• Visit date: November 2 2022
• The visited post office: St-Louis Post Office
• Cost of sending mail: Europe 500 CFA (0,76 Eur), USA 550 CFA (0,84 Eur) Rest of the World 650 (0,99 Eur)
• Postcard availability: The post office didn’t have any postcards for sale, but the souvenir shops had a few options
• Out of all the postcards I sent to different countries, the one sent to Germany arrived the fastest-in 9 days

Senegal’s postal history mirrors its complex political journey. The country was first colonized by France in the 16th century and remained under French rule for centuries. During this time, Senegal used French West African stamps until 1958, when it became an autonomous state within the French Union. In 1960, Senegal gained full independence.

The first stamps specifically for Senegal were issued in 1887. Before that, the region used general issues for French Colonies. In 1882, “Senegal” was added to the French West African stamps, and in 1892, Senegal issued its first separate stamps with “Sénégal” inscribed on them. In 1904, “Postes et Télégraphes du Sénégal” was established, signifying a more independent postal system for Senegal.

Our choice to visit the post office in Saint-Louis, Senegal, proved to be an excellent one. Located on an island that’s part of UNESCO’s World Heritage list, Saint-Louis, a 17th-century French colonial city, was the capital of French West Africa from 1895 to 1902. Arriving by car from Mauritania, we were charmed by the city’s French atmosphere, old town architecture, and cleanliness.

We stayed in the iconic Hôtel de la Poste, which sits directly across the street from the main post office. The story of the Hôtel de la Poste is intertwined with the daring spirit of the 1920s, when Saint-Louis was a major French colonial city and Aeropostale, a pioneering commercial aviation company, launched a regular postal service from Toulouse to Dakar. Pilots flew their fragile planes solo, often through the night, without radios or radar, braving all kinds of weather to become national heroes. This company’s history is marked by incredible feats like the first air crossing of the South Atlantic by pilot Jean Mermoz in 1930, but also many tragedies. And the entire story, captured in photos and text, adorns the hotel’s lobby, hallways, stairs, and rooms.

The post office across the street was built at the same time as the hotel and has been a post office ever since. There were lots of people, but everything ran smoothly, like you’d expect in any well-organized European post office.

However, our time in the country had come to an end. Farewell.

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