Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau Holidays – Tours & Adventure Travel Guide

PureTravel Says
“Guinea-Bissau is a former Portuguese colony and is bordered by Guinea. It has a total area of 36,544 km2, which makes it amongst the smallest nations in continental Africa. Guinea-Bissau is divided into eight main regions with one autonomous sector: Bafatá, Biombo, Bolama-Bijagos, Gabú, Quinara, Oio, Tombali and Cacheu are the eight regions with Bissau being the autonomous sector. Bissau is also the capital city of Guinea and has a number of attractions such as the presidential palace, Bissau Velho, the beautiful beach of João Vieira at the Poilão National Marine Park and Porto Pidjiguiti.”

Guinea-Bissau Holiday Highlights

Fishing - Fishing is one of the highlights in Guinea-Bissau especially in the Bijagos Archipelago, a group of 18 major islands along with a multitude of small islands. Generally, fishing in the Bijagos Archipelago is done 25 miles off the coast where different types of fish can be found such as jacks, tarpon, snappers, barracuda, cobias and sharks. The average water depth of Bijagos Archipelago is not more than 20 to 50 feet and fishing is done during low tide, but that depth can go up to 150 feet which is quite common for tropical seas.

Wildlife & Nature - On your Guinea-Bissau holiday, you must not forget to visit the Bijagós Islands not only for fishing but for wildlife viewing as well. The forested area of Bijagos Archipelago is the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that has two national parks. Saltwater hippos are quite interesting to see and to meet them; you will have to visit the southern Orango Islands. Along with hippos, you should not miss a chance to witness the endangered sea turtles, which live in the eastern João Vieira Islands. In addition, some people also love to see chimpanzees and that’s the reason why they travel to Cantanhez Natural Park in the forest of Cato and Jamberem. Just 125 km from Bissau is the largest fauna sanctuary of western Africa called the River Zoo Farm.

You can make your Guinea-Bissau tour even more incredible by getting face-to-face with some reptiles like the Bitis gabonica rhinoceros, which can be extremely fascinating for travelers due to its large nasal horns.

Trekking and Bird Watching - Trekking through the thick jungle is a great experience as it allows you to watch several species of birds such as the blue-headed wood-dove and Iris Glossy-starling, which is also known as the Emerald Starling. Guinea-Bissau is a treat for bird watchers as there are as many as 470 species. Grebes, petrels, osprey, eagles, hawks, caracaras, wood hoopoes, macaws, falcons, hornbills, mousebirds and kingfishers are some of the most significant birds found in this part of the world.

Game Shooting - Another great activity to perform in Guinea-Bissau is game shooting. Game is available in large numbers in jungle areas but the town of Bolama and island of Bubaque are considered the best for game shooting.

When To Go

Guinea-Bissau has a tropical monsoon climate. The cooler season lasts from November to April. Between December to February the weather is dry and not so hot.

Top Tips

While going fishing, do take special care in terms of moving on the rocks, as they are extremely slippery.
Respect social traditions, especially in the areas where people follow Muslim customs.
Before taking pictures of military installations, you need to receive permission from the security personnel.