Founded in 1659, St. Louis was the first French settlement in Africa. Today, the town is spread over the Langue de Barbarie peninsula, the island where most of the hotels and historic buildings are located, and the mainland. The island and the mainland are connected by the Pont Faidherbe—a 1,640-ft/500-m bridge originally built by Gustav Eiffel to span the Danube. St. Louis' centuries-old buildings, dating from French colonial times, evoke a lost era. (Unfortunately, the faded grandeur of the island is tainted by a cadre of hustlers and con artists that prey upon tourists. Be vigilant—or better yet, stay at one of the hotels on the mainland or peninsula.)
Just before dusk, go down to the harbor and watch as more than 400 fishing boats return home. It's a stirring sight. If you get up early the next morning, you can watch them all go back out. During the day, visit the market, the local museum and the fishermen's cemetery, which has fishing nets on all of the tombstones.
In modern times, St. Louis is best known for hosting an internationally acclaimed jazz festival. Held every spring, the festival is a great time to be there, but hotels book far in advance, so plan ahead.
About 40 mi/65 km north is Djoudj National Park and only 12 mi/20 km south of town is Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie. Barbarie is home to thousands of birds during the dry season. If you have some extra time in the area, you might also consider an excursion to the villages of Podor and Matam. Although they're not usually included on Senegalese travel itineraries, we enjoyed their slower pace, Fulani culture and surrounding desert make them worth a side trip if you have the time. (The road connecting St. Louis with Podor and Matam is well maintained.) Podor is also the birthplace of the internationally known musician, Baaba Maal. St. Louis is 115 mi/185 km north of Dakar.
