On the tip of the African continent, the buzzing capital of Senegal stretches along the narrow peninsula of Cape Verde. You may be overwhelmed by its sheer size, but Dakar wins you over with its richly diverse districts, appealing cultural scene and rich natural surroundings. In the historic center, enjoy the pell-mell of colors and tasty delights in Kermel market. A visit to the island of Gorée is deeply moving; for several hundred years, this island was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast. It is now an UNESCO World Heritage site. If you are looking for pristine and unspoiled nature, the wildlife in the heart of Madeleine Islands' national park will not disappoint. 

During your day at sea, make the most of the many services and activities on board. Treat yourself to a moment of relaxation in the spa or stay in shape in the fitness center. Depending on the season, let yourself be tempted by the swimming pool or a spot of sunbathing. This day without a port of call will also be an opportunity to enjoy the conferences or shows proposed on board, to do some shopping in the boutique or to meet the photographers in their dedicated space. As for lovers of the open sea, they will be able to visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. A truly enchanted interlude combining comfort, rest and entertainment. 

In the midst of a rich natural environment, enjoy a fascinating encounter with the Bijagos, who have been successful at taming their environment and preserving their ancestral way of life. Five villages provide a home for the island's few thousand inhabitants who rely on a subsistence economy: they take from nature only what they need, they cultivate rice, breed chickens and pigs, fish on a small scale and use all the parts of the oil palm. Cob huts with thatched roofs are the traditional dwellings. Among other things, enjoy a wonderful show of authentic traditional dancing. 

In the far southeast of the Bissagos Islands, Joao Vieira is a small unspoiled island in the Joao Vieira and Poilao Marine National Park. This park, where a number of sacred sites can be found, is home to a wonderful biodiversity. On the practically uninhabited island of Joao Vieira, the Bijagos have set up temporary camps for fishing or for collecting the fruit of oil palms. Like everywhere else in the archipelago, the local population displays ingenuity to adapt to this incredible environment. 

Bolama, the capital of Portuguese Guinea from the late 19th century to the end of the 1930's, is shrouded in the surreal and poetic atmosphere of a ghost town forgotten by time. Along the streets covered in ochre earth, the vestiges of neoclassical colonial buildings hint at what was once the sumptuous government palace or the governor's residence. Now neglected, this hard-to-reach natural harbor surrounded by mangrove swamps once served as an outpost for keeping a close eye on the Guinean population that had come to seek refuge on these remote islands of the Bissagos archipelago to escape their colonizers. 

Some 20 kilometers off the coast of West Africa, the Bissau-Guinean archipelago of Bissagos is famous for its abundant biodiversity. The richness of its marine animal and plant life afforded it the status of Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO: marine hippopotami, dolphins, green tortoises, monkeys, striped antelopes and hundreds of thousands of migrating birds find refuge here. Orango is the archipelago’s largest and most mysterious island. Its national park and marine protected area lie in the heart of the Biosphere Reserve. During your Zodiac® outings, set off to discover this preserved environment, home to the Bijogo people, the true custodians of this sanctuary.

Off the west African coast of Guinea-Bissau, the Bissagos archipelago rolls out its 88 islands and islets of black rock and white sand in the heart of the Atlantic. Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1996, this string of islets has exceptionally rich land and sea fauna. In the heart of luxuriant nature, you'll meet the Bijago inhabitants, fascinating men, and women who have adapted to and melted in with their natural environment.

Dotted with authentic and wild landscapes, the Bissagos archipelago is a constellation of islands covered in savannah, forests or palm trees, mangrove trees, silk-cotton trees, baobabs and, in large part, mangrove swamps. From the island of Caravela, set out in a Zodiac dinghy to explore the mangrove and observe the African grey hornbill, the palm-nut vulture, the kingfisher, the weaverbird and some of the many species that fly to this region each year. It is the second most important site for migratory birds in West Africa, after Banc d'Arguin in Mauritania: herons, curlews, red-chested swallows. In full immersion, far from the beaten track, your discovery of the archipelago will take on an air of adventure. 

Disembark after breakfast and continue your independent trip back home.