Things to Do in Bissau

Old colonial cemetery in the Bissau Velho district, with weathered Portuguese tombstones, crumbling mausoleums, and striking mature baobab trees growing through graves.

🕐 24 hours

💡 Visit late afternoon for golden light through the baobabs. It's quiet and uncrowded—bring mosquito repellent. Avoid touching unstable stonework.

18th-century Portuguese fort housing the mausoleum of Amílcar Cabral and a small military museum with colonial-era cannons and revolutionary artefacts.

🕐 Mon-Fri 08:00-17:30, Sat 08:00-12:00

💡 Entry costs about 500 CFA (under £1). Go early morning before it gets hot, and ask the guard to unlock the roof for harbour views.

Bissau's largest open-air market, spilling with fabric stalls, dried fish, colourful plasticware, and local snacks like grilled cashews.

🕐 Daily 06:00-18:00

💡 Wander the back alleys for handwoven baskets and djambadon (traditional drums). Haggle gently—prices are low already. Watch your pockets in crowds.

A long stretch of grey-sand beach along the Geba estuary, popular with joggers and footballers at sunset. Mangroves fringe one end.

🕐 24 hours

💡 Bring water and avoid swimming—currents and pollution make it unsafe. Best at 17:00 when locals gather for informal capoeira sessions.

Small but well-kept museum displaying ceremonial masks, fertility statues, musical instruments, and textiles from the Balanta, Fulani, and Bijagó peoples.

🕐 Tue-Sat 09:00-17:00, Sun 09:00-12:00

💡 Entry is 300 CFA—donations help maintenance. Ask for the guide Abdoulaye; he speaks English and can explain the ritual meaning of each mask.