Saint-Louis and the North — heritage and river birdlife

The historic island

Former capital of French West Africa, Saint-Louis has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000. On its island set between the two arms of the Senegal River, linked to the mainland by the Faidherbe Bridge, wrought-iron balconies and double-galleried façades tell three centuries of history. The town lives to the rhythm of the river, of the fishermen's quarter of Guet Ndar — one of Africa's most densely populated — and, every May, of the Saint-Louis International Jazz Festival, the continent's premier jazz gathering since 1992.

A bird paradise

An hour north, Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary — World Heritage since 1981 — is one of the planet's great migratory stopovers: white pelicans in their thousands, purple herons, spoonbills and cormorants gather here, especially in the dry season. Visits are by pirogue, gliding past the nesting colonies.

The Langue de Barbarie

Between river and ocean, this slender sand spit — a national park and Ramsar wetland — also illustrates the fragility of the coastline: the breach opened in 2003 to protect Saint-Louis from flooding has widened from a few metres to several hundred, permanently reshaping the local geography. Terns and pelicans abound, between fishing villages and wild beaches.