a quick escape from the frenetic streets of Dakar, head to peaceful Île de N'Gor, a tiny island just off Dakar's north shore. It has a few calm…
7.53 MILES
The is one of Senegal's best museums. Exhibitions delve into African art and culture with over 9000 objects on display. Lively displays of masks and…
9.11 MILES
Set in a former grand home allegedly used as a departure point for slaves, this is one of the most important monuments to the slave trade and features the…
2.52 MILES
Allegedly Africa's highest statue, the African Renaissance Monument was unveiled in 2010 to commemorate Senegal's 50 years of independence from France. At…
2.46 MILES
A photogenic 1864 lighthouse graces the top of one of Dakar's few hills. It's worth making leisurely 20-minute walk, with sweeping views across the city…
0.97 MILES
Plage de N'gor is a small beach popular with families and football-playing youths, and there are a few snack spots with tables on the sands. It's not a…
3 MILES
An arts tour around Dakar is simply not complete without a visit to this famous art complex, where some of Senegal's most promising and established…
8.86 MILES
Gives a glimpse of island (and regional) history dating back to the 5th century. Exhibitions cover cultural lore, megalithic sites, key figures in the…
Nearby Dakar attractions
0.95 MILES
For a quick escape from the frenetic streets of Dakar, head to peaceful Île de N'Gor, a tiny island just off Dakar's north shore. It has a few calm…
0.97 MILES
Plage de N'gor is a small beach popular with families and football-playing youths, and there are a few snack spots with tables on the sands. It's not a…
1.61 MILES
In Yoff village, take a look at the Layen Mausoleum, a shrine to the founder of the Layen Muslim brotherhood. Residents of Yoff are noted for their strong…
2.46 MILES
A photogenic 1864 lighthouse graces the top of one of Dakar's few hills. It's worth making leisurely 20-minute walk, with sweeping views across the city…
5. African Renaissance Monument
2.52 MILES
Allegedly Africa's highest statue, the African Renaissance Monument was unveiled in 2010 to commemorate Senegal's 50 years of independence from France. At…
2.97 MILES
Like all of Dakar's beaches, Yoff's stretch of sand isn't very clean. That doesn't stop beach-goers and surfers who come for the consistent waves. Aside…
3 MILES
An arts tour around Dakar is simply not complete without a visit to this famous art complex, where some of Senegal's most promising and established…
6.53 MILES
The impressive Grande Mosquée, built in 1964, sits in the heart of Médina, a lively neighbourhood where tiny tailor shops fight for space with improvised…