Why Lake Retba is the Heart of Luxury Living Outside Dakar

Resting less than an hour away from Dakar is Lake Retba, a coral pink lake that is nestled between white sand dunes and the Atlantic Ocean. A staple of the Dakar region, Lake Retba is one of Senegal’s most beautiful locations and is fast becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations on the continent.

Located near Lake Retba, Teranga Estates ensures that residents reap the benefits of the lake’s amenities, commercial infrastructure, and natural beauty—all within 40km of Senegal’s capital.

Why is Lake Retba pink?

Lake Retba, recognized worldwide for its stunning pink and red hues, is so colored because of its high salinity. The water in Lake Retba constantly changes hues, but the most stunning pink shade appears during the dry season, roughly from November to June. The salt-loving micro-organism Dunaliella salina, combined with high mineral concentration and the intensity of the summer sun, are the producers of its cotton candy color.

Lake Rebta’s salt content rivals the Dead Sea, which makes for increased human buoyancy, as well as a busy local salt industry. Local salt collectors arrive daily on the lake and spend seven hours a day collecting the precious mineral from the lakebed. It is estimated that about 1,000 people work around the lake on a daily basis, and harvest some 24,000 tons of salt each year.

Residents of Lake Retba reap the benefits of the area’s booming tourist industry.

Lake Retba is increasingly found on the itineraries of Senegal’s tourists, and many visitors come from around the world to see the lake’s stunning beauty.

A small number of resort hotels are located near the shoreline and cater to tourists, as well as locals. Many of these resorts offer modern and luxury accommodations, as well as restaurants and dining for residents and visitors alike.

Those who live near Lake Retba also benefit from the beauty and booming tourist economy of the Dakar region. As Senegal has industrialized in recent years, the Dakar region has emerged as one of Africa’s most developed and culturally rich regions. The Dakar culture represents hundreds of years of hybridization of both African and European traditions, leading to a unique culture known for its cuisine, literature, and music.

Residents near Lake Retba enjoy the region’s temperate climate and natural resources.

The Dakar Region and Lake Retba experience much more temperate climates than greater Senegal, a delight to those who live nearby. Lake Rebta’s coastal location features cool breezes which blow inland from the Atlantic Ocean and which moderate the area’s temperature and humidity.

The surrounding area is also home to treasures of natural beauty, all at the disposal of Teranga Estates’ residents. Many visitors to the region visit the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, which supports an amazing variety of wildlife. When traveling for the weekend, locals and tourists also favor Senegal’s French Colonial capital of Saint-Louis—an old city remarkably similar to New Orleans with wood balconies overlooking the narrow streets.

Residents of Lake Retba enjoy close proximity to Senegal’s capital.

While Lake Retba provides a beautiful retreat on the Cape Verde peninsula, residents in the region live less than 40km from Senegal’s capital, making the destination ideal for businesspeople who work in Dakar.

Senegal has the fourth largest economy in the West African sub-region after Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Senegal’s economy is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fishing and agriculture, which are the main sources of employment in the rural areas.

In addition to being Senegal’s capital, Dakar remains the country’s economic hub, uplifting the regions and communities around it. A key port city for all of West Africa, Dakar processes nearly all the farming products intended for export and is exclusively home to many of the industries in charge of processing Senegal’s exports. These economic functions also include the concentration of commercial installations such as the port of Dakar, Sandaga market and the financial and banking institutions.

Moreover, tourism, especially business tourism, is gaining importance, stimulated by international events like Biennial of Contemporary Art, Dak’Art.

Lake Rebta is home to Senegal’s fast-growing luxury housing developments.

Teranga Estates, Sommet Properties’ luxury housing development, is located in Lake Retba, providing a modern solution to the area’s growing housing needs.

Bringing together state-of-the-art sustainable building techniques with a diverse and inclusive community, Teranga Estates is Lake Rebta’s solution for luxury housing and living.