The Best Attractions in West Africa

West Africa has a lot to offer visitors, from Mali’s Timbuktu to Senegal’s Goree Island and West Africa’s highest peak in Cameroon. The region has volcanic outcrops, tropical rainforests, deserts, blue beaches, and a slice of paradise for you, whether you are an overseas visitor or a tourist in your own country.

A trip to West Africa is enlightening, captivating, and entertaining. It’s filled with diverse countries and cities, history and cultures, gastronomic scenes, and nationalities. As a result, deciding on the best attractions to visit can be pretty tricky.

Whether you want to go on the ultimate African adventure, explore new cultural places, or simply get away from the usual locations, our list of the best attractions to visit in West Africa has what you’re looking for;

Mauritania’s Saharan Oases

Mauritania, south of Morocco and north of Senegal, encompasses over 418,000 sq miles of the Sahara, with only a million people to populate the vast expanse. The Adrar region of Mauritania first makes you wonder if you’re on a movie set before allowing you to explore the area. The Sahara Desert, grand canyons, and rocky escarpments provide you with an ocean of sand. In the desert, you can’t help but admire the palm-fringed oases. To reach the remote caravan towns of Terjit, Ouadane, and Chinguetti, you can either ride a camel or drive a four-wheel drive.

Nigeria’s Obudu Mountain Resort

Obudu Mountain Resort is one of West Africa’s most spectacular and luxuriant tourist destinations. The resort’s glory is not shared by its location, perfectly nestled in the highlands with an enviable temperate climate in a tropical region. Obudu Mountain Resort does not disappoint whether you are looking for idyllic tranquillity or adventure. There is no better place to be than the Obudu Mountain Resort, with its panoramic view, cable ride, attractive landscape, calming ambience, and rich natural vegetation.

Ganvie, Benin

Ganvie has been dubbed the “Venice of Africa” due to its water world, touristic, cultural, and diverse historic sites. The charming fishing village is located on the northern coast of Benin’s Lake Nokoué and offers bars, restaurants, hotels, and waterfront homes. Ganvie means “we are saved” in the local language. People fled tribal warfare and slavery in the ancient kingdom of Dahomey to this destination.

Although Ganvie is not the most pleasant place to visit in Benin, it is an interesting day trip and a one-of-a-kind location. You can reach the fishing village by taking a taxi to Abomey-lagoon Calavi’s edge. From there, take a paddleboat to the village.

Senegal’s Goree Island (Ile de Goree)

Goree Island (Ile de Goree) is a small island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal’s sprawling capital. The island is such a tranquil haven that the Senegalese named Ber, while the Portuguese renamed it, Ila de Palma.

However, the Dutch renamed the island Good Reed, and the French dubbed it Goree, which means “good harbour.” The main attraction on the island is the Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves), which the Dutch built-in 1776. This former slave-holding facility is now a museum. There are some other fascinating museums to visit on the island as well as a flourishing little pier lined with fish restaurants.

Goree Island is a serene haven, and because there are no cars on the island, you can easily get around on your own.

Mali’s Timbuktu

Timbuktu still evokes magic and mystery, conjuring images of strange folk trinkets rattling, spice scents, and sabres rattling in dusty bazaars. Relics from the past litter the grounds, reminding visitors of the power and majesty that this place once possessed.

Explore the sand-caked street grids, the muddy walls of the Sankore Mosque, and the spiked rises of the Djingareyber. This location is only accessible by boat. A visit to Timbuktu gives you a glimpse into the past while also allowing you to interact with the present.

Getting to Timbuktu is not easy, but the journey is quite adventurous. Taking a boat down the Niger River is the main mode of transportation to the desert town.

Ivory Coast’s “City of 18 Mountains”, Man

With its majestic reliefs, Man provides you with magic and adventure. Man, the Tonkpi region’s capital, is markedly different from the rest of the county, with mountains dominating the landscape.

Dragonflies, butterflies, and monkeys of the sacred forest of Gbêpleu live in the heart of the forest. It has liana bridges that allow you to cross beautiful waterfalls. If you’re not afraid of heights, the Dent de Man is waiting for you to conquer them. You can walk through this sacred forest and look for the beautiful waterfalls surrounded by bamboo trees.

Ghana’s Kakum Conservation Area

The Kakum Conservation Area, which includes Kakum National Park and the Assin Attandanso Resource Reserve, is wildlife-protected. The area is home to a variety of wildlife and plants, as well as modern camping facilities. The conservation area features seven suspension bridges that form a 333-meter-long canopy walkway and are suspended 27 meters above the forest floor from trees up to 300 years old. The Kakum Canopy Walkway provides a fascinating wildlife experience as well as breathtaking scenery.

Cameroon’s Mountain of Greatness, Mount Cameroon

Mount Cameroon, the highest peak in West Africa, rises about 4,040m above sea level and is known as the “Mountain of Greatness.” Fako and Mongo ma Lobo are other names for the mountain. It is located in Cameroon National Park, near the town of Buea in southwest Cameroon. The mountain has several hiking trails that are moderately difficult to climb. It is, however, a beautiful mountain to climb as you pass through a variety of “geographical areas” on your way to the peak. Before reaching the rocky summit, the main route winds through farmland, rainforest, montane forests, and savannah. The oldest and steepest trail is the Guinness Trail, named after an annual marathon race sponsored by Guinness Beer.

If you’ve been planning to explore West Africa, here are some of the best attractions to add to your itinerary. Who knows, you might just feel compelled to visit them right away! Have fun exploring!