Senegal is a country of beauty and diversity, boasting a stunning array of sights, sounds and flavours.

Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south.

The Senegalese are very proud of their reputation for 'teranga' meaning 'hospitality', and locals are extremely friendly and helpful to visitors.

Most of those who head to Senegal do so for the country's beaches, and for good reason. North and south of the capital city of Dakar lie wide strips of white sand, which invite swimming and sunbathing.

Senegal itself is subdivided into 14 regions; Dakar is the smallest and most populated region of Senegal, encompassing the capital city of the country, also called Dakar, and all its suburbs along the Cape Verde Peninsula, which is Africa's most westerly point.

With busy streets, vibrant markets and glittering nightlife, Dakar is a vibrant, crowded metropolis and is both the largest and most cosmopolitan city in West Africa.

The position of this West African hub - it is the westernmost African city - means it is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided by its growth into a major regional port.

Another important transport link in and out of the city is the railway; Dakar is the terminus of the Dakar-Niger railroad line, which serves a vast majority of the cities in Senegal. The main railway station is housed in a beautiful Art Deco building with painted murals on the wall.

In its colonial heyday Dakar was one of the major cities of the French Empire; French trading firms established branch offices here, while industrial investments (mills, breweries, refineries, canneries) were attracted by its port and rail facilities.

Today, much of this colonial heyday can still be seen through the buildings that remain behind; for example Dakar's City Hall is housed in a grand old colonial building.

Other important structures in the city include the Dakar Grand Mosque. Built in 1964, this mosque was designed by French and Moroccan architects and is one of the most important religious buildings in the capital.

Meanwhile, the IFAN Museum of African Arts is one of the oldest art museums in West Africa. Today it is one of the most prestigious centres in the world for the study of African culture.

A 20 minute boat ride away from Dakar is the island of Gore - a 45 acre island located a mere two km at sea from the main harbor of Dakar.

Gorée, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978, is a famous destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade because it was one location where slaves were transferred to slave ships headed to the Americas.

Here the slave traders housed their living cargoes before the voyage to the New World, as well as building stately residences for themselves.

Like Dakar, the island boasts interesting colonial architecture, including the landmark "House of Slaves" museum.

The House of Slaves is one of the oldest houses on the island and today is used as a tourist destination to dramatise the horrors of the slave trade

Other attractions on the island include three museums, one dedicated to women, one to the history of Senegal and one to the sea. The seventeenth century Gorée Police Station, Gorée Castle and a small beach are also of interest to tourists.

Saint-Louis or Ndar as it is called in Wolof - a popular language spoken in Senegal - is the old capital of the country.

As West Africa's first French settlement, Saint Louis today retains a unique historical charm.

Indeed, there is heady whiff of colonialism at the Hotel de la Poste. The building itself dates from 1850 when it was used as a private residence.

However, by the 1930s it had become a hotel, which made its name as the haunt of the Aèropostale airmail pioneers - which explains its name.

Today the hotel is a shrine to one of these men - Jean Mermoz - who made the first mail run across the South Atlantic from Saint-Louis to Natal before disappearing without a trace in 1936.

The old town centre of the town, where you can find the Hotel de la Poste, sits on an island in the Senegal River, but the city itself now sprawls onto the mainland of Sor and the Langue de Barbarie, where you find the lively fishing community of Guet N'Dar.

The island town centre is reached via the 500m-long cast iron Pont Faidherbe bridge, which was originally built to cross the Danube (as legend has it) but was shipped to Senegal in 1897.

With its distinctive appearance, numerous sites of attraction and international music festivals and cultural exhibitions, Saint-Louis attracts many tourists each year.

According to the residents of Saint Louis, "No one comes without falling in love with the city". Indeed, Saint Louis is considered by many to be the birthplace of Senegalese 'Teranga', the Wolof word for hospitability.

Music is important in Saint Louis and numerous festivals happen at different times of the year. For example, 'Fanals' are night-time processions of giant paper lanterns that take place at Christmas.

Meanwhile, the Saint-Louis Jazz Festival is the most important jazz festival in Africa. Jazz first became popular in the 1930s when records produced in Cuba were aired on the radio.

Thiès is a region of western Senegal and the capital city of the region, which is also called Thiès, is the third largest city in Senegal.

Thiès is best known for its tapestry-making industry, with an exclusive factory having been set up in 1966 to produce work designed by Senegal's top artists.

Other attractions include a museum, an artisanal and crafts village and the few remains of old fortifications.

The holy town of Tivaoane can be found in the Thies region. This town is the capital of the Tijaniyya Sufi brotherhood and each week followers come to visit the tombs of religious leaders, especially that of El-Hadji Malick Sy.

Visitors also flock to Tivaoane each year to celebrate the birth of the prophet Muhammad in a festival called the Maouloud.

The small town of Mbour lies approximately eighty kilometers south of Dakar. It is home to a population of 153,503 (2002 census) and the city's major industries are tourism, fishing and peanut processing.

Visitors here, as in any part of the country, can taste the official dish of Senegal -'Tieboudienne'. This fish and vegetable dish comes in two varieties - red and white - named for the different sauces.

Despite bursting with beauty and diversity Senegal is still relatively little known as a tourist destination. However, with its whirlwind of unusual sights, sounds and flavours, it is sure to not stay a secret for long.

MUST CREDIT PHOTOS BY: Patrick Frilet / Rex Features