Beaches of Guinea Bissau
Near deserted white sand beaches,Framed by majestic flora and fauna,Thick vegetation surrounds protected wetlands, a jewel of African diversity.
BEACHES ON THE CONTINENT AND ON THE ISLANDS
Guinea Bissau hasn’t got a great number of beaches, and consequently hasn’t got strong tourist structures, that’s why its beaches are so beautiful, quiet and many times almost desert. Climate is so mild that you can enjoy a stay by the sea for most of the year. Even during the rain season, when the sun is out, the air and the water are so clear that you can profit of the best sights.
The most interesting beaches are on the islands, but there are some very beautiful ones on the continent too.
Bolama Island
Here you find the best beaches in the farthest part of the island, on the south-western point. Wonderful is the beach called Areia Branca. The road to get there runs along forests and fields. The best way to go is by bicycle.
Bubaque Island
Here we recommend the visit of Bruce beach, an almost desert place, far away on an end of the island. Since you get there by roads closed to cars , there are no tourist facilities, and the place is visited just by the dwellers of close by villages.
Rubane Island
This is one of the most lovely in Bijagos islands. There is a large beach of the finest white sand, surrounded by the dark green of the forest, with trees plunging into the sea where they reflect themselves in the calm water. Besides this, the sea at Rubane is very rich in fish, a paradise for fishing.
Melo Island
The only people living here steadily are a few fishermen. The island is completely surrounded by beautiful beaches, one can make the complete tour by foot or by boat. The most famous is Praia dos Flamingos, a gorgeous white sand beach where you find large number of birds and some migratory species.
Beaches can be found in almost any island and in many islets, they are smaller and less renowned, but not less beautiful.
If you are in Orango, you can’t miss the long beach between the point of Orango Park Hotel and Eticoga. Some beaches aren’t made of sand but of shell sediments. One, for example, lies on an islet on the way between Bubaque and Orango, here represented by a fisher eagle going to take flight. You must rent a boat to reach these beaches. Our advise is to organize a tour of the islands, where the sailor will suggest the best ones to visit.
Varela
Varela’s coast-line, towards the border of Senegal, is a place of particular, almost untouched beauty.
This beach is the prosecution of the long coast, typical of the region of Casamance, in Senegal, just across the border.
When you get to the sea from the road, don’t be deceived by some remainders of dwellings: just beyond, toward north, the landscape is beautiful, and this is the most renowned beach in all of continental Guinea Bissau. The environment is still untouched, there are cows grazing on the beach, and quite often you can see small monkeys by the sea.
Praia de Suru
This beach is less spectacular, but it’s very close to the capital and very easy to reach. It’s on the point of the Prabis Peninsula.
How to get there, where to sleep, where to eat
To reach Varela, you must go to São Domingos by road (there are also collective taxis) and there find a passage to the coast, 50 km. away. Both in Varela and São Domingos the are hotels.
