Lake Retba (Lac Rose)
Lac Rose
A pink salt lake about 35 km northeast of Dakar. Algae turn the water rose-pink, and workers harvesting salt by hand make for a unique scene.
Lake Retba, also known as Lac Rose, gets its colour from the Dunaliella salina algae, which produce pigment under strong sunlight. In the dry season the water turns pink at midday, while in the rainy season the colour is paler. The water is extremely salty, so you can float as you would in the Dead Sea. The shore is piled with white salt mounds. Salt workers smear shea butter on their skin and take small boats out onto the lake to dig up salt. The lake was once the finish line of the Dakar Rally. You can paddle a canoe on the lake, ride a dune buggy over the dunes or simply admire the dunes. The lake is about an hour's drive from downtown and is often combined with Bandia Reserve as a day trip. There are many vendors by the lake. Please ask permission before photographing the workers.
Opening hours
Daytime
Nearby sights
- Keur Moussa Abbey
- Kayar
- House of Slaves
- Gorée Island
- Village des Arts de Dakar
- Le Castel, Gorée
- Yoff & Layène Mausoleum
- Marché HLM