Bijagós Islands

⚠️ Timetables, opening hours, prices and access conditions may change without notice, for reasons beyond our control (season, weather, decisions by operators, venues or local authorities). Before every trip, check the information with the relevant authorities and service providers. Entry requirements and local rules (reserves, quotas) are subject to the same caveat.

Off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, the Bijagós archipelago strings together some 88 islands and islets, only about twenty of them permanently inhabited. The only active deltaic archipelago on Africa’s Atlantic coast, it has been a biosphere reserve since 1996 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2025. Its mangroves, mudflats and empty beaches shelter hippos that live in salt water, tens of thousands of green turtle nests and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds. The Bijagó people, animists devoted to their sacred islands, have kept a unique culture alive. Tourism remains low-key, centred on a handful of lodges.

Where are the Bijagós Islands?

The Bijagós archipelago lies in the Atlantic Ocean, some sixty kilometres off Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. Formed by the ancient deltas of the Geba and Grande de Buba rivers, it is a maze of low islands, channels and sandbanks that emerge at low tide. It makes up the Bolama-Bijagós region, whose administrative centre is the town of Bolama, on the island of the same name. The largest island is Orango, about 272 km², in the south-west, while Bubaque, in the centre, has most of the services.

The islands fall into several groups. In the centre, Bubaque, Rubane and Soga are the most accessible, with a few lodges and an airstrip on Bubaque. In the south, Orango National Park takes in Orango, Orangozinho, Meneque, Imbone and Canogo, while João Vieira-Poilão Marine National Park protects a group of more remote islets. To the east, Canhabaque stands out for its traditions, and in the north, Formosa, Nago and Chediã form the Urok community marine protected area. Many islands, reserved for rituals, remain uninhabited.

History and culture

The Bijagó people, who gave the archipelago its name, have lived here for centuries in animist village communities. Feared seafarers, they long resisted Portuguese colonisation, and the archipelago was only fully subdued in the 1930s. Bolama was the capital of Portuguese Guinea until 1941, and its crumbling colonial buildings, overgrown with vegetation, still recall that era. On Orango, the memory of Queen Okinka Pampa, who died in 1930, lives on, and her tomb in Eticoga is a place of remembrance for the islanders.

Bijagó society gives women an important place, particularly on Canhabaque and Orango, where they play a central role in domestic, economic and religious life. Initiation rites, including the fanado, take place in forests and on sacred islands that are off-limits to outsiders and sometimes to part of the local population. Bull, shark and sawfish masks bring the dances to life, especially during the Bubaque carnival in February. This traditional management of natural resources largely explains why the archipelago remains so well preserved today.

What to see in the Bijagós

Bubaque is the gateway to the archipelago: its small port, market and red dirt tracks lead to Bruce Beach in the south, a long and almost deserted stretch of sand. Rubane, just opposite, is home to several fishing-oriented lodges. From here, boats head to Bolama and its ghostly colonial town, or to Canhabaque and its traditional villages, which you visit with a guide while respecting local taboos. Some lodges also arrange visits to villages such as Caravela and Carache in the north of the archipelago.

In the south, Orango National Park is famous for its hippos, which live in the lagoons and swim in the sea, a phenomenon unique on the African continent. You can see them with a guide from the village of Eticoga, also home to the tomb of Queen Okinka Pampa. Further on, João Vieira-Poilão Marine National Park protects one of the most important green turtle nesting sites in the Atlantic; access to Poilão, a sacred island, is strictly controlled. Deserted islands and sandbanks reveal themselves on boat cruises.

Beaches, sea and nature

The beaches of the Bijagós are among the wildest in West Africa: golden sand, palm trees and forests running down to the water, with no buildings in sight. The strong tides uncover vast mudflats and sandbanks, so swimming is best at high tide, and you should watch out for currents in the channels. The archipelago is renowned for sport fishing: jacks, barracuda, threadfin, grouper and sharks draw anglers from around the world, many of whom practise catch and release, from roughly October to May.

According to UNESCO, more than 280 bird species use the archipelago, one of the main wintering grounds for shorebirds arriving from Europe. On Poilão, green turtles nest mainly from June to December, peaking in August and September, and more than 60,000 nests were counted in 2020. Manatees, dolphins and sharks also roam the archipelago’s waters. The Orango and João Vieira-Poilão national parks are managed by IBAP: a permit and an entrance fee are generally required, and the lodges arrange this for their guests.

Getting there and getting around

There are no direct flights between France and Bissau. Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB) is served by TAP Air Portugal from Lisbon, Royal Air Maroc via Casablanca and Air Sénégal via Dakar, among others, so allow at least one stop from Paris. To reach the islands, Consulmar runs a regular ferry between Bissau and Bubaque, taking about four hours depending on the tide, and also offers fast boats. Schedules and rotations change often, so check with the operators before you travel.

Air Bijagos, based on Bubaque, operates scheduled and on-demand flights to Bissau as well as scenic flights over the archipelago. Between islands, everything goes by boat: most lodges arrange transfers from Bissau or Bubaque on equipped speedboats. The French authorities strongly advise against shared pirogues, which are often overloaded, and recommend hotel boats with proper safety equipment. On the islands, people mostly get around on foot or by bicycle; only a few vehicles use the dirt tracks of Bubaque.

Best time to go, budget and entry requirements

The best time to visit is the dry season, from November to May, with temperatures of 25 to 30 °C, calmer seas and the peak of the fishing season. From June to October, the rainy season brings heavy downpours and makes crossings difficult, and many lodges close. It is, however, the turtle nesting season on Poilão, which can only be visited under strict supervision. In February, the Bubaque carnival is a chance to see Bijagó masks and dances.

The currency is the CFA franc (XOF), pegged to the euro (€1 = 655.957 CFA francs); withdraw cash in Bissau, as cards are rarely accepted on the islands. French citizens need a visa, obtained from the Guinea-Bissau embassy in Paris, and a visa on arrival is only possible in special cases; most EU citizens face the same rule, but check for your nationality. Consular fees are around €60 for a tourist visa, as a rough guide. A yellow fever certificate is required and malaria is present. Lodges often charge over €100 per day full board.

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Nearby islands: Saloum Islands, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe and Santo Antão.

Photo : R.S. Puijk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons