The best guide to 🏄 in Dakar 🌊

Best Places to Stay in Dakar

You need a place close to the surf spots in Dakar. And it must not be a fake place with fake ratings - which was my first experience !

The best place to stay for surfers is Mareme's home

It's exactly between the spots of Ngor and Vivier. You can walk to the beach in 5 minutes.

Surf Spots

Favourite spot

Ngor Right

Ngor Right is a world-class reef break for intermediate to advanced surfers. Known for its flawless rights, it offers powerful and consistent waves. Pay attention to the reef and sea urchins. It can also get very crowded.

Ngor Left

Located on the other side of the island, Ngor Left is a softer spot. However, it requires a stronger swell and is less protected from the wind. The sea urchins are still there...

Ouakam

Located in the heart of the city, Ouakam is a 5-star spot. Protected by magnificent cliffs, the spot requires a significant ocean swell to work, almost exclusively in winter.

Yoff Beach

Yoff Beach, much appreciated by locals and relatively untouched by tourism, is a beach break accessible to all levels, offering several peaks along the shoreline. It works particularly well in light winds with a northwest swell.

Virage

Also a beach break, Virage shares many similarities with Yoff, featuring the same orientation. However, it has fewer peaks, leading to tougher competition in the lineup.

Secret Spot

Located in the heart of the Almadies Riviera, “Secret Spot” is no longer much of a secret. Despite a few sea urchins, access remains relatively easy and even allows parents to keep an eye on their children. The wave is fun yet very short and technical, attracting a crowd: it’s where surfers come to show off and impress one another.

Favourite spot

Vivier

Vivier offers two waves: a left and a right. The first works at low tide, the other at high tide. It requires either a large north swell or a south swell. At entrance and lower tide, beware of the sharp rocks.

Club Med

Located near the now-abandoned Club Med, this third spot in the Almadies is more powerful than Vivier, but also more dangerous and extremely difficult to access. However, it is rarely crowded.

How to Move Around Dakar

From the airport to Dakar

Upon arrival at Blaise Diagne International Airport, it's advisable to use official airport taxis. Be aware that these taxis are often older models and may not meet modern safety standards. The journey to central Dakar typically takes around 40 minutes and costs approximately 25,000 XOF (about 38 euros).

Renting a car

Renting a car at the airport is feasable but expensive. I had too bad experience in Canaries to try at Dakar.

I strongly recommend to contact Eric from Pistard Rent a car. The price is fair, they have great notations on Google and the service is the best you can have.

Taxis

Within the city, hailing a traditional yellow taxi is straightforward. While services like Uber are not available in Dakar, ride-hailing apps such as Heetch and Yango operate in the area. However, their service quality may not match that of Uber in larger cities.

+221 76 875 50 95