Things to do in Casamance
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Pirogue Trips
The standard day trip from Ziguinchor includes a pirogue trip to Affiniam and Djilapao on the northern side of the Casamance River and a trip to Île des Oiseaux. These three places are set in beautiful surrounding. Affiniam has a stunning case à impluvium (the campement villageois), and in Djilapao, you can see some beautiful cases à étages (traditional two-storey mud houses).
Île des Oiseaux is great for bird lovers; with very little effort you can see pelicans, flamingos, kingfishers, storks and sunbirds as well as many more species.Many hotels offer trips to these destinations including Le Flamboyant, the Hôtel Kadiandoumagne and the Relais de Santhiaba. Prices…
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Ferme de Djibelor
Heading 5km west out of town, you can walk through the vast greenness of the Ferme de Djibelor, which has a large, tropical fruit and flower garden to enjoy (and from which to purchase fresh produce).
It also has a rather bizarre crocodile farm at the back, where you can get close to Nile crocs in all ages and sizes - from tiny babies to 'granddads', though knowing that they're kept to be one day slaughtered for their meat and skin spoils the fun a little (the crocodile products from the farm can be exported legally, as they're not taken from wild animals).
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Rue du Commerce
Any day around town should also take you along Rue du Commerce, which runs parallel to the river - not only for the stunning view, but for the impressive sight of dozens of pirogue makers and painters, fishermen and women cleaning mussels. The best place to see them at work is the stretch of coast between the Hôtel Kadiandoumagne and the restaurant Le Erobon.
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Post Office Building
Central Ziguinchor, with its colourful colonial buildings and wide streets overlooked by mighty trees, is well worth exploring for an afternoon. Interesting buildings include the central post office on Rue du Général de Gaulle (there are occasional open days, on which you can visit all those parts of the structure you don't normally get to see).
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Le Rubis
Under new ownership, this place had turned itself into Ziguinchor's most fashionable dance floor when we visited, with salsa on Fridays and a global punch of hip-hop, R&B, mbalax (a mixture of Cuban beats and traditional sabar drumming) and plenty more on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
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Centre Sportif Aubert
If a lack of pedal power means you're not getting your legs moving enough, try the Centre Sportif Aubert, opposite of the hotel of the same name, where you can work out on the latest fitness equipment, use the pool or participate in a range of courses from aerobics to weight workouts.
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Bicycle Touring
Bicycle Touring Ziguinchor is in theory a great base for bicycle excursions, though you'll probably need to bring your own two wheels; all the previously existing bike hire facilities have closed due to the difficult maintenance of bikes forced daily along Ziguinchor's sandy roads.
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Wrestling
During the dry season (November to May), you stand a good chance of seeing wrestling matches at the wrestling arena (really just a dusty field), east of Av Lycée Guignabo. They're usually held on late Sunday afternoons.
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Le Bombolong Nightclub
Another busy club downtown - its dance floor seems to follow the same Ziguinchor rules as Le Rubis - 'grown-ups' sway to salsa on Fridays, while Saturday is younger and hipper, with heavier bass and faster rhythms.
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L'Abondance
This is really a dibiterie (grilled-meat place) rather than a bar, but as any dibiterie worth its meat, it's also the terminus, the final stop after a night out dancing.
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bookshop
Shopping The Best Bookshop In Town Is On The Northern End Of Rue Javelier, With A Good Selection Of Titles On Senegal And Casamance (Mostly In French), As Well As Some English-Language Magazines.
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Markets
Close to action, the Marché Artisanal and the Marché Saint-Maur, both on Av Lycée Guignabo, tempt with woodcarvings, fabrics and, more ordinarily, fresh fruit and vegetables.
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Le Erobon
This humble outdoor eatery is highly recommended. You can come here any time of day for grilled fish, carefully spiced and served with a sea view. The ambience is wonderfully relaxed.
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Bar Malila
It's tiny, and if it weren't for the smart bar chairs and red-blue lighting, it would easily be confused with any other drinking spot. It gets going around 02:00.
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Le Kassa
This is the most inviting of the local-style places - a spacious restaurant-cum-bar with a fairly wide menu and frequent live shows on weekends.
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Le Mansah
It looks so shady you'd be forgiven if you were too shy to enter. But the food, including prawns grilled on a skewer with hot sauce, is tasty.
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Le Palmier
It's not the most attractive address, but this cheapie near the port serves good Senegalese, Guinean and Casamance specialities.
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Marché Escale
Self-caterers can buy all the fresh fruit and vegetables they can carry on Marché Escale, right in the heart of town.
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Walkunda Bar & Salon de Thé
This pretty place near the Rond-Point Jean-Paul II serves drinks at very reasonable rates, as well as filling meals.
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Salon de Thé Chez Fifi
A great place to sip a cup of milky coffee watching the bustle of Ziguinchor's most animated street.
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Dances
The youth centre CDEPS near Rue de France is frequently hired for public dance soirees on weekends.
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superette
There is a small superette, as well as a good patisserie opposite the restaurant Le Mansah.
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patisserie
There is a small superette as well as a good patisserie opposite the restaurant Le Mansah.
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Le Tamarinier
Good Senegalese meals and standard international cuisine (think chicken and chips).
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cathedral
The stunning cathedral is the undoubted architectureal highlight of Ziguinchor.
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