• Current situation
• Historical situation

South of Saint-Louis Town, "la Langue de Barbarie" is a long sandy area, about 100m width between Atlantique Ocean and Senegal River that makes a lagoon at the rivermouth. You can kitesurf on both sides : ocean or lagoon.

The main wind (Trade Winds) is from North-North-East offshore in the morning, and often turns from North-North-West onshore in the afternoon, and regular from november to june 15-20 knots. The Harmatan wind may blow about 30 knots from East (desert) during january-february, gusty and dusty.

Otherwise during summer, july-october, the wind is from West, warm and wet, about 10-15 knots. Else there are storms... to avoid !

The waves are ocean side !

Attention : total autonomy needed, on the ocean you'll be alone !

Depending the swell, there are always waves 1m-3m to 4m-5m that are on the right side with the Trade Winds. In the shore break the North-South courant is strong and against upwind, so you better go behind the waves

Filou March 2007

DIAPORAMA Ocean at Saint-Louis

Flat water in the lagoon

The old Senegal rivermooth that is now sandy makes a lagoon about 1km wide and 10km long. Cette lagune est un spot idéal pour la sécurité en kitesurf. The wind is stable when it's North-South oriented. When it turns, it becomes gusty because of the trees and dunes on the riversides !

DIAPORAMA fleuve Sénégal

They are several lodgings, and for nature lovers camping Zebrabar offers a very nice place in the Parc Naturel de la Langue de Barbarie, 20km far south from St-Louis town near Gandiol village, with lagoon or ocean kitesurfing. Ask Ursula and Martin (phone : +221 339620019 ; cell : +221 776381862 ; email : zebrabar@hotmail.com).
Also at Gandiol, hotel Teranga (phone +221 33962553, cell +221 776360209, email reservation@gandiole-teranga.com).

Going south toward Potou, Lodge Océan et Savane is on the lagoon side with all size bungalows, a panoramic restaurant and a swimming pool... Dame le piroguier will drive you accross the lagoon to la langue de Barbarie, for kitesurfing sessions on the ocean !

ATTENTION la Langue de Barbarie is disappearing because of the very violent marine erosion since the end of 2012, the following information should be checked from day to day.

We can note an evolution of the landscape; in October 2003 a breach of a few tens of meters was opened in the Langue de Barbarie to facilitate the flow of the river during floods, about 5 kilometers south of Saint-Louis, 1 kilometer south of the < a href="http://articles.php?lng=en&pg=47">Hydrobase; this breach, now several kilometers wide, has become the new mouth of the river, the old river lacking flow, slowly disappearing and forming a sort of lagoon ...

decembre 15th 2012 : the swell has been strong since October and the waves have cut the island of the Langue de Barbarie in half, about in front of Gandiol (a little north), so there is now a second opening of about 1000m wide at this level, it evolves very quickly (with the solstice of winter, 140m disappeared these last 3 days)! The Campement Ocean et Savane is threatened, the breach is now about 400m north of the camp ...
 

Reportage entendu sur RFI le 18 février 2013 :

Sénégal : brèche à Saint-Louis

(02:25)

Reportage de Maud Roubeaud pour Coup de Pouce pour la Planète 21/11/2015

Le campement Océan et Savane is now under the water (mars 2013). The following paragraphe has become an archive.

Located on the Langue de Barbarie, almost opposite Gandiol, the Océan and Savane camp offers a pleasant welcome and an easy access both to the sea and the ocean; It can be reached by taking the canoe to Gandiol south of Saint-Louis (follow the signs to the Zebrabar to the pier: there is the free boat of the camp at fixed times - inquire before arriving - or the pirogues paid by neighboring fishermen). Contact Jérôme at +221 776374790.

In the same area, in front of Gandiol sealight, there is Campement Le Faro with a nice guy "Jai" that manages also hotel-resto "le Siki" at St-Louis Town, it's a good plan.