Senegal's best beaches are found in the Casamance around Cap Skiring. Closer to Dakar, check out Pointe de Bel-Air and the beaches of N'Gor, Malika-sur-Mer and Yoff. You can rent a sailboard or go water-skiing at several of these beaches. The coast off the Pointe des Almadies offers some of the best scuba diving in West Africa. In particular, check out the waters around Île de N'Gor, the Almadies area and Île de Gorée. The waters are at their best from February to April. If you find the salt water too 'natural' for your liking, nearly all the top-end hotels of Dakar have swimming pools.

Dakar's cool weather means that jogging is a realistic option - a rarity in Africa. Most of the major hotels have tennis and (less commonly) squash courts. Bird-watchers shake their tail feathers for the sights at the Parc National aux Oiseaux du Djoudj, the Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie and the Siné-Saloum Delta. Those hoping to spot something furrier will have better luck at the Parc National de Niokolo-Koba.

The Islamic (or Hejira) calendar is a full 11 days shorter than the Gregorian (western) calendar, so public holidays and festivals fall 11 days earlier each year. In March for the next few years, Ras as-Sana is the Islamic celebration of the new year. Moulid an-Nabi celebrates the prophet Mohammed's birthday around May. Ramadan is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (presently towards the end of the Gregorian calendar year), commemorating the month when the Qur'an was revealed to Mohammed. Out of deference, Muslims take neither food nor water until after sunset each day. At the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr), the fasting breaks amidst much celebration.

Other festivals include the Grand Magal pilgrimage and celebration, held in Touba 48 days after Ras as-Sana, and the Paris-Dakar Rally, a 10,000km (6200mi) motor race that ends in Dakar around the second week of January.

Public Holidays

1 January - New Year's Day

1 February - Confederation Day

February - Tabaski

March or April - Good Friday, Easter Monday

4 April - Independence Day

May or June - Ascension Day, Pentecost and Whit Monday

1 May - May Day

15 August - Assumption Day

1 November - All Saints' Day

November or December - 'Eid al-Fitr

25 December - Christmas