Things to see and do Fouta-Toro

Classified as a historical monument, the fort of Bakel was built between 1818 and 1819 to protect itself from resistance to colonization. From 1960, it housed the city's prefecture for several decades, but as the fort was almost falling into ruin, the prefecture moved in 2012. Since then renovation plans have been announced, but there is still no sign of any work... However, one can still enjoy the view from the terrace, overlooking the loop of the Senegal River with a Mauritanian village on the opposite bank.

This colonial house, remarkably well restored, where the hostel of Tekrour is located, also houses a small exhibition on the history of Podor: its golden age, its decline and the history of the families of traders who made it fortune through the gum arabian. You will also find a nice tribute to Oumar Ly, who died in 2016, with his black and white photos dating back to the 1960 s, for sale. Tours in the city, hiking from Podor and a tour of the island of Morphil are also offered.

This is where the boat Bou El Mogdad arrives and departs, cruising the Senegal River and where the inhabitants walk around in the cool of the evening. On this quay, colonial buildings built in the 19th century can be seen. Some are abandoned, others are restored, all testify to the splendour of a bygone era, that of the gum arabic of Ferlo which made the fortune of Podor until the 1980s. Used in pharmacy as a galenic ingredient, this gum was used in the composition of sodas, wines (stabilizers), paints..

A smell of the past floats in this old counter as soon as you enter it. On the shelves are pressure lamps, carpenters' planes, 1950s bottles, shoemaker's tools, a Selmer trumpet, coffee grinders and a box of Mother Poulard's cookies. All these objects from another time were generously donated by the inhabitants of Podor to revive this trading post, created by Gaspard Devés in 1860. Then taken over by the Peyrissac galleries, it was later managed by one of the employees, Maodo Diop, who later transformed it into a hardware store. It is under the impetus of the association Podor Rive gauche, with the collaboration of Maodo Diop's family and other partners, that this eco-museum was created on the quays. Mamadou Diop, Maodo's eldest son, opens the doors of his family home to you, a place that has so much to tell...

Ibrahima is an experienced guide, very friendly, who knows his region well. After a guided visit to the Podor fort, he will be able to take you to the villages of the island in Morphil and their banco mosques in Sudanese style. Guédé, Donaye, Mboyo or Alwar, each village has its own charm, but the welcome of the people is always the same: warm! Bring plenty of water, it is very hot in the morning, as well as a picnic, if you wish to have lunch on site, by the river.

A Malian dugout canoe, 15 m long, equipped and comfortable, is taken in Saint-Louis to go up the Senegal River, within the framework of a circuit of 8 days, according to its desires. Lunch, toilet on the pirogue and bivouac on the banks for the night. You will discover the kingdom of the Toucouleurs, the Sahelian fauna and flora as well as bush villages. A great opportunity to get off the beaten track and soak up an authentic Senegal. From 2 to 6 people. An excursion proposed by Sahel Découverte in Saint-Louis.

You'll be amazed by the stature and nobility of this building, now decrepit but reminiscent of the splendor of a fallen empire. Baron Jacques-François Roger, first civil governor of Senegal (1822-1827), is said to have built this château for the beautiful eyes of a beautiful Senegalese woman, Yacine Yérim Diaw, whom he later married. The Baron would spend weekends with his wife in this residence reminiscent of the "folies", small ^18th-century châteaux. You can imagine his weekends in this residence, lost in the greenery, built on an island in La Taouey. Baron Roger is associated with the colony's agricultural development policy and its gardener, Richard, who gave his name to the town (Richard Toll means "Richard's fields"). The idea at the time was to compensate for the difficulties caused by the abolition of slavery with pickaxes. Governor Schmalz had launched the movement, negotiating agrarian concessions with the brack (king) of Walo in 1819. Feeling unsupported, the baron returned to France for a time. On his return to Senegal in 1822, he took up the post of governor. The king asked him for help, as the local population feared raids by Mauritanians intent on capturing Senegalese and selling them as slaves. The St. Louisans, who had made their living from hunting and fishing, became farmers, and the technicians who had come for the occasion, all concentrated first on growing potatoes, vines and olives, then, after a dismal failure, on cotton, silkworms and cochineal. In 1824, the Société agricole du Walo was born, acquiring new land and bringing the total to nearly 1,200 ha. Ill, at the end of 1826, the Baron left the colony with a sense of duty accomplished. Richard-Toll was established as the center of the agrarian effort. His successors, Gerbidon, Jebelin and then Brou, reduced production figures and liquidated Baron Roger's enterprise. Faidherbe decided to cede the building to the nuns, who turned it into a church. In 1960, the "folie" became a school, then offices. Today, the old colonial building, listed as a National Historic Monument, seems to long for visitors. Almost nothing of the splendor of the past can be seen, the castle being reduced to its own pale yellow walls. Rehabilitation projects have long been mooted, but in the meantime, the decrepit edifice...

Built in 1744 by France, the first fort served as a store for the storage of goods. It was then in the hands of the English, before being taken over by the French. Abandoned for 66 years after the French Revolution, it fell into ruin. Then the Holy War, led by El-Hadj Oumar Tall, worried. The French came back in force and the old store became this war fort under the supervision of Faidherbe. It is prudent to try to contact the curator, Thiam, before considering a visit, as there is often a closed door. The building was officially inaugurated in March 2006, after some restoration work financed by France. But there is still a lot of work to be done to give it a real facelift. The fort is home to a museum that traces the past and shows some photos by Oumar Ly, a Senegalese photographer who died in February 2016. Unfortunately, the museum is not maintained and it has been almost abandoned for a few years. It is also very difficult to visit the fort except on the day of the stopover at Bou El Mogdad where the curator is present. Climbing up to the attic of the fort gives an idea of the strategic location of this citadel. The view extends to Mauritania and embraces the entire valley of Podor. The atmosphere of the fort, the skirmishers of Governor Louis Faidherbe, the surrounding forest that isolated it, all this is within the reach of the imagination, very close, once inside the walls of the fortress.

On the road to Saint-Louis, you'll see the Compagnie Sucrière Sénégalaise and its chimneys emitting thick white smoke on your left as you enter Richard-Toll. It used to be possible to visit the factory to see the cane being burned, between November and June, but the visit has been suspended for safety reasons. Nevertheless, if you're curious about the techniques and production process, you're sure to meet a local who works there and who can give you all the information you need. It's also a great opportunity to make a new friend!

That of Podor is Remarkable, Sudanese style. Another kilometres is another mosque, that of Guédé, built in a row. The kingdom of Tékrour in the th century was the cradle of black African Islam. A result of important trade with the Saharan countries, she would have inherited the Islam of Mecca. Along the island in Morfil, until Saldé, there are several small mosques in a row, as to confirm that the region is of the utmost importance in the history of the religion of Mohammed. Alwar is particularly important, since El-Hadj Oumar Tall, a native of the village, made his prayers.

75,000 photovoltaic panels cover 40 hectares of arid land. In a region where the sun shines for over 2,000 hours a year, this solar power plant is a godsend for the inhabitants, 60% of whom have no access to electricity. With a capacity of 20 megawatts, it now supplies electricity to around 160,000 people! This large-scale photovoltaic field has since been dethroned as the largest power plant in West Africa by the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed plant in Togo, with 127,344 panels and a capacity of 50 megawatts.