AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Kololi Beach is the sun-soaked heart of The Gambia's resort coast, a broad sweep of golden Atlantic sand just a few kilometres south of the capital, Banjul, near Serrekunda. Backed by a dense line of hotels, beach bars and the famous Senegambia Strip, it is where most European package-holidaymakers land on the 'Smiling Coast of Africa' — and for good reason: warm sea, more than ten hours of sun a day, and an easygoing, sociable buzz that carries from morning to well past midnight.↗↗↗
It is much more than a place to sprawl on a sun lounger. From this beach you can wander the lively Strip for food, drinks and live music, walk through coastal forest to meet curious monkeys, go birding at a nearby stream mouth, and set off on river cruises and safari day-trips into the Gambian interior. Comfortable and convenient, Kololi makes an ideal base for sampling the whole country.↗↗
A golden Atlantic beach
The beach in front of the Kololi hotels is wide and sandy, dotted with beach bars, fruit sellers and fishermen working the tide. Kilometres of pristine golden sand stretch in both directions, and on a clear day the Atlantic horizon glitters under the high sun — exactly the postcard scene that first draws visitors here. Lazing on the shore is genuinely the priority for most people, with sunbeds, a cool cocktail from a beachfront bar and an easy walk along the water doing the job nicely.