Getting Around Mbour
Mbour is a tourist city on Senegal's Petite Côte, and most visitors find that getting around is inexpensive and informal rather than highly organized. There is no metro, tram, or passenger rail network serving the city, so you will rely on taxis, shared route taxis, and your own two feet. The guidance below covers the practical options, including how to reach Mbour from the airport.
Taxis
Taxis are the simplest option for visitors and are relatively cheap. Fares generally run from about 500 to 800 CFA, depending on the length of the trip and the time of day. There is no mention of ride-hailing apps serving Mbour, so plan on hailing a taxi on the street or arranging one through your accommodation.
Route Taxis (Clando)
The cheapest and most local way to move around Mbour is the clando, or route taxi. These are shared cars that constantly run up and down the Rue Nationale. To catch one, simply hail a car and tell the driver where you are going. Fares are low and vary by route:
- From the north side of town, clando taxis head either to the large market or straight ahead toward the mayor's office.
- From the road that turns toward Grand Mbour, expect to pay about 100 CFA; if you continue to the end of the route past the mayor's office, it costs about 125 CFA.
- A clando runs from Mbour to Saly — hail any car on the main road going north toward Saly and ask the driver for the final destination. The fare is about 200 CFA.
- At the road that goes to Grand Mbour (the intersection between the Holidays and Avalanche supermarkets on the north side of town), you can take a clando to the hospital, which is also close to hotels such as Blue Africa, Auberge Ndaali, and Tama Lodge. This area has the nicest and cleanest beaches in the city. Tell someone near the large group of cars that you want to go to the collective; the fare is about 100 CFA.
- Between the hospital and the intersection with the Rue Nationale, a road parallels the Rue Nationale where you can take either a clando or a charette (horse-drawn cart) to the market. A clando costs about 100 CFA, and a charette about 50 CFA.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Mbour has no formal city bus network aimed at visitors. For longer trips, including from Dakar, the main shared options are the Ndiage Ndiaye and mini-cars:
- The Ndiage Ndiaye is a large white Mercedes bus that stops many times to pick up and drop off passengers. The fare to Mbour is about 700 CFA.
- A mini-car is a smaller version of the Ndiage Ndiaye that fits around 16 people. The fare to Mbour is about 1,100 CFA, and baggage costs are cheaper — around 100 to 200 CFA.
Walkability
Walking works well for short trips, particularly around the beach areas near the hospital, where the beaches are the nicest and cleanest in the city. For longer hops along the Rue Nationale or out to the market, the shared clando taxis and charettes are the practical alternatives to walking.
Getting from the Airport into Mbour
If you are arriving by air, the usual approach is a combination of taxi and shared transport:
- A taxi from Dakar to Mbour costs about 15,000 CFA.
- A taxi from the airport to the Gare Routier Pompiers costs about 2,000 CFA.
- From the Garage Pompiers, take a Sept Place — a station wagon that fits seven people — to Mbour for about 1,500 CFA, paying only up to 500 CFA for baggage. You will see signs in the garage, or someone there will direct you to the right vehicle.
Alternatively, from the Garage Pompiers you can take the Ndiage Ndiaye bus to Mbour for about 700 CFA, or a mini-car for about 1,100 CFA, with baggage around 100 to 200 CFA.
Practical Tips
- Carry small cash in CFA for clando fares and baggage charges, since these are paid directly to drivers.
- For shared taxis, tell the driver your destination when you hail the car — that is how the route is agreed.
- If you are unsure where to catch a shared vehicle at the garage, look for signs or ask someone in the garage to point you to the right one.
- Mbour is connected to Dakar via the N1 road, which is the corridor most road-based transport follows.