Bissau

Bissau is one of the most pleasant capitals in Africa. The city is quiet, with little traffic and no hassles. The main street is Avenida Amilcar Cabral and runs from the docks to Praça dos Heróis Nacionais, a large roundabout to the north. In front of the roundabout is the Presidential Palace

. The city can easily be explored on foot and there are numerous beautiful Portuguese colonial-style buildings lining the narrow streets in the western side of town.

The National Museum is located at the Complexe Escolar on the road to the airport. It has exhibitions on traditional artifacts from the area. The covered central market (Mercado Central) is a busy place where people sell and buy their wares. It is on Avenida Domingos Ramos about 500 meters from the seafront.

To the northwest of town is another, much larger market, called Mercado de Bandim. The stalls on the Bandim market mostly sell foodstuffs. It is on Avenida 14 de Novembro, some 2 km from the center.

There is a cathedral just behind Avenida Amilcar Cabral, but it is of little interest. Near the seafront is the large Portuguese-built fort of Fortaleza de São José da Amura, but it is used by the military and not open to the public. The fort was built in the 18th century. Be careful when taking photographs in that area, as it is not allowed.

Other sites of interest in Bissau include the mausoleum of Amílcar Cabral, the Pidjiguiti Memorial that was erected to commemorate the dockers killed in the Bissau Dockers' Strike in 1959, the Guinea-Bissau National Arts Institute, the Bissau New Stadium and the Bissau French Cultural Centre.

There are several good beaches in and around Bissau.

There is a whole score of accommodation in Bissau, ranging from very cheap to hugely expensive. The water and electricity systems in the capital are erratic; so don't expect to take a shower whenever you want, even in the hotels.

There are also lots of restaurants and nightclubs in town, but the best place to find local food is around the Mercado de Bandim, just past the water tower. Most restaurants are situated in the city center. The airport is northwest of Bissau. Transportation around the city is by taxi.

Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Miscellaneous Information

Latitude: 11°52' N
Longitude: 15°39' W
Elevation: 0 m (0 ft)

Population: 500,000
Cost-of-living compared to Washington D.C.: 128%

Hours from UTC: 0
Daylight savings time: n/a

City phone code: Not required
Country phone code: 245

Hotels in Bissau

Images

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