Things to do in Dakar
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Café de Rome
You want to mingle with Dakar's jet set? This is the place. So pretentious it borders on hilarious.
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Marché des HLM
The fabulous Marché des HLM is the best place to buy African fabrics. Hundreds of rolls of wax-dyed bazin (dyed fabrics beaten to a shine with wooden clubs), vibrant prints, embroidered cloth, lace and silk lend colour to the ramshackle stalls and dusty streets of this popular quartier. You can get matching shoes, bags and jewellery at the same place, and even have your new ensemble sewn here.
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Héliopolis
The Piscine Olympique (869 0606; Tour de l'Œuf) in Point E has excellent fitness facilities. In town, Héliopolis is brilliantly equipped with state-of-the art machines and weights, and offers a range of classes from aerobics to yoga. Otherwise, try the large hotels. Many of them have gymnasiums that nonguests can use for a fee.
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La Palmeraie
This place is usually buzzing - but that's got to be due to the central location. It can't be the food, which is ordinary, nor the setting, which is gloomy. The service? Disgruntled. Still, for a quick bite in the centre of town it's a reasonable option.
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Casino Terrou-Bi
Right on the sea, this chic garden restaurant serves highly recommended French cuisine. It's a favourite with Dakar's monied classes, and the perfect place to sip cocktails near the pool before blowing the holiday budget in the adjacent casino.
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Lagon I
In this expensive restaurant the nautical theme is consistently pursued, from cruise-ship décor and cabin-style toilets to the terrace suspended on stilts in the ocean and scrumptious platters of seafood.
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Jardin Thaïlandais
There's no better Thai, perhaps no better Asian food altogether, in the whole of Senegal than that served at this pretty place in Point E. Prices are a bit steep, but every bite is worth it.
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Ali Baba Snack Bar
Dakar's classic fast-food haunt keeps turning thanks to the undying love of the Senegalese. Serves the whole fast-food range: kebabs, shwarmas and other quick snacks.
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Saveur d'Asie
Hugely popular, this takeaway restaurant makes an enticing promise of serving Senegalese-Asian cuisine. It sells almost the complete works of Youssou N'Dour in its adjacent boutique.
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Café Restaurant de l'Institut
In the cool shade of the Institut Français' mighty fromager tree, this oasis of calm has an excellent range of simple meals, delicious desserts and great coffee.
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Marché Sandaga
In the endless sprawl of street stalls here you can buy about anything, as long as no one steals your purse.
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Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noir (IFAN) Museum
The IFAN Museum is one of the best museums in West Africa. Lively, imaginative displays show masks and traditional dress across the region (including Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Benin and Nigeria) and provide an excellent overview of styles, without bombarding you with more than you can take in.
The museum is a testimony to former President Senghor's interest in promoting African art and culture. You can also see beautiful fabrics and carvings, drums, musical instruments and agricultural tools, though there are no English explanations and, sadly, not much from Senegal itself.
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Maison des Esclaves
This building is one of the last remaining 18th-century slave-trading houses on the island. Built in 1786 and renovated in 1990, it serves as a graphic reminder of that cruel commerce. There is, however, considerable debate as to the building's historical significance.
Although it's probable the dungeon was used to hold slaves, it's unlikely that this building or indeed any other on the island was used to ship considerable numbers of slaves. Still, a visit here is an evocative way to bring to life the horrors of that era.
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Soumbédioune
Northwest of the centre, and well worth the trip, is the fishing beach and market of Soumbédioune, originally a village but now a suburb engulfed by the city. It's best in the late afternoon when the fishing boats are returning with their catch.
This is also a major centre of pirogue (canoe) building, and behind the fish market you'll see carpenters turning planks and tree trunks into large ocean-going canoes. The Village Artisanal nearby is full of craft stalls and large groups of tourists.
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Layen Mausoleum
There's a fantastically wide beach near the fishing village of Yoff. The stretch of beach closest to the village is quite polluted, with a fish market dominating most of the scene. The traditional Yoff village and its majestic Layen Mausoleum, however, are well worth a visit. The residents there are noted for the strong Islamic culture. Smoking and drinking are not allowed and visitors should be appropriately dressed (meaning long skirts for women, long trousers for men).
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Club Thiossane
World music fans should head for this hot and crowded club in La Médina, north of Marché Sandaga. It's owned by the legendary Youssou N'Dour, and when he's not touring the man himself performs here most Friday and Saturday nights. Club Thiossane can be very hard to find, and seeing as you probably won't be heading there until late it's best to take a taxi - it's pronounced Cho-sahn and all the drivers know it.
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Mosqué de la Divinité
Taking the coastal road northwards, you'll see the stunning Mosqué de la Divinité perched on the coast near Les Mamelles quartier. Les Mamelles Lighthouse, off Rte de la Corniche-Ouest, is just a 25-minute walk or 1km drive north from here, on a small volcanic hill. You get an excellent view across Dakar from the 1864 building; visits are best made during the day and are free of charge.
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Marché Kermel
The covered Marché Kermel, behind Av Sarraut and within walking distance of Marché Sandaga, sells a mixture of foodstuffs and souvenirs. It's mainly worth visiting for the beautiful building that shelters its busy stalls. The original 1860 construction burnt down in 1994, but the 1997 reconstruction has been closely modelled on the building's initial structure and decoration.
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Plage de la Voile d'Or
The Plage de Hann, once one of Dakar's finest strands, is now an environmental catastrophe due to illegal sewage disposal by the adjacent industrial zone. South of here, in the shelter of Pointe de Bel-Air, are the private beaches Plage de la Voile d'Or and the adjacent Plage Monaco (admission around CFA650), where occasional beach concerts take place year-round.
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Secret
On the route towards Les Almadies, the so-called Secret is a favourite surfing spot, while further north, Dakar's finest sand stretches along the coast of N'Gor, where beach access costs around CFA500, and Yoff. Strong currents make Yoff's beaches largely unsuitable for swimming, but most beach lovers head there anyway, or to Île de Gorée .
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Salon Michèle Ka
In Point E, the Salon Michèle Ka is not only the funkiest hairdressing salon in town, but also one of the most original art galleries. The whole salon, from styling tables to wall displays, is decorated with urban sous-verre motifs à la car rapide. It's an absolute must-see - you don't need to get a new hairstyle to visit.
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Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor
Dakar's main arena for traditional wrestling is in Médina, near the large Stade Iba Mar Diop. Fights of big-name wrestlers are national sports events, held in Dakar's main stadium, Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Yoff. The entire population of Senegal eagerly awaits the results of the traditional star match held on 1 January.
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Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor
For dance courses, try the Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor. Its bleak façade doesn't do justice to the creative bustle going on inside. In Point E, the Atelier de Danse Keur Jaaraf (574 4056; Rue 1XD) is an inspiring little dance company that runs courses for adults and children, covering most major styles of dance.
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Plage de l'Anse Bernard
Beaches within easy reach of the city centre include the private Plage Lagon II, near Hôtel Lagon II, and Plage de l'Anse Bernard near Hôtel Le Savana. Those along the Rte de la Corniche-Ouest are popular with local joggers, picnic parties and Sai-Sais. Strong currents make them less suitable for swimming.
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Cathedral
The cathedral is a large but fairly unspectacular 1920s building. It's still worth a glimpse, being the main cathedral of the capital city, and the adjacent garden has a leafy children's playground - your kids will no doubt prefer to staying there rather than take a tour of Dakar's impressive colonial buildings.
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