Local history and culture Senegal

This fishing village, next to the point of Almadies, has kept its labyrinthine streets and its authenticity. Here, everyone knows each other, the children play in the street, the women discuss on the doorsteps, the atmosphere is friendly. We advise you to go there with a guide to learn about the history of the village, its sacred baobab tree, its small beaches, the central square where the village chiefs settle everyday business, the fishing cooperatives that share the profits in the community... a life of family mutual aid to be discovered!

They can be discovered by dugout canoe or seen from the bridge that leads to the cemetery. From a distance, they look like the round huts of a typical African village. At the time when the village's huts were made of wood, these granaries were installed outside the island, on the edge of the mangrove, to protect the crops from possible fires, rats and pigs. Today, the buildings are made of concrete, but the granaries are still used by the population to store the crops.

On your way back from Bird Island, why not stop for a picnic at Oudierin, on the beautiful beach in the village of a woman marabout, which is extremely rare in the country. One hut, then two were built around her lair, then a mosque. His fame is acquired in the area. She worked mostly telepathically, and it is said that even the governor travelled to consult her. Today, tired with age, she has gone to rest in her native village. It is her son, Mamadou Diouf, who has replaced her at the head of Oudierin.

If you want to greet the king's wives and the children of the village, pass by the royal house, a lively place where you can have tea and chat with the inhabitants. In Oussouye, the royal house is open to everyone. The royal huts are only accessible to the king's wives, princes and princesses, but you will meet in the courtyard old women who have no sons left in the village and who live here, under the king's benevolence. The king does not live here, but in the Sacred Wood, where the royal palace is located, accessible only to the initiated.

The return of the fishermen every day at the end of the afternoon is a striking and colourful spectacle. Dozens and dozens of colourful pirogues loaded with freshly caught fish land on the beach in a lively effervescence. The fish is unloaded, cleaned, cooked and sold on the spot by the women or loaded into refrigerated trucks by the men to be sold afterwards inside the country, in Europe or even in Asia. Not to be missed!

From Toubacouta, near the village of Bamboung, in the heart of the eponymous reserve, don't miss a trip to the island of Sipo, home to this picturesque little bush village of around a hundred inhabitants, once ruled by a queen like no other, Fatou Mané. Died in April 2022 at the age of almost 100, the Queen of Sipo was a bubbly, funny personality who received visitors from all walks of life with a smile. Legend has it that she was kidnapped by djinns at the age of 5, who transmitted mystical powers to her. Today, her eldest son Insa Touré has been crowned King of Sipo. He is now the guardian of the sacred wood and in charge of the Serer prayer sites on this island, which used to be a stopover for piroguers. Their family history is closely linked to the creation of the village in the early ^20th century, since it was founded by the late queen's grandfather, who was fleeing with others from the Islamization of Guinea. They were later joined by Malians, and later by another ethnic group from northern Senegal. They lived harmoniously by gathering oysters, the shells of which were then burned to produce lime. Today, the village lives from agriculture, fishing and tourism. Don't forget to bring your bathing suit! And don't forget to buy rice, tea or pens for the children to donate to the village and thank them for their welcome.

It is possible to request an audience with the king, if you wish to speak to him about a subject that is close to your heart and that concerns the village, at the royal house. He will meet you in front of the sacred wood around 5 pm. Be very respectful, do not monopolize his time, and do not ask any questions that disturb. Everything that revolves around beliefs, his enthronement and rites is very mystical, "nye nye" in diola, taboo what!