Toubab Dialaw

Toubab Dialaw sits on low cliffs above a small beach an hour south of Dakar, and it has drawn artists, musicians and writers since the 1970s, largely around the Sobo Badé centre built by the Haitian architect Gérard Chenet in hand-shaped concrete, mosaic and stone that grows out of the cliff. The village behind is fishing and farming; the front is guesthouses, workshops and a performance space. It is the closest thing Senegal has to a bohemian coastal village.

History

A legend told by local guides says that El Hadj Omar Tall, founder of the Toucouleur Empire, came to the village and made a spring of fresh water rise on the beach (Wikipedia, Toubab Dialaw).

What you'll find

• Sobo Bade - the hand-built cliff complex of concrete, mosaic and terraces.
• The beach - a small sheltered strand below the cliffs with pirogues drawn up.
• The workshops - artists and craftspeople working in the village.
• The performance space - open-air venue used for music and dance.

When to go

November to May is the dry season. Weekends bring people down from Dakar. The performance programme is irregular and worth asking about locally.

Before you go

The beach is small and gets crowded at weekends. Accommodation is guesthouse level and varies widely. The village's reputation runs ahead of its size; it is a quiet place with a few good buildings, not a scene.

Nearby

Popenguine is south along the coast, and Dakar is an hour north.

Key facts