| Coordinates | 13.0967, -10.3617 |
|---|---|
| Category | Attractions, Waterfront |
| Nearest city | Kokofata |
| Region | Kayes, Mali |
| Sources | geonames |
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali Travel Guide
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali is a reservoir in Kayes, Mali. The nearest service base is Kokofata, roughly 51 km away.
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali at a Glance
- What it is: reservoir (Attractions)
- Where it is: Kayes, Kayes, Mali — coordinates 13.0967, 10.3617
- Why it is listed: a source-verified entry in the CollabsTravel master database, matched against official gazetteer and geographic records before publication
- Time needed: two to three hours
- Best season: May to September
Quick Facts
| Place type | Reservoir |
| Primary category | Attractions |
| Also good for | Waterfront |
| Region / state | Kayes |
| Country | Mali |
| Nearest city | Kokofata |
| Coordinates | 13.0967, -10.3617 |
| Nearest base town | Kokofata (51 km) |
Why Retenue du Barrage de Manantali Is Worth Visiting
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali earns its place in this guide for a simple reason: it is a verified attractions in Kayes, Mali,. Its position 51 km from Kokofata also makes it an easy add-on rather than a detour that costs half a day. Visitors book it for waterfront as much as for attractions. And unlike listicle recommendations, everything on this page - coordinates, category, sources - was checked against official records before publication.
About Retenue du Barrage de Manantali
In plain terms, Retenue du Barrage de Manantali is a reservoir in the Kayes area of Kayes, Mali that travellers book around attractions trips. Beyond its main draw, the record tags it for waterfront too, so it rewards more than one kind of visit. Functionally it belongs to Kokofata - the town most maps and locals will reference when describing how to reach it. Everything stated on this page comes from that verified record; where background history is quoted, the source is named at the end of the section.
The Beauty of Retenue du Barrage de Manantali
What people mean when they call Retenue du Barrage de Manantali beautiful is usually the built and curated detail on site - exhibits, gardens and views arranged specifically to be enjoyed. The light does most of the work: low-latitude light keeps greens deep and skies dramatic; the difference between hours, not seasons, drives the look. The seasons restyle everything around it - each season repaints it - plan the visit around the colour you want in your photos. And the beauty compounds with context: with 7 other verified places nearby, the Kayes area reads as one continuous landscape rather than a single viewpoint, which is worth more than any filter on the photos you take here.
Getting There
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali sits at 13.0967, 10.3617 in Kayes, Mali. Most visitors reach it by car, regional rail or local transit; pin the coordinates above rather than only the name - Retenue du Barrage de Manantali names repeat across regions, and rural entries often lack street addresses.
Base yourself in Kokofata and make this a half-day trip; services, fuel and lodging are easiest there. The run from Kokofata is about 51 km (32 mi) each way, so allow Kokofata as your anchor for the day.
Best Time to Visit
Late spring to early autumn (May to September) brings the warmest and most reliable conditions across Mali. Shoulder months just before and after that window trade a little weather for noticeably lower prices and thinner crowds.
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali Season by Season
- Summer (Jun-Aug) - peak season: the warmest, longest days and everything open, which also makes it the priciest and busiest window
- Autumn (Sep-Nov) - shoulder season: crowds drain away, the light turns photographic, and lodging rates typically fall
- Winter (Dec-Feb) - off-season: cheapest beds and empty viewpoints, but check for closures, snow or rain before committing
- Spring (Mar-May) - rebuild season: wildflowers, newborn wildlife and reopened facilities - the best balance if the weather holds
Things to Do
Planning what to actually do at Retenue du Barrage de Manantali comes down to the setting it sits in:
- Arrive with the exact coordinates (13.0967, -10.3617) pinned in your maps app — rural place names repeat across states
- Give the site one unhurried hour before adding anything else to the day
- Pair it with the nearest named attraction on this page to make a full loop
- Chain the stop with what is nearby — see the list below before fixing your day route
None of this needs a rigid schedule - the honest pattern at Retenue du Barrage de Manantali is one anchor at the nearest anchor town, one longer stop, and the rest of the time left for whatever looks better from the car window. That flexibility is what separates a good half-day from a rushed one.
A Perfect Day in Retenue du Barrage de Manantali
Morning (start early). Have breakfast at Kokofata and roll out before mid-morning - the light is softer, parking is open, and Retenue du Barrage de Manantali is at its quietest before the day-trippers arrive. Give the main stop its full due first rather than saving it for later.
Midday. From Retenue du Barrage de Manantali, Lake Manantali is only 7 km away - pair the two rather than driving home for lunch; a picnic beats a reservation near most of these spots.
Afternoon. Keep going to Kokofata (51 km) if the group still has legs; it is the standard second half of this loop.
Golden hour. End at the main viewpoint, waterfront or main street as the light drops; this is the hour Retenue du Barrage de Manantali is genuinely famous for locally, and it costs nothing.
Evening. Sleep at Kokofata unless the road out is long - leaving at dusk is the one mistake that can flatten an otherwise perfect day.
Know Before You Go to Retenue du Barrage de Manantali
- Save the pin (13.0967, -10.3617) offline - reception in Kayes is exactly as good as it needs to be and no better
- Check the official source listed at the bottom of this page for current hours, fees and closures before driving out
- Visit on weekdays: at most verified spots weekends triple the local traffic
- Bring the basics - water, layers, power bank - because facilities at this kind of place are self-service
Nearby Places Worth Combining
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali does not sit in isolation - these verified places are all within a short hop and combine into a full loop:
- Lake Manantali — attractions, about 7 km (4 mi) away
- Kokofata — city, about 51 km (31 mi) away
- Bafoulabé — city, about 94 km (59 mi) away
- Mahina — city, about 94 km (59 mi) away
- Kita — city, about 95 km (59 mi) away
- Sagalo — city, about 106 km (66 mi) away
- Nganoukourou — hiking, about 149 km (92 mi) away
Planning More of Your Trip
See everything in Mali on the Mali country hub, browse the full Attractions Mali collection, or take in the whole Kayes region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Retenue du Barrage de Manantali worth visiting?+
Yes, if you are in the area for more than a single day. Retenue du Barrage de Manantali is a verified reservoir in Kayes, Mali that most drive-by lists miss, and the official-record provenance behind this page means the location, name and access facts are checked rather than guessed. Give it two to three hours.
Where exactly is Retenue du Barrage de Manantali?+
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali is in Kayes, Mali, at coordinates 13.0967, -10.3617. Use the coordinates rather than the name alone - place names repeat across regions, and a map pin beats a keyword search.
How far is Retenue du Barrage de Manantali from the nearest city?+
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali is about 51 km (32 mi) from Kokofata, which is an easy out-and-back day trip - most visitors base themselves in Kokofata and make the run in well under an hour each way.
What is the best time to visit Retenue du Barrage de Manantali?+
May to September. Book the shoulder months either side of that window for the same scenery at lower prices, and check seasonal closures before fixing dates.
How long do you need at Retenue du Barrage de Manantali?+
Plan on two to three hours for a first visit - the highlights at a normal pace without rushing. Add another half day if you want to combine it with the nearby places listed above.
Is Retenue du Barrage de Manantali good for families with kids?+
It works with kids who have patience for the setting; judge it by your shortest-attention traveller and keep the visit to the first highlight.
Does Retenue du Barrage de Manantali cost anything to visit?+
Most public places like this have no entry fee, but parking, guided programs and seasonal shuttles are the usual small costs. Confirm current fees with the official source cited on this page - they change more often than guidebooks do.
What is near Retenue du Barrage de Manantali?+
The closest verified neighbour is Lake Manantali; the nearby list above has the full set with distances, and combining two or three of them is the standard way to fill a day around Retenue du Barrage de Manantali.
Is Retenue du Barrage de Manantali open to visitors, and do you need a permit?+
Public places listed here are visitable by default; the permit exceptions are usually specific activities (backcountry camping, drones, commercial photography) rather than the visit itself. Check the cited official source for anything activity-based.
Should you visit Retenue du Barrage de Manantali in bad weather?+
Rain reshapes rather than ruins the day - viewpoints become cloud-scapes and trails get muddy. Keep Retenue du Barrage de Manantali as a fair-weather item on your trip and swap in the covered alternatives from the regional list when the forecast turns.
What makes Retenue du Barrage de Manantali different from other places like it?+
Its exact combination: a reservoir in Kayes, Mali with verified coordinates and, where listed, an official designation. The difference is usually the setting and the access pattern rather than the category label - the facts table on this page shows that specifically.
Can you visit Retenue du Barrage de Manantali as a day trip?+
Yes - at two to three hours on site, a day loop is realistic: morning at Retenue du Barrage de Manantali, one nearby stop, and home by evening. The Perfect Day section above has the hour-by-hour version.
What is Retenue du Barrage de Manantali known for?+
It is known locally as a reservoir in Kayes, Mali. Within the CollabsTravel master database it is registered under the Attractions category, which is how travellers on this site find it and how this guide frames what to do there.
What is the most beautiful thing about Retenue du Barrage de Manantali?+
The honest short answer is in The Beauty of Retenue du Barrage de Manantali section above, but distilled: what people mean when they call retenue du barrage de manantali beautiful is usually the built and curated detail on site - exhibits, gardens and views arranged specifically to be enjoyed. Come for the light and the setting rather than a single checklist object.
Is Retenue du Barrage de Manantali crowded?+
Retenue du Barrage de Manantali sits below the headline-name tier in its region, so crowding is an event-and-weekend problem rather than a standing one. Weekday mornings in the shoulder season are the quietest version of the visit. ## Source Verification This guide's facts come from official public datasets: [Geonames record 13628834](https://www.geonames.org/13628834). Location data is reviewed in per-state batches before publication.