Cotonou
This busy cultural centre has a gallery, an outdoor theatre, a library and a cinema.
Must-see attractions in West Africa
Liberia
This beach is for ambitious surfers – it heaves towards the shiny granite rocks.
Cabo Verde
It's well worth taking a stroll through this bustling food market in the Platô.
Lagos
Nine tennis courts, as well as a gym, squash, billiards and table tennis.
Serekunda & Atlantic Coast Resorts
A useful landmark on Karaiba Ave, this is the main mosque in the city.
Abidjan
Designed by Italian architect Aldo Spiritom, the Cathedrale St Paul is a bold and innovative modern cathedral. The stained glass is as warm and rich as…
Guinea
Around an hour's drive south of Macenta is the 116,000-acre Forêt Classée de Ziama, a disturbed but still beautiful stretch of rainforest. The forest is…
São Tomé
It's hard to miss the huge pink presidential palace, which faces the cathedral, but unfortunately it is not open to the public. Two bored guards do a…
Togo
Local farmers sell their produce here; there's also the usual bric-a-brac of plasticware and clothes. Since it's one of the biggest markets around this…
Casamance
The city's post office is one of Central Ziguinchor's colourful colonial buildings. Although you can go inside, there isn't much to see at the small…
Conakry
Conakry's dwindling Christian population almost manages to fill the pews of the red and yellow Cathédrale Sainte-Marie each Sunday morning. Construction…
Côte d'Ivoire
Erected in 1914 by the French, commemorating the victims of yellow fever. It is the work of Alfred Lenoir, a sculptor who dedicated much of his oeuvre to…
Côte d'Ivoire
The Palais de Justice should be your first stop on a walk through town. Built in 1910, it was in this building that members of Côte d'Ivoire's PDCI-RDA…
Liberia
On the site of the old Africana Museum, which once had a 3000-piece collection, this is one of West Africa's oldest universities. The campus consist of…
Libreville
The main 'sight' in town is the golden glass Presidential Palace, a vast seafront monolith from which the Bongo dynasty rules Gabon. It was built in the…
Conakry
The Botanical Garden is more a semi-wild patch of tropical forest rather than a botanical garden. It's a nice place for a relaxed walk under the kapok…
Société Nouvelle Sucrière de la Comoé
Burkina Faso
On the road to the Dômes de Fabedougou from Banfora, this sugar factory is one of Burkina's more unusual sights. It produces 35,000 tonnes of sugar a year…
Ouagadougou
You don't need to be into music to enjoy this excellent museum: the Burkinabé live and breathe music and a visit to the museum serves as a great…
Conakry
Destroyed in a bombardment by mutinous troops in 1996, the former Palais des Nations was renovated, re-opened and re-christened the Palais Mohammed V …
Bissau
Surrounded by imposing, if decomposing stone walls, this fort, originally built in 1753, is the headquarters of the Guinean military and off-limits to…
Côte d'Ivoire
This museum, located in the former governor's palace, has a nice little exhibit showing the clothing styles of various ethnic groups and a photographic…
Guinea
Lording it on the hill overlooking the town, the Cité de Niger was built by Touré to house his guests. Since his fall from power the site had been allowed…
Nouakchott
Moderately worthwhile for anyone with an interest in Moorish culture. On the first level is a prehistoric gallery with archaeological exhibits while the…
The Gambia
Spread across 115 sq km on the south bank of the river, Kiang West National Park contains an impressive array of plant and animal life. There are more…
Liberia
Former Liberian president Charles Taylor (who is currently serving a sentence for war crimes in a UK prison) masterminded rebel operations in Sierra Leone…
Monrovia
There isn't much to mark the spot where freed American slaves first disembarked, but the government is planning to turn Providence Island into a…
Conakry
Seeing worshippers flock to Conakry's impressive Grande Mosquée on a Friday is amazing. Built in 1984, the mosque is a striking building that accommodates…
