Guinea-Bissau: Mangroves, Islands and Nature Parks

In Guinea-Bissau, the natural environments described range from mangroves and wetlands to islands, forest areas and savannas. Historic sites and cultural connections also shape the travel experience. The protected areas each have a different focus: Rio Cacheu is home to a vast mangrove area, while the Bijagós Archipelago is known, among other things, for its island habitats and sea turtles. At Lagoa de Cufada, lakes, rivers and various forest and wetland habitats meet.

Mangroves, Lakes and Forest Areas

Parque Natural dos Tarrafes do Rio Cacheu encompasses part of the Rio Cacheu and protects the largest continuous mangrove forest in West Africa. Lagoa de Cufada Natural Park also brings together a variety of aquatic and forest landscapes. It covers around 880 km² and includes Lagoa de Cufada, two smaller lakes, and parts of the Rio Corubal and Rio Grande de Buba. Its habitats include mangroves, gallery forests and dense forest areas. Lagoa de Cufada is Guinea-Bissau's largest freshwater lake.

The habitats of Lagoa de Cufada Natural Park are home to 54 mammal species and 337 bird species, particularly waterbirds. The area is classified as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Cantanhez National Park has a different focus: covering 1,057 km², it encompasses a variety of natural habitats, including sea arms, mangroves, dry forests and savannas. Concentrations of waterbirds and manatees are a defining feature of the Urok Islands Community Marine Protected Area.

Island Habitats and Sea Turtles

The Bolama-Bijagós Biosphere Reserve is an archipelago of 88 islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. Its habitats include mangroves and mudflats, as well as palm groves, coastal woodland savannas and semi-arid forests. The archipelago is considered Africa's most important nesting site for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas); nearly 10,000 adult females live there. The Bijagós Archipelago is also visited by nearly 800,000 Palearctic waders each year, and bird species come there to breed.

Parque Nacional Marinha João Vieira e Poilão covers 500 km² and protects, among other things, the Atlantic's third-largest colony of green sea turtles. Orango National Park covers 1,582 km² and encompasses the islands of Orango, Menegue, Canogo, Imbone and Orangozinho. It is dedicated to protecting the archipelago's richest biodiversity and its unique landscape. Those interested in the protected areas will find a range of descriptions of wetlands, forest habitats and island environments—and of the species associated with them.

Cacheu: History and Experiences

The southern part of Parque Natural dos Tarrafes do Rio Cacheu encompasses the historic town of Cacheu. It was a former slave port and the first capital of Portuguese Guinea. A guided tour of historic Cacheu includes the fort built by the Portuguese in 1588 to control the regional slave trade, the slavery museum and the chapel. Confirm the current arrangements for the tour locally before planning it.

Trips also offer different ways to explore the landscapes around Cacheu: a canoe trip near the town on the Rio Blimbom takes in mangroves, birdlife and a sacred forest. A pirogue trip between Cacheu and São Domingos passes through mangrove and rice-field landscapes rich in birdlife. Check the current arrangements for the trips locally.

Cacheu also has cultural connections to Cobiana: the place is associated with a sacred forest, cultural heritage and a Manjako pilgrimage. The Felup villages are connected with landscapes, rice fields and mangroves, as well as with cultural heritage and a rice harvest festival. These themes complement the nature parks with a range of historical and cultural perspectives.

Discover more destinations: Nhiquim, Bissau, Bruce, Mauritania, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Liberia, Guinea.

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