Madeleine Islands National Park

The Îles de la Madeleine lie a few kilometres off the Dakar corniche, two uninhabited basalt islands with cliffs, a sheltered cove and a dwarf baobab forest stunted by salt and wind into trees the height of a person. They were declared a national park in 1976 and are the smallest in the country. The main draw for birders is the breeding colony of red-billed tropicbirds, which is unusual this far south, and the islands are otherwise visited for the cove and the walk.

What you actually see

• The dwarf baobabs - salt-stunted trees no taller than a person, unique to the islands.
• The tropicbird colony - red-billed tropicbirds breeding on the cliffs.
• The cove - a sheltered inlet where boats land and people swim.
• The Dakar skyline - the city seen from the water on the crossing.

When to go

November to May is the dry season and calmest for the crossing. Tropicbirds breed in the first half of the year. The sea can be rough enough to cancel boats at any time.

Honest expectations

The crossing is short but exposed and boats do not run in bad weather. Landing is on rock in a swell and can be awkward. The islands are small and the visit is a couple of hours; there is no shade and no facilities.

Nearby

Soumbedioune beach and market are at the departure point, and central Dakar is behind.