Saint-Louis

Saint-Louis, set on a narrow island where the Senegal River meets the Atlantic in the country's north, is one of West Africa's most atmospheric towns and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once the elegant capital of the entire French West African empire, it retains a wistful, faded grandeur, its grid of crumbling pastel colonial buildings, wrought-iron balconies and a landmark metal bridge evoking a bygone era. Horse-drawn carts still clatter through the streets, colourful fishing pirogues crowd the nearby Guet Ndar quarter, and each spring a renowned jazz festival fills the town.

What you actually see

• The colonial island - the faded pastel grandeur and balconies.
• The Faidherbe Bridge - the landmark iron bridge to the mainland.
• The fishing quarter - the pirogues and life of Guet Ndar.
• The jazz festival - the celebrated annual music event.

When to go

November to May, the cooler, drier season, for the most comfortable weather; the Saint-Louis Jazz Festival, usually in May, is the cultural highlight, filling the town with music and visitors. The nearby Djoudj bird sanctuary and Langue de Barbarie are best in the northern winter.

Honest expectations

Much of Saint-Louis's colonial architecture is genuinely crumbling and faded rather than restored, which is precisely its melancholy charm for some and a sign of neglect for others; it is a poorer, workaday town beyond the picturesque core. The heat can be intense. As an atmospheric, historic and culturally rich town, gateway to great birdlife and home to a famous jazz festival, though, it richly rewards a visit.

Nearby

The Djoudj bird sanctuary and the Langue de Barbarie are nearby.