Grand-Bassam
Côte d'Ivoire · Comoé · 5 m
Description
Grand-Bassam was the first colonial capital of Côte d'Ivoire and was abandoned by the administration in 1896 after a yellow fever epidemic, which is why the quarter of French merchant houses, the governor's palace and the post office are still standing largely as built and largely empty. UNESCO listed the historic town in 2012. Forty kilometres from Abidjan on a sand spit between the ocean and the Ébrié lagoon, it is where the city goes at the weekend, and the beach bars behind the crumbling facades do most of their business on Sunday.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: August or November – February
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Historic Town of Grand-Bassam (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Beach bars on the ocean side (every Sunday)
- Colonial quarter and the crumbling merchant houses
- Musée National du Costume in the governor's palace
- Ocean beach and the Atlantic surf
- Craft market of the artisans' village
- Ébrié lagoon side and its pirogues
- Abissa festival of the N'Zima (approx. October - November)
- Grilled fish and attiéké at the beach kitchens
- Sacred crocodile pond and the old cathedral