Oussouye: Nature, Cultural Heritage and Ecotourism

Protected Areas and Coastline

Basse Casamance National Park covers 5,000 hectares and is a protected area in the Department of Oussouye. Secondary forest, Guinean savanna and mangroves shape its landscape. The Ufoyaal Kassa Bandial Marine Protected Area is on a different scale: it covers 125,000 hectares and extends across the departments of Oussouye and Ziguinchor. Its area is therefore 25 times that of the national park. The marine protected area is intended to promote tourism and ecotourism value chains. Together, the two protected areas offer different perspectives on nature and landscape, from the vegetation types of the national park to the extensive marine protected area.

Coastal tourism in the Department of Oussouye also includes the beaches of Cap Skirring. They offer another point of interest alongside the protected areas and cultural heritage. Cap Skirring International Airport is also located in the Department of Oussouye.

Cultural Heritage and Local Traditions

Karabane is designated as a historic centre in the Department of Oussouye. The multi-storey earthen houses of Mlomp are listed in the section for the Department of Oussouye in the national list of historic monuments. The Eglise de Carabane is part of the department’s cultural heritage; Diembéring is described as an open-air museum. These places represent different cultural points of interest: a historic centre, distinctive houses, ecclesiastical heritage and an open-air museum.

The Humeubeul, the festival of the King of Oussouye, lasted 18 days in total in its official 2025 edition. Of these, 15 days were devoted to prayers in the sacred forest. The cultural programme included the Ekonkone, a war dance, as well as traditional wrestling matches for boys and girls. The king’s reception of visitors in the Bois sacré is also among the cultural experiences associated with Oussouye.

Ecotourism and Trip Planning

Ecotourism routes in the Department of Oussouye are designed to explore local wildlife and plant life and to explain the fragile balance between people and the environment. The routes in the commune of Oussouye combine a land section with a water section. One route from Oussouye via Edioungou to Kalém élal Island includes sections travelled on foot, as well as a mountain bike and a pirogue. This route therefore combines several modes of transport in a single itinerary.

In Oussouye, community guides, village camps and small tourist facilities are developing alternatives to conventional tours. Tourism in Mlomp is also associated with community-based approaches. In Katakalouss in the Department of Oussouye, there are oyster-farming sites run by women. These local activities add insights into community-based initiatives and oyster farming to the nature and cultural offerings.

Architecture in the Wider Ziguinchor Destination

Within the wider Ziguinchor destination, the Kingdom of Bandial is a distinct architectural point of interest. It is located in the Ziguinchor region, Ziguinchor Department. The ring-shaped house with a central impluvium originated there, an architectural form described as entirely unique in Africa. The rooms were arranged in a ring beneath a double-pitched roof around a small central courtyard. The funnel-shaped interior of the roof let in light and collected rainwater. An earthen basin collected the water; a buried palm-trunk drain carried it outside. The roof shape thus served both to admit light and to channel rainwater.

Discover more destinations: Oussouye, Bignona.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Ziguinchor.