Ziguinchor

Ziguinchor is the largest city in southern Senegal and the capital of both the Ziguinchor region and the wider Casamance area. It sits on the Casamance River and is a transport hub with a port, airport, and road links, with a population of roughly 215,000 at the 2023 census. Portuguese traders founded the first European settlement here in 1645; the city's name is popularly said to derive from a Portuguese phrase, "Cheguei e choram" ("I arrived and they cried"), referencing the era of the slave trade. Portuguese control eventually passed to France, and Ziguinchor grew as a centre for the groundnut trade and later for rice and palm-oil exports, taking over as Casamance's administrative capital from Carabane in the early 1900s. As the region's capital, the city was also at the centre of the decades-long conflict between the Casamance separatist movement (MFDC) and the Senegalese state; the situation has stabilized considerably in recent years but it's worth checking current travel advisories before a visit to rural parts of the region. The city today has a relaxed, tropical feel, with palm-lined streets along the river.

By Plane

Ziguinchor Airport (ZIG IATA) has flights from Dakar.

By Car / Road

From Dakar, drive via The Gambia (requires border crossings) or take the passenger ferry that connects Dakar and Ziguinchor along the coast.

• Marché Saint-Maurice — The largest and liveliest market in the city.
• Cathedral of Saint-Antoine de Padoue — A 1936 Catholic cathedral, officially classified as a historic monument.

• Cap Skirring (65 km southwest, 1 hour).
• Oussouye (35 km west).
• Basse-Casamance National Park (accessible by pirogue).