Ilha de Bolama

Located just off the mainland, about 40km (25mi) south of Bissau, the island of Bolama was long home to the Portuguese capital. Deprived of its status in 1941, the once-grand town (also called Bolama) has been decaying ever since, with sagging colonnades and papaya trees sprouting from stately living rooms. The effect is one of eerie beauty.

The island is virtually devoid of a tourist infrastructure, though the NGO Prodepa, an international group devoted to preserving traditional fishing techniques, rents basic rooms and serves food. The closest beach is about 4km (2.5mi) south of Bolama town, but the best beaches are along the far southwest end of the island, about 20km (12mi) from town via a rugged road.