Casamance

The Casamance is the region of Senegal south of The Gambia. Centered on the Casamance River, the region is soaked with mangrove forests, speckled with charming villages, and lined with the best beaches in all of Senegal.

Cities

• 1 Ziguinchor — the main town of the region is a cargo port, transport hub and ferry terminal
• 2 Kolda
• 3 Kafountine — a coastal village just north of a national park, good for bird watching and boat trips down the river
• 4 Cap Skirring – a beach resort on the southwest coast

Understand

Casamance is mainly inhabited by the Jola and Bainuk peoples. Significant minority populations include the Balanta, Mande and Fulani. Casamance is religiously diverse, with the inhabitants practicing Islam, Christianity, and traditional African religions.

Though the Jola are the dominant ethnic group in the Casamance, they represent only 4% of the total population of Senegal. The Jola's sense of economic disenfranchisement within greater Senegal contributed to the founding of a separatist movement advocating the independence or autonomous administrative division of the Casamance, the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC), in 1982. In 1990 the Casamance conflict began: a low-level insurgency led by the MFDC against the government of Senegal. The conflict has been characterized by sporadic violence and frequent but unstable ceasefire agreements.

The economy of the Casamance relies largely on rice cultivation and tourism. It also has excellent beaches along its coastline, particularly at Cap Skirring.

Climate

The region is like the rest of Senegal: rainless from November to May, but during the rainy season from June to October.

Get in

There is an overnight ferry from Dakar to Ziguinchor.

Cap Skirring has a small airport with flights from Dakar.

Get around

Sept places and minibuses pretty frequently ply the road between Cap Skirring and Ziguinchor. While it is relatively easy to get to any place between those two towns as a result, expect the return back to be more time-consuming.

See

Beyond the beaches around Cap Skirring, there are tropical forests that can be explored by foot or bike, and 'bolongs' (mangrove waterways) that can be explored by kayak or motorized boat. Several operators exist that can provide equipment to rent and/or guided tours of the region.

There is a fresh water source around Pointe Saintes Georges that attracts manatees. A platform has been constructed to observe them (CFA 2,000 for foreigners if manatees are present). Best time seems to be in the dry season (later December and January) during low tide.

Stay safe

Although the Casamance has been at peace with the Senegalese government since 2004, armed robberies still happen in the Casamance.