Discover Beauties of Sierra Leone
After long years of civil war, peace has finally been restored throughout Sierra Leone, opening the door to tourism. For more than 20 years now, the country has been rebuilt and its wonders can once again be enjoyed by everyone. Your trip to SL will blend cultures, dance, food, people. But also nature, wildlife beaches and islands. There is so much to do, so much to see, so much to experiment.
History and Culture in Freetown
Located on the peninsula on the estuary of the Sierra Leone River, Freetown is a port city and the capital of Sierra Leone.
It’s known for its beaches and historical role in the transatlantic slave trade. The City is built on a historic and heritage ambiance,
Freetown presents diverse and unique cultures with warmed and welcoming people. Its famous old town’s centuries-old Cotton Tree is a historical symbol of emancipation not only of Freetown but of Sierra Leone as a whole.
Many cultural attractions are worth a visit, as the St George’s Cathedral, the German Heidelberg Cement factory, the National Museum with its De Ruyter stone, the Maroon Church, the Foulah Town Mosque and the main market. On the waterfront is the King’s Yard Gate, through which former slaves walked to freedom. Its gigantic natural harbour and Queen Elizabeth II Quay are home to huge international ships.
At night, Freetown is a real capitale, vibrant and exciting. You will be surprised by the incredible atmosphere of the frenetic parties in the nightclubs of the capitale.
Nature and Wildlife
Located in West Africa, bordered by Liberia and Guinea, the country lies at the foot of the Atlantic Ocean. Sierra Leone is a beautiful country surrounded with hills, valleys, lagoons and even mangroves. It is abundantly covered with forests with intense foliage, as well as hills and mountains, the highest of which is Loma Mansa (1948 meters).
The beauty of our nature is protected and you can enjoy its authenticity in Gola Forest Reserve, Kangari or Kambui Hills Forest and Outamba Killimi national park. Our friendly chimpanzees will welcome you in Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Initially established to enforce wildlife laws and rescue and rehabilitate orphaned chimpanzees, the Sanctuary has grown into a diverse conservation organization.Caring for close to 100 chimpanzees on-site, Tacugama is also actively engaged offsite in community outreach, wildlife field research, environmental sustainability, conservation education and alternative livelihoods programs.
The Gola Forest is the largest area of lowland rain forest remaining in Sierra Leone, and is one of the most important sites for the conservation of threatened wildlife in the country. It is the largest track of closed canopy, lowland rain forest in Sierra Leone.
Beaches and Islands
This country is also famous for its heavenly beaches where you can lie on and sunbathe, taste fish specialities, or make all sorts of watersports. From « Lumley Beach » in the center of Freetown, to the peaceful white sands Tokeh Beach, by the ocean breeze, don’t miss Lakka Beach and its lobsters specialities, neither River Number Two Beach where the river and the ocean meet.
Banana Island is one of the main attractions in Sierra Leone due to its great beauty and history. Lush forest reaches to the edge of the ocean, which means that you can scuba dive, snorkel, fish or make a
boat trip and then hike in the tropic forest. The historical sites on Banana Island are linked to the colonial times and the slave trade and visitors can find informative tours to discover the role of Banana Island during the slave trade in West Africa.
Tasso Island has become one of the most appealing destination in Sierra Leone. Accompanied by stunning views of ocean and tropical forest, visitors can find there many different guided tours such as bird watching, forest hikes, local fishing and exploring the colonial past of the island. Bunce Island was the largest British slave castle on the Rice Coast of West Africa. Its history will not leave you indifferent, just as its landscapes are superb.
Surf
Sierra Leone is close to the equator with a humid tropical climate, the water is warm all year round. The coastline stretches for over 500 kilometres along the Atlantic Ocean. The country can be divided into two surfing areas: the Freetown peninsula and the wild south. This coastal strip is interspersed with rivers and Caribbean-like beaches. It is not the most swell-prone area, but one beach after another, mouths and rocky points create sandbanks with tricky waves like Sussex, River Number Two or Bureh. Surfing was introduced by a French surfer in the 1980s, but the war stopped its development. Since the end of war, surf became more and more important in the country. The inaugural event of a series of invitational surf contests of Africa Surf International (ASI) took place in Bureh Beach (October 27 – Novembre 2, 2014). This weeklong celebration of education and cultural diversity saw the world’s finest African and African Diaspora professional and amateur surfers compete in the name of unity and development for Sierra Leone. “It is very important that this invitational surf series begins in Sierra Leone,” stated ASI’s Director of Communications, Imani Wilmot. We are also very proud of Kadiatu Kamara, the First Female Surfer of Sierra Leone, awarded with the ASI Sponsorship in 2016. She describes her experience in the book « Afro-Surf » from Mami Wata. The other spot is located in Turtle Islands. They are the most isolated islands in West Africa.Located in the wild south of the country, this group of eight islands is inhabited by an ethnic group that has little contact with the outside world. One must imagine an intact and untamed universe where nature predominates and where the impact of man is weak. The southern swell season, from May to October, bombards the most exposed beaches. The potential is real. Here there are no rocks or coral, only sand. produced the best waves, in particular a right-handed wave at the exit of a pass. Isolated from the world, lovers of beachbreaks and wilderness will find here a natural paradise where the notion of adventure takes on its full meaning. The Turtle Islands archipelago receives the southern swell from May to October.