Sine-Saloum Delta

Where the Saloum and Sine rivers meet the Atlantic, they break into a UNESCO-listed delta of mangrove channels, sandbanks and low islands - some of them built up over centuries from discarded shells, with villages and even burial mounds standing on the accumulated middens. Pirogues are the transport and the pleasure: gliding between mangrove walls at dawn as pelicans, flamingos and terns work the shallows, past oyster racks and fishing camps. Birdlife is the delta's headline, especially in the northern winter when European migrants arrive in numbers, and the pace of the whole region is slow in the best way.

History

People have lived among these channels for a very long time: the delta holds 218 shell mounds, and finds from some 28 burial grounds have shed light on the history of its human settlement. In 2011 a 145,811-hectare part of the delta - more than 200 islands and islets of brackish channels, mangrove, sea and dry forest - was listed as a World Heritage Site; the Saloum Delta National Park covers 76,000 hectares of it (Wikipedia, Saloum Delta).

The landscape

• Pirogue trips - the mangrove channels at dawn and dusk.
• Shell islands - villages and mounds built on centuries of shell middens.
• Bird colonies - pelicans, flamingos and terns on the sandbanks.
• Oyster harvesting - the women's cooperatives working the mangrove roots.

When to go

The dry season from November to May is the comfortable window and coincides with peak migratory birdlife. The rainy months from July bring humidity, mosquitoes and difficult tracks. Early mornings on the water are the best hours in any season.

Things to know

Boat trips are priced per pirogue and negotiated - agree the route, duration and price before departing. Facilities range from simple campements to a few comfortable lodges; expect basic amenities in most. Malaria risk is real. Tides govern which channels are passable, so guides set the timing rather than you.

Nearby

Toubacouta, the Gambian border to the south and Joal-Fadiouth's shell island.

Key facts