Palmarin: Nature and culture in the protected area

When looking for a hotel in Palmarin, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on during your trip: the landscapes of the Réserve Naturelle Communautaire de Palmarin, an activity in the protected area, or cultural topics. These interests offer different ways to explore Palmarin and its nature reserve.

Landscapes and exploration in the protected area

The Réserve Naturelle Communautaire de Palmarin includes the Atlantic coast, intercoastal channels, mangroves and areas with low salt concentrations. You can explore the dry part of the protected area by horse-drawn carriage. Along the way, you can see granaries built on stilts, shell mounds and salt wells.

The flora and fauna of this dry area differ markedly from those of the mangroves, and include numerous baobab and acacia trees. The carriage ride focuses on this particular area, while the reserve as a whole encompasses several types of landscape. This allows you to distinguish a specific excursion from a broader perspective on the protected area.

Sangomar Kayak offers kayaking excursions in the Réserve de Palmarin protected area. This is a different type of activity from the horse-drawn carriage ride: the carriage excursion focuses on the dry area, while the kayaking excursion takes place in the protected area. If you would like to include one of these activities in your trip, check availability with the provider directly in advance.

Cultural activities in Palmarin

Cultural activities in the Réserve Naturelle Communautaire de Palmarin include traditional wrestling, traditional dance and Khoy. Alongside nature and landscapes, cultural activities are another distinct focus to choose from. If a particular activity is important to your trip, check in advance when it takes place.

Fatick in the regional context

In the wider Fatick travel destination, the shell mounds and burial mounds of the Saloum Delta are distinctive and exceptional cultural landscapes. This adds a regional perspective on cultural and natural themes to the local perspective on Palmarin.

Kër Bamboung, an ecotourism camp, is located within the Bamboung Marine Protected Area. The area’s ecotourism potential also includes an environmental education centre. In the wider Fatick travel destination, Dioroom Boumack is a burial mound within the Bamboung Marine Protected Area.

More than 37 species of waterbirds have been recorded in the Sangomar Marine Protected Area. Its flagship species include the African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii) and the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). In the wider Fatick travel destination, these flagship species belong to the Sangomar Marine Protected Area, where more than 37 waterbird species have been recorded, while fish, oysters, dolphins and African manatees are among the marine and coastal resources of the Gandoule Marine Protected Area.

Fatick’s cultural context also includes the Xooy: the traditional Serer ceremony is inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Discover more destinations: Tambacounda, Kafountine, Ndiongo, Ouoran, Saint-Louis, M'bour, Ziguinchor, Dakar.

For the broader travel overview: Senegal.