Having the intention to visit Guinea-Bissau? Check out our curated list of the best things to do in Guinea-Bissau and the best places to visit in Guinea-Bissau below. We at Wondrous Drifter, a Web 3.0 travel startup, have big plans to shake things up in the travel business.
Table Of Content
- Bafatá
- Bissau Cathedral
- Bijagos Archipelago
- Bubaque Island
- Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park
- Cantanhez Forests National Park
- Centro Artistico Juvenil
- Cufada Lagoons Natural Park
- Dulombi-Boe National Park
- Fortaleza de São José da Amura
- João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park
- Mão de Timba
- Mercado Central
- Orango Island
- Our Lady of Grace Cathedral
- Port of Bissau
- Presidential Palace
- Rubane Island
- Saltinho Waterfall
- Varela
- Explore Africa
Bafatá
You can’t ignore Bafata’s beckoning, can you?
The town of Bafatá is located in the eastern part of Guinea-Bissau.
Due to its location on the Gêba River, it can only be reached by boat.
Bafatá is the fabled birthplace of the well-known revolutionary for independence Abel Djassi.
It is a place to come and taste the laid-back, rural vibes of one of the country’s regional hotspots.
Proud of its political traditions and charmingly endowed with green spaces, swaying palm trees, and the meanders where the Geba joins the Colufe, it is a place to come and enjoy.
For the inland areas of Guinea-Bissau, the city of Bafatá serves as an important commercial center.
However, this is not all there is to it since Bafatá is also bordered by the undulating gallery forests that occupy the nation’s center.
These jungles are the home of crocodiles, intriguing West African mammals, exotic monkeys, and other animals.
Come and have a look at Bafatá today!
Address: Bafatá, Guinea-Bissau
Bissau Cathedral
Bissau Cathedral is a great place to begin your journey toward the light.
Guinea-Bissau is home to a Catholic cathedral that bears the name Bissau Cathedral.
It is also referred to as Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Candelária.
While the original construction of this structure was completed in 1935, it was restored in 1945 and finished in 1950.
It serves as Guinea-Catholic Bissau’s Church’s administrative and spiritual headquarters.
The Catholic Diocese of Bissau was established in 1977, and the cathedral serves as its administrative headquarters.
One of the cathedral’s best-known features is its 36-meter north tower, which serves as its lighthouse.
The cathedral’s square shape is one reason for the building’s distinctive appearance.
Ships heading to the Port of Bissau can use this lighthouse to navigate the Geba River estuary.
You should not delay any longer in making your way to the Cathedral of Bissau today!
Address: Bissau Cathedral, Guinea-Bissau
Bijagos Archipelago
Traveling to a place with 88 distinct islands and islets seems interesting, doesn’t it?
The 88 islands and islets that make up the Bijagós archipelago may be found strewn across 2,500 square kilometers of the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Guinea-Bissau.
Mangrove forests and palm groves surround these islands.
Its rich flora and wildlife include several manatees, monkeys, turtles, crocodiles, gazelles, dolphins, migrating birds, and a unique herd of saltwater hippopotamuses.
Orango Island is home to extremely rare saltwater hippos.
It is surrounding archipelago is recognized as one of the most significant sea turtle breeding locations everywhere in Africa.
There is permanent human habitation on just around twenty islands, so the mangroves, woodlands, savannah, and sandbanks are mostly unaffected by human activity.
Additionally, narrow waterways provide a one-of-a-kind haven for animals free from the threat posed by commercial fishing vessels.
In the late 1990s, Luc Hoffmann found the Bijagós, at about the same time that he was becoming aware of the requirement for an ecoregional approach to protection in the West African region.
Visit the Bijagos Archipelago now!
Address: Bijagos Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau
Bubaque Island
Bubaque Island is calling your name!
In Guinea-Bissau, Bubaque is not only the name of one of the Bijagós Islands but also the name of the largest town on that island.
The island has a total land area of 75 km2, and it is 13.6 kilometers long and 8 kilometers broad.
The island’s diverse flora and dense forest make it a popular tourist destination. In addition to having an airfield, it is connected to Bissau via ferry.
The stunning whitewashed tropical dunes of Bubaque are completely abandoned; they are dotted with salt-sprayed driftwood and drooping palms.
This location is the entry point to the broader Bissagos Islands because it is home to the Bubaque airport.
And what a portal it turns out to be! Inland lies in the woodlands that give way to hidden coves like Bruce Bay and the unnamed dunes near Ameta.
Bubaque Island awaits your arrival.
Address: Bubaque Island, Guinea-Bissau
Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park
Do you have a special place in your heart for Mangroves? So, this is for you.
The Rio Cacheu Mangroves Natural Park may be found in Guinea-Bissau, Africa.
The park is a fantastic site to see a wide variety of plant and animal life.
It was established in 2000 and spanned 88,615 acres in its northwestern region.
The Rio Cacheu Mangroves Natural Park is extremely popular among tourists in Guinea-Bissau due to the park’s breathtaking natural scenery.
The park’s name is derived from the Cacheu River flowing through it.
In Rio Cacheu Mangroves Natural Park, mangroves make up most of the park’s area.
In addition, mangrove forests serve a vital role in reproducing fish, crustaceans, and other marine animals.
At least 180 different kinds of birds have been identified in the park.
The park is home to various animal species, including the West African Manatee.
Visit Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park to explore everything it has to offer!
Address: Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park, Guinea-Bissau
Cantanhez Forests National Park
The chimpanzees are waiting for you to go wild with them!
The Cantanhez National Park in Guinea Bissau is located in the district of Tombali in the country’s southernmost section, about 250 kilometers from Bissau, the capital.
For the first 60 kilometers or so, the road is in decent shape, but after that, it becomes a dreadful but magnificent woodland track that is difficult to access.
The Cantanhez forest is the largest surviving forest in Guinea Bissau.
It is home to a diverse array of wildlife, plants, and scenery, all of which are available for tourists to enjoy while they are in the area.
There are a variety of tabancas, or communities, located inside the boundaries of the Cantanhez National Park.
Chimpanzees and the local people live close to one another.
In reality, monkeys and chimpanzees frequently feed in agricultural areas, making it difficult for humans and chimpanzees to dwell peacefully in the same environment.
Cantanhez is undeniably a one-of-a-kind and one-of-a-kind destination due, in no little part.
The fact visitors can witness various animal species in the areas immediately around the local towns.
Go wild today at Cantanhez Forests National Park.
Address: Cantanhez Forests National Park, Guinea-Bissau
Centro Artistico Juvenil
Do you consider yourself to be creative? If so, you might find this area to be to your liking.
In Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, the Missira district is home to the Centro Artistico Juvenil, also known as the Youth Artistic Center in English.
The Centro Artistico Juvenil was established in 1976 by Father Battiste Armano to provide for the young people of Bissau.
With a good means of earning money, most of them can pay for their education.
Young people are encouraged to develop talents that will benefit them.
Through the work of young artisans, Guinea-Bissau has many handicrafts that are not only important for raising the aesthetic level of the population.
But also serve as a point of reference and attraction for tourists from other countries.
Carving, painting, and sculpting are typically still being done on-site by the young, passionate artists whose work may be purchased here.
Get creative today at the Centro Artistico Juvenil!
Address: Avenida dos Combatentes da Liberdade da Pátria, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Cufada Lagoons Natural Park
What a treat it is to gaze at the beauty of a lagoon.
Guinea-Bissau is home to the Cufada Lagoons Natural Park. On the first of December in 2000, it was formally established.
The distance from here to the nearest major city or town is 890 kilometers.
In Guinea-Bissau, this was the first-ever protected area.
The Cufada Lagoons Natural Park, located in Guinea-Quinará Bissau’s Administrative Region (between Fulacunda and Buba), is unquestionably one of the country’s most fascinating spots.
Several critically endangered creatures and plants depend on the country’s greatest freshwater reserve, which is found in this park’s three lagoons (Cufada, Biorna, and Bedasse).
You may kayak through the lagoons and stroll along the Rio Grande de Buba with this tour.
One of Guinea Bissau’s most biodiverse areas, the Cufada Lagoon Natural Park is home to African buffalo herds, snapping crocodiles, hippos, leopards, and waterbucks.
Then there are vast expanses of palm oil plantations, where chimpanzees have been observed swinging from the trees.
Today is a great day to row your boat to the Cufada Lagoons Natural Park!
Address: Fulacunda, Guinea-Bissau
Dulombi-Boe National Park
Have you ever traveled to a part of the world that is uncharted and unmapped?
Only daring tourists should go inside Guinea-largest Bissau’s national park, home to various wildlife.
Dulombi-Boe National Park is located on the mainland between Senegal and Guinea and was established in recent years to safeguard a wider variety of ecosystems important to wildlife.
It is full of winding river channels and pockets of riparian forest and boundless swaths of green savannah terrain that sways in the West African breezes.
And the winding paths are taken by the Corubal River as it travels from the hills located interior to the ocean located to the west.
It comprises a Ramsar site known as Wendu Tcham, home to significant waterbird populations and three wildlife corridors.
The Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park and the Cantanhez National Park are connected to the Cantanhez National Park thanks to the Boé National Park.
These parks protect various animals, including chimpanzees, lions, elephants, and panthers.
Visit Dulombi-Boe National Park to see its untamed beauty.
Address: Dulombi-Boe National Park, Guinea-Bissau
Fortaleza de São José da Amura
When was the first time you visited a fort? Why don’t you go to Guinea-Bissau so that you may see things for yourself?
In West Africa, the Fortaleza de So José da Amura is regarded as one of the first fortifications.
It may be found in Bissau, which is the name of the capital city of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
It was built in 1696 by Portuguese soldiers under the direction of Captain-General José Pinheiro, who constructed the first version of the fortress.
Amilcar Cabral, a well-known politician, engineer, and author most recognized for his role as an anti-colonial leader, was laid to rest.
You can tour the fort and learn about its original state before the 19th and 20th-century renovations and repairs there.
Bissau attractions such as the Fortaleza de Sao Jose da Amura may be the focal point of your holiday planning.
So, don’t make Fortress of Amura wait for you.
Address: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Routine is far more deadly than any daring endeavor. Go travel – Let’s go make some memories. For the full list of countries to visit around the world, visit our traveling the world guide. When traveling the world, a visit to the United States is an absolute must. The United States is home to an abundance of breathtakingly gorgeous open landscapes. It also features a wide range of climates and topographic conditions. Discover the best states to travel to in USA.
João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park
This place has some amazing turtles!
The João Vieira-Poilão Islands Marine National Park is considered to be one of the most distinctive national parks in all of the globe.
It is not unusual to see one of the many distinct sea turtles that inhabit the ocean around the islands’ coastlines.
João Vieira and Poilão, a duo of islands in the Bissagos archipelago, are where endangered Atlantic sea turtles scramble over the shells and sandy sandbanks to lay their eggs.
The islands are home to more than four marine turtles, including the Loggerhead Turtle, Leatherback Turtle, Green Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, and Olive Ridley Turtle.
On a barrier island in the Atlantic Ocean’s easternmost region is where you’ll find the important breeding ground for green sea turtles known as Ilhéu do Poilo.
It’s not unexpected that the entire region has been recognized as a national marine reserve because of the area’s exoticism and stunning beauty.
Meet with the turtles at João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park today!
Address: João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park, Guinea-Bissau
Mão de Timba
Have you ever visited a monument shaped like a fist? Bet you didn’t.
The Mão de Timba is a huge sculpture in a fist found within a few minutes’ walk from the Port of Bissau.
A monument commemorating a vital milestone in the Guinea-Bissau battle for independence may be seen on the banks of the Geba River.
On August 3, 1959, sailors and dockworkers at the Port of Bissau revolted and requested better working conditions and a salary increase. These individuals were working for the prominent Casa Gouveia at the time.
Around fifty people were killed, and one hundred were injured as a direct result of the severe repression they faced at the hands of the Portuguese colonial authority.
In honor of those who perished in the massacre, a sculpture in the port of Bissau depicting a hand with its fingers curled up into a fist and given the name “Mão de Timba” was created.
It refers to the actions of someone who incurs debts intending to evade payment of such obligations.
Do not wait to see Mão de Timba today!
Address: Mão de Timba, Guinea-Bissau
Mercado Central
Time to go shopping in Mercado Central!
There is little doubt that Mercado Central is Bissau’s largest market.
It is a bustling market where many agricultural goods are offered, including mango, cayu, banana, and foli.
At Mercado Central, there are a group of small shops and vendors selling homemade clothing, footwear, and furniture.
You will also get the opportunity to interact with natives, giving you an authentic flavor of the community and culture.
Try some of the country’s traditional food while you are here, and don’t be hesitant to savor some of the freshest ingredients.
Some of the things for sale here might be hard to get, but this market’s main goal is to meet its customers’ needs.
If you wish to see the city’s central market, you may choose to hire a local guide.
It is always entertaining to hear a tour guide describe the bizarre items available at a market.
You should visit this location if you want a look into the daily life of the people that reside here.
Address: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Orango Island
Is a hippo one of your favorite animals? Good news then!
In one of the Bijagos Islands, Orango may be found around 60 kilometers off the shore of mainland Guinea-Bissau.
At 272.5 square kilometers, it is the most oversized island in the archipelago.
The salty lagoons of Orango Grande, one of the Bissagos Islands’ crown jewels and a national park unto itself, are home to hippopotamuses galumphing around.
People interested in wildlife travel in large numbers to this relatively small landmass in the Atlantic Ocean to observe rare salt-water creatures in their natural habitat.
Many local guides offer wetland safaris that venture into the waterways and mangroves to observe these animals.
Visitors to Guinea-Bissau often include a stop at Orango on their itinerary for apparent reasons.
It’s impossible not to admire an extended length of white-sand beaches, a community-owned isolated hotel, and strange native tribes that continue to practice their ancient traditions.
Look into it on your own, and you will not be let down.
Address: Orango Island, Guinea-Bissau
Our Lady of Grace Cathedral
If you were unaware, several other places of worship would share the name “Our Lady of Grace.”
The name “Our Lady of Grace” was given to many churches in nations ruled by the Portuguese.
Two notable examples of this are the Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace in Sao Tome and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace in Cape Verde.
The Roman Catholic Church has a close relationship with Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, a worship site.
It may be found in the town of Bafatá, which is situated in the Batafá area, one of the regions that comprise the African nation of Guinea-Bissau.
The building resembles a Portuguese colonial-style parish church more closely than a cathedral because of its size and layout, typical of parish churches.
This Roman Catholic cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Batafá (Dioecesis Bafatanus), which serves more than half of the country.
Visit Our Lady of Grace Cathedral today!
Address: Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, Guinea-Bissau
Port of Bissau
Do you have any interest in exploring the relatively small port in Guinea-Bissau?
The most important port in Guinea-Bissau is Bissau, also called Porto Pidjiguiti. Because of its location on the Geba River, it provides services to the Bissau capital.
Throughout history, the port has been and will continue to be critical to the nation’s economic growth.
Pidjiguiti docks at the port were the location of the Pidjiguiti massacre, which took place on August 3, 1959.
During the massacre, police opened fire on dockworkers, resulting in the deaths of fifty persons and the injury of over one hundred others.
In remembrance of the terrible event, a major memorial has been constructed in the shape of a massive black hand.
Additionally, a few 18th-century structures remain in the port area, including prison and military barracks.
Even though it’s only a small port, there’s a lot of rich history.
So, you should go to the Port of Bissau now!
Address: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Presidential Palace
Bissau’s Presidential Palace is situated in the heart of the capital city and has witnessed most of the country’s history.
Since the republic of Guinea-Bissau achieved its independence in 1974, the palace has served as the official residence of the nation’s president.
The President of Guinea-Bissau calls the Presidential Palace in Bissau his official residence. In addition to it, meetings of the government cabinet are also held there.
You may go back in time and find Portuguese colonists who built the palace there. It was one of Bissau’s most impressive structures when it was constructed.
It was one of the most significant buildings in the city when it was at its pinnacle, but it was obliterated due to bombing during the civil war between 1998 and 1999.
The Chinese government provided some funding for the palace’s restoration in 2013. After that, the palace was reopened in 2015.
Today is your chance to catch a look at the Presidential Palace!
Address: Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Rubane Island
There is a place on earth known as Rubane, and it is here that wishes are granted, and paradise is created.
The island of Rubane, which can be found in Guinea-Bissau, is part of the Bijagós archipelago.
The island may be found to the northeast of the larger island of Bubaque, separated from it by a narrow strait.
Rubane draws guests with its mosaic of green backwood forests and ivory-white shores and is located five hours by daily ferry from the heart of the archipelago, Bubaque.
The resort known as Ponta Anchaca is the only location to stay in this area.
It comprises wooden houses and groves of tall palm trees that line the shorelines in every direction.
You can visit small fishing villages on the island, where people’s boats are constantly bobbing along the coast.
Coves of golden powdered sand slowly rise from the water, and there are many more.
A day spent on the lovely island of Rubane should be a highlight of your holiday.
Get started on your travel plans right now!
Address: Rubane Island, Guinea-Bissau
Saltinho Waterfall
The stunning appearance of Saltinho Waterfall is sure to captivate you.
The Saltinho Waterfall is widely considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Guinea Bissau.
You’ll find it under a bridge on the main highway from Southern Guinea-Bissau.
Visitors can get a complete view of the water crashing onto the rocks from the suspended concrete bridge that spans the river directly downstream from the rapids.
On the rock terraces, women from the nearby village of Sintchan Sabel may be seen conversing with one another and washing their laundry when viewed from the bridge town.
Near the bridge, you can find both a hotel and a restaurant.
You can stay the night at one of the places and eat lunch at another.
It’s possible to take a stroll along the river or rent fishing gear to fish in the calmer waters below the rapids.
Visit the waterfall in Guinea-Bissau now and see it for yourself!
Address: Saltinho Waterfall, Guinea-Bissau
Varela
It’s hard to beat a sandy beach with palm trees and lush flora that protects you from the wind and sun and its calm, warm water.
It turns out that the beach of interest is located in Guinea-Bissau, called Varela.
It exists, is genuine, and has plenty to offer in a pristine environment of uncommon beauty.
It has all the best beaches in Guinea Bissau. From So Domingos, Varela is just 16 kilometers away.
Some of the most beautiful beaches, such as Fisherman’s Beach, Djufunco Beach, Edjim Beach, and Cato Beach, are hidden by thick vegetation.
The tides are consistent yet do not have any rough parts, and the air is fresh.
Varela used to be a beautiful beach, but soil erosion and a military base nearby have damaged it.
However, it is still a great place to spend the day.
In contrast to Cap Skirring, the beach area of Varela and the natural area around it have kept their typical African aesthetic and aroma.
It’s time to head to Varela’s beaches today!
Address: Varela, Guinea-Bissau
