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The page exists, the properties are on their way. In the meantime, here are other options for your stay — and if you own a property in the area, now's the time to list it.
If you are looking for a site in Senegal where you can pitch your own tent, with pitches and a shower block, you won't find it here, and hardly anywhere else. In this country, the word "camping" means something else: a night in a tent that is already set up, with a real bed, in a camp that provides the bedding, meals and transfer from the road.
And this type of accommodation exists on a large scale in only one place: the Lompoul desert, between Dakar and Saint-Louis, the country's only area of shifting dunes. This page explains what the category covers, what sets it apart from similar formats, and how a night under canvas fits into a trip to Senegal.
A tent provided, not a pitch
The tent used is the khaima, inherited from Moorish tradition: canvas stretched over poles, open on one side, ventilated at night, protective against the sun by day. It holds a bed, a rug, a lamp, sometimes more depending on the camp. The khaimas are scattered in the hollows between the dunes, set apart from one another, around a shared area where dinner is served.
This has three practical consequences. You don't need to bring anything to sleep in, other than something warm to cover up. Meals are included, since there is no restaurant for miles around. And wild camping, with your own tent pitched anywhere in the dunes, is not the custom: you sleep in a camp, with its hosts and its rules.
As for comfort, honesty is called for. Often shared bathrooms, no air conditioning, sand everywhere, patchy phone signal. It is the most basic accommodation on the site, and that is exactly what people come for.
Camping, campement, chalet: three words, three products
Senegalese accommodation vocabulary easily trips up travelers, and these three similar terms are the ones most often confused.
Camping, on our site, means a tent provided in the dunes, for one or two nights. A campement (eco-lodge), despite its name, has nothing to do with tents: it is a set of huts made of masonry, wood or banco (mud brick), run by a family or a village, from the Saloum delta to Casamance and as far as eastern Senegal. A chalet, finally, is a lightweight structure set on the sand at Lake Retba (Pink Lake): a middle ground, more sheltered than canvas, for those who want to sleep in the dunes without spending the night in a tent.
If you are unsure, the question to ask yourself is simple: do you want to sleep outdoors, or almost? If so, this is the place. If not, a campement or a chalet will suit you better.
Where to go camping in Senegal
The geography of camping comes down to one site, and the explanation is physical. Everywhere else in Senegal, you can build: huts, lodges, hotels. On a shifting dune, you can't. The sand moves with the wind, no foundation holds, no utilities reach it. Canvas is therefore the only possible shelter, since it can be taken down without leaving a trace.
Camping in Lompoul is in the Louga region, very close to the Atlantic: a small erg of ocher sand of about eighteen square kilometers, with crests reaching forty to fifty meters. The page dedicated to the Lompoul desert details camp life, activities and the issues weighing on the future of the dunes.
In the other regions — Dakar and the Cap-Vert peninsula, the Petite Côte, the Sine Saloum, Casamance, Thiès and inland, eastern Senegal — we do not list any camping. For a night close to nature in those regions, turn to village campements and lodges.
Choosing for your type of stay
On an itinerary heading north, Lompoul is roughly halfway between the capital and Saint-Louis. A night under canvas splits the drive in two and turns a long journey into a stage of the trip: that is how most visitors use it.
For a weekend from Dakar, the dunes are about three hours' drive away, for a complete change of scenery. It is the outing for those who already know the Petite Côte and are looking for something other than the beach.
For a first trip, a night in the dunes is the most out-of-this-world experience in the country for the effort involved. It fits easily into a tour heading up to Saint-Louis.
For diaspora families, a night in a khaima leaves a lasting impression on children. With younger ones, or from March to June, look at camping with a pool, which adds water to the program.
For a work assignment or a long stay, however, camping has no place: it is a one- or two-night format, not a work base.
What the season changes about a night under canvas
Sleeping in a tent makes you sensitive to climate variations you don't notice behind a wall. Three nationwide benchmarks are worth knowing.
First, dry-season nights are cool, sometimes freezing in the early morning inside the khaima, from November to February. Many travelers don't know this and regret it: a fleece is essential.
Next, the harmattan, a dry wind from the Sahara, blows from late fall to early spring and can fill the air with dust: hazy light, less crisp sunsets. The coast, swept by the trade winds, is less exposed than inland, but the dunes don't always escape it.
Finally, the rainy season (hivernage) is shorter in the North than anywhere else in the country: about two months, from late July to late September, according to our climate page. Some camps do scale back during this period, though: confirm they are open before booking. In high season, from November 1 to May 31, demand peaks during the holidays, long weekends and weekends, while tents are few.
Good to know & booking
The final stretch is on a sandy track, and the simplest option is to leave the last leg to the camp, which picks you up at an agreed meeting point. Intercity transfers can also be booked from Dakar or Saint-Louis. In your bag: a headlamp, a cheche (head scarf) against blowing sand, a water bottle, sunscreen, warm clothing, and cash: there are no shops and no ATMs in the dunes.
To book, 20% of the total is paid online as a booking fee; you hand the balance to your hosts on arrival, in cash.
Cancellation is free up to 7 days before arrival from June 1 to October 31, and up to 14 days before from November 1 to May 31. Many nights in the dunes are decided at the last minute: when arrival is closer than that deadline, the booking becomes final as soon as it is confirmed, but a single date change is still allowed up to 48 hours before. If the camp cancels, you receive an equivalent offer or a full refund of the fees. Senegal residents and the Senegalese diaspora are eligible for a resident rate, shown on every listing after the account has been verified by phone.
The tourism promotion tax (TPT) is not included: 1,000 FCFA per night per traveler, paid at the camp.
Who is it for?
Travelers heading up to Saint-Louis who want to turn the drive into a stopover.
Families, for whom sleeping under canvas in the middle of the sand makes a childhood memory, and couples who want a night apart from the rest.
Photographers and anyone who loves starry skies, far from any lighting.
Residents who know the coast by heart and want to see another side of the country. Not those who expect the comfort of a room: a campement or a chalet will suit them better.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pitch my own tent in Senegal?
It is not the custom. The camping category refers to camps that provide the tent, bed and meals, mainly in the Lompoul desert. Pitching your tent anywhere you like in the dunes is not done.
What is the difference between camping and a campement?
Camping means a night in a tent provided, in the dunes. A campement, despite its name, is a small property of huts run by a family or a village, found in the Saloum, Casamance, the Petite Côte and eastern Senegal.
Where can I sleep in a tent in Senegal?
Mainly in Lompoul, in the Louga region, on the road to Saint-Louis: it is the country's only area of shifting dunes, and the only place where we list this format.
How many nights should I plan?
One night is enough for most travelers, often as a stopover on the road north. Two nights let you take your time and spend a full day on site.
Is it cold at night?
Yes, especially from November to February. After a hot day, the temperature drops sharply once the sun has set: bring a fleece or a jacket.
Are the camps open during the rainy season?
The rainy season is short in the North, about two months from late July to late September, but some camps scale back during this period. Confirm they are open before booking.
How does payment work?
You pay 20% of the total online to secure the tent, then the balance to the camp on arrival, in cash. On top of that, the tourism promotion tax of 1,000 FCFA per traveler per night is paid on site.