Saint Louis, Senegal is a fantastic historical city on the west coast of Africa, located five hours north of Dakar at the mouth of the Senegal River near the Mauritanian border. The town consists of three parts: the mainland and two barrier islands.
On this photo and map you can see the mainland on the far right, the historical inner island in the center, and the long outer island on the left which has a modern town, a beach, and a fishing industry. The inner island was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000 for its large number of historical buildings and its well-preserved character.
.Saint Louis was founded in 1659 as a French fort and trading center for Europeans trading with local people along the Senegal River, exchanging manufactured goods for gold, gum arabic, hides, and other produce. The town was also a hub for the terrible slave trade, which continued until 1848 when France abolished slavery in its territories.
Africa was taken over by European colonialism in the 1800s, and Senegal became a colony of France with Saint Louis designated as its capital in 1872. The town expanded and grew into a French-style colonial city. It became the capital of French West Africa in 1895.
However, Saint Louis was located on barrier islands facing the open sea and did not have a good harbor. Dakar surpassed Saint Louis commercially and became the capital of the Republic of Senegal when the country became independent in 1960. After that Saint Louis continued as a center of Senegalese culture with an economy based on fishing, trade, and tourism.
The photos follow my trip:
1. From Dakar to the Saint Louis mainland with photos of the market and an abandoned Catholic Church
2. Across the bridge to the historical inner island with pictures of the beautiful old architecture and atmosphere day and night
3. Cross to the Outer Island with a tour of the beach, main street, and fish market
4. Back to the Guest House (Ndar-Ndar Guest House) for a fantastic show of music by a local band.
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