Lac Rose (Lake Rëtba)
Cross the lake in pirogues, take a quad or 4-wheel drive, ride a camel through the dunes. Enjoy an amazing swim in the lake's particularly salty waters (the second saltiest after the Dead Sea).
Some thirty kilometers northeast of Dakar on the Cape Verde peninsula, Lac Rose or Lake Rëtba is one of Senegal's most emblematic sites.
The Terrou-Bi luxury hotel will help you organize your day at Lac Rose.
Lake Retba in Senegal
Imagine before you an immense flat surface of 3 km2, with shades of pink varying according to the light and weather conditions, from fuchsia pink to crimson red. The spectacle is absolutely superb.
The pink hues, often ochre, are explained by the presence of a micro-organism that develops a red pigment to resist the very high concentration of salt. Thus, in periods of rain and weaker sunlight, when salt levels are lower, the pink colour is more subdued.
Over 5 kilometers long and 800 meters wide, the Lac Rose unfolds in majestic splendor. Separated from the ocean by a dune belt of countless filaos, the lake's waters boast the second-highest salinity level in the world.
Very shallow, the lake has been exploited by local salt producers since the 1970s. The men set out on their flatboats to find salt accumulated through evaporation, harvest it by hand and load it aboard their boats. As soon as they reach the shores of the lake, the women fill basins which they then take to a collection point. The effects of the sun take effect, and the salt dries within a few days. To protect their skin from the effects of the salt, they all smear themselves with shea butter.
Depending on the weather, between 80 and 300 grams of salt can be extracted per liter of water. This makes it a very important local activity.
Activities at the Lac Rose near Dakar
Experience a swim in the Lac Rose. Because of its extremely salty water, no diving! You'll just float - a strange sensation, with a slightly syrupy feel due to the high temperature.
For others, excursions aboard a pirogue allow you to discover the immensity of the lake from different vantage points and to get a closer, undisturbed look at the work of salt extraction by artisanal salt workers.
On request, the Hotel Terrou-Bi provides assistance in organizing this type of activity.
On the land side, explore the dunes on camelback. The views are magnificent and change with the passing hours.
With a fragile ecosystem under pressure from saline activity, the Lac Rose's environment must be respected by all in order to preserve this marvel of astonishing, ever-changing colours that delights young and old alike.
Lac Rose beach near Dakar
Just a few minutes from the Lac Rose, the Lac Rose beach unfurls with its clear waters and fine white sand, set against a backdrop of traditional filaos. Although accessible, the beach is unsupervised, and its powerful currents require the utmost caution on the part of swimmers. So when in doubt, enjoy the superb scenery, the tranquility of the site and the warm sand.