If finding running routes in Dakar was not that complicated during the first weeks, finding a proper swimming pool has regularly been a challenge.
I first headed to the national Olympic swimming pool in the neighbourhood of point E, which was (from what I understood), THE public pool of Dakar. After struggling to find the right minibus to get there, I found myself in front of closed gates. The guardian told me it was under renovation, “we don’t really know until when…” (actually october 2026 for the Youth Olympic Games).
My best option gone, I started an exploration and endlessly switched among other pools given that:
Challenge n°1: pools are (almost) all outdoor. Winter is not that harsh but still, water gets rapidly freezing from December to April. Very few pools are heated (only one that I know), so they’re very pricey.
Challenge n°2: pool entries can be very expensive (they’re private).
Challenge n°3: it’s quite complicated to find the good timing: between aquafit classes, schools, holidays, there is basically no secured time frame.
Fortunately, the advantage of Dakar is that (contrary to Morocco) the ocean is warm enough for open water swimming, from June to October. Finallyyy.
So here are all the pools I tried in Dakar, with the usual pros and cons.
1. Olympic club
As its name says, Olympic club is a sports club in Mermoz that offers many different sports equipments and lessons. Contrary to what its name says, you won’t find an Olympic swimming pool there, but a 25m outdoor pool, and a 20m indoor one.
Entry is 3,500 cfa during the week, 4,000 cfa during weekends. You can also get a pack of 10 tickets for 27,000 cfa.
Why swim there:
- It’s the only indoor pool in Dakar, aka the only option if you want to continue swimming during winter without investing in a neoprene suit. Not sure if the water is heated though, as it is not that warm either. It’s my go-to pool from December to March.
- The price is relatively affordable
- The outdoor pool is great for relaxing after your session on the chaise longues
- The club is quite central in Dakar and easily accessible on the cornice. From Plateau, you can take bus n°7 next to Independence square and get off before the Elton station, then it’s not even 10 minutes walk (the journey if a whole adventure though).
…and why not:
- It’s so complicated to know when to go, because there are tons of classes. There’s supposed to be an agenda for free swimming, but it’s mostly early morning, and the hours are not always respected. Especially during winter, all the classes that normally take place outdoors are repatriated indoors, so it’s safer to call them ahead to know when to come (and even that is not 100% sure). You can also forget going during summer holidays (maybe at 9am on Sundays), it’s full of kids.
- The changing rooms are quite terrible. There is only one shower for women, that is cold most of the time.
2. Maristes swimming pool
A good find! That swimming pool is actually the pool of the private school next door, close to the Hann Park. A 25m outdoor pool, open for free swimming from 5pm onwards. It’s possible to go by train from Dakar’s station if you come from the city centre. Otherwise, bus n°49 has a stop next door (from Liberté 6, Sacré Coeur, Ouakam, Ngor).
Entry is 2,500 cfa during the week (and I think 3,000 cfa during the weekend).
Why swim there:
- The most affordable pool in Dakar
- The pool is usually not crowded (until mid-June at least)
- Changing rooms are large, with lockers
- The staff is really nice and fun
…and why not:
- The water is cold in winter, but not as cold as other pools since it is exposed to sunlight the whole day
- Showers are absolutely always cold
- Not swimmable in summer unfortunately because of the kids
3. Hotel Savana
Hotel Savana is the last hotel at the end of the small cornice in Plateau (“la petite corniche”), and the only one I know that has an olympic pool.
Entry is 8,000 cfa during the week (towel included lol), and 10,000fca during weekends.
Why swim there:
- The only 50m pool in Dakar (if you except the Olympic pool under renovation)
- Rather quiet on weekdays
- Close to the city centre: I used to walk there (30 min still) after work. Entry is expensive, but you save up on taxis, and don’t waste an hour in the bus.
- Nice setting to relax after your session
…and why not:
- Still, 8,000 cfa… 🥲
- The most freezing pool in winter
- No real changing room nor proper shower
- Far away if you don’t stay in Plateau
4. Hotel Pullman (Teranga Beach club)
One of the luxury pools of Dakar, and the only heated one. The setting is beautiful with amazing views on the cornice of Plateau. The pool is 25m, probably the cleanest I have seen here.
Entry is 10,000 cfa on weekdays, 15,000cfa on weekends.
Why swim there:
- It’s quiet
- It’s clean
- It’s beautiful
- It’s in the city centre (5 minutes walk for Independence square)
- It’s supposed to be heated, so I guess it’s possible to swim there in winter, but I haven’t tried
…and why not:
- The price daaaamn. I’ve been there only once after a hard week, because, well, it’s painful. I asked if they made discounts on 10 entries but it was not even worth it 🫠
- Far away if you don’t stay in Plateau.
No pool? No problem!
As from my second summer in Dakar, I gave up the idea of swimming in a pool during summer holidays. Why bother, when the ocean is next door, wide, warm and free?
I only go open water swimming in Plateau though, for two main reasons: there are almost no waves, as it is protected on that side of the peninsula, and I hope the water is not as polluted as other beaches in Dakar (yes, because on the top of air pollution, you also have water contamination 😮💨). And also because I could walk to the beach when I lived in Plateau, of course.
Two spots I regularly go to:
Anse Bernard
Anse Bernard is a hidden cove down the cornice of Plateau, just before Hotel Savana. The beach is quite small but the spot is beautiful.
It is crowded in summer, especially on weekends, but the beach is well kept. It’s possible to rent a mat and have someone watch for your stuff while you’re swimming.
Once you pass the people who mainly stay close to the beach, you can either swim between the buoys or continue further in the cove or along the shore. My usual route is to swim to a floating platform, circle it and then continue straight along the coast up to the “Club Corse”, a restaurant/bar that has a small swimming zone. Two ways is roughly 2km.
Lagoon beach
This beach is supposed to be named “Children’s beach”, but let’s call it Lagoon beach to make things easier as it is next to the restaurant “Le Lagon” (5 min walk from Independence square). Be careful though, Le Lagon also has it own private beach for which you have to pay. This one is straight next to it, but it’s a free, public one.
There are usually much less people than at Anse Bernard, but it’s also a bit trickier to find someone to look after your stuff.
My usual route there: straight right until the “Club Corse” (again), which is also roughly 2km (again). Make sure to swim at a good distance from the shore (same for Anse Bernard), to avoid the rocks.
Other spots to consider:
- Ngor: it it quite common to cross from the beach (near all the restaurants) to Ngor island (it’s just 700m or so)
- Mermoz: there is a nice hidden beach down the road close to the Olympic Club. As it is rather protected from the waves, I guess it is possible to swim there, but there are a lot of rocks.
And elsewhere in Sénégal?
Not that easy, except maybe on the coast just south of Dakar (Toubab Dialaw, Saly, etc). The sea in Casamance like in Cap Skirring is quite dangerous as the waves are high and the currents strong.
The other alternative are the rivers, but as Sénégal is a country of mangroves, most of them are muddy (I have known a bitter failure in Carabane 😅), or the currents are strong. The only place where I could really swim was on the island of Mar Lodj, but the water was freezing at that time.
And you, where do you go swimming in Dakar?