Stand on Sayerr Jobe Avenue at the point where it meets the market crowds, and you get Serekunda in one view: traders moving between stalls, taxis sounding their horns, and the Atlantic coast a short ride away. The city takes its name from Sayerr Jobe, who founded the settlement in the second half of the 19th century, and the avenue that carries his name runs through the middle of what grew from those early villages.
Serekunda suits travellers who want a working West African city rather than a resort strip, and who are happy to pair market time with beach time. The coast at Kololi, Kotu and Bakau is close enough to reach in the same day, and the Kombos urban area that Serekunda forms with Banjul puts both cities within easy reach of each other.
This guide covers the beaches, the forest park and the sacred crocodile pool, then strings them into a single day. Everything named below comes from the source material, so you can plan around it without surprises.
Top things to do in Serekunda
1. Kololi Beach
Kololi Beach is the stretch most visitors mean when they talk about the Senegambia, because the hotel of that name sits right there. It is the natural starting point for a coastal day, with the sand and the sea doing most of the work.
Combine it with the Senegambia Strip, which runs along this part of the coast and is the city's popular spot for foreign tourists. Go in the morning if you want the beach before the heat builds.
2. Kotu Beach
Kotu Beach lies a little north of Kololi Beach, so you can walk or ride between the two without committing a whole day to either. It is a quieter alternative when Kololi feels busy.
Pair it with Kololi Beach in the same outing and let the tide and the crowd decide how long you stay at each.
3. Bakau Beach
Bakau Beach sits in the very north of the coastal run, beyond Kotu. Bakau itself grew from a fishing village into part of the urban sprawl of Serekunda, which gives the beach a different feel from the hotel-facing sands further south.
Use it as the northern anchor of a beach day, and note that the Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool is also in Bakau, so the two fit naturally together.
4. Bijilo Forest Park
Bijilo Forest Park is at Kololi and is known for its birds and monkeys. It is the one place on this list where you go for wildlife rather than sand, and it sits close enough to Kololi Beach to combine with it.
Staff will try to pressure you into paying for a guide, so decide in advance whether you want one. Entry was D300 as of December 2025. The source notes you can bribe the animals with peanuts for better photos.
5. Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool
Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool is in Bakau, roughly ten blocks inland from the Bakau Craft Market. It offers the opportunity to touch West African Nile crocodiles, which is not something most trips offer.
Entry was D200 as of April 2026. The pool is inland from the craft market, so pair the two in one visit to Bakau and give yourself time to walk between them.
6. Serekunda market
Serekunda's market is the largest in the country, which makes it the single best place to see the city going about its business. It is a working market rather than a staged attraction, so go with patience and a clear idea of what you want to look at.
It sits in the heart of the city, within reach of Sayerr Jobe Avenue, so you can fold it into a morning in town before heading for the coast in the afternoon.
7. Sayerr Jobe Avenue
Sayerr Jobe Avenue takes its name from the street where the city's founder, Sayerr Jobe, had his home. In 2015 the Kanifing municipal government renamed it after the mayor, Yankuba Colley, a decision criticised by Jobe's heirs and by residents who saw no need for a new name.
Walk it as a way of reading the city's centre rather than as a destination in itself, and use it to link the market area with the rest of central Serekunda.
8. Westfield Junction
Westfield Junction is where a crowd gathered on 21 January 2017 to celebrate when Jammeh left the country. It is a junction rather than a monument, but it carries a specific place in the city's recent memory.
Pass through it while moving around the centre, and treat it as a marker of how central Serekunda has been to the country's political life.
9. Senegambia Strip
The Senegambia Strip runs along the coast and is the popular place for foreign tourists, including sex tourists. Knowing that in advance lets you decide what kind of evening you want and where you want to spend it.
It sits by Kololi Beach, so an afternoon on the sand leads directly into the Strip without any travel in between.
10. Gambian wrestling
Gambian wrestling is a popular sport in the city, and the source notes that Serekunda has multiple football stadiums. If a match or a bout is on while you are in town, it is a way to spend an evening with a local crowd rather than a visitor one.
Ask locally what is scheduled during your stay, since the source does not give fixed venues or dates.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start in the centre at Serekunda market, the largest in the country, and walk Sayerr Jobe Avenue to get your bearings. Pass through Westfield Junction on the way.
Afternoon. Head for the coast. Choose Kololi Beach and add Bijilo Forest Park for the birds and monkeys, or push north to Kotu Beach and Bakau Beach. If you go as far as Bakau, visit Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool, about ten blocks inland from the Bakau Craft Market.
Evening. Return to the coast and spend it on the Senegambia Strip by Kololi Beach, or look for a Gambian wrestling bout or a football match if one is on.
Frequently asked questions
Which beaches can I visit in Serekunda?
Kololi Beach, Kotu Beach and Bakau Beach. Kololi is the one most people call the Senegambia, Kotu is a little north of it, and Bakau is in the very north.
Can I touch crocodiles in Serekunda?
Yes. Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool in Bakau offers the opportunity to touch West African Nile crocodiles. It is about ten blocks inland from the Bakau Craft Market.
What does Bijilo Forest Park cost, and will I be offered a guide?
Entry was D300 as of December 2025. Staff will try to pressure you into paying for a guide, so decide beforehand whether you want one.
Where is the Senegambia Strip?
Along the coast, by Kololi Beach. It is the popular place for foreign tourists, including sex tourists.
Pick your beach, set aside a morning for the market, and start planning your days around the coast and the centre.