The most striking feature of this body of water about an hour’s drive from Dakar is its blushing-pink hue. The unique color of Lake Retba—or “Lac Rose” as the locals call it—is due to bacteria that produce red pigments in the water. With a salinity that’s equivalent to that of the Dead Sea, the lake is also so salty that almost everything bobs to the surface. Around the area you’ll find golden sand dunes, thatched-roof huts and salt harvesters gathering the mineral from the lake bed.
