Libreville
Gabon · Estuaire · 12 m
Description
Libreville spreads along the north shore of the Gabon Estuary and is where almost every visit to the country begins, a city of glass ministries and tin-roofed quarters strung out on a single coastal boulevard. Freed slaves landed here in 1849 and gave the town its name. The Mont-Bouët market fills several blocks with fabric, smoked fish and hardware, and the church of Saint-Michel de Nkembo stands on thirty-one wooden columns carved with biblical scenes by a blind sculptor. The national museum holds masks and reliquary figures of the Fang and Kota. Boats cross the estuary to the beaches at Pointe-Denis in half an hour.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Marché du Mont-Bouët
- Boulevard du Bord de Mer waterfront
- Église Saint-Michel de Nkembo and its carved columns
- Fang and Kota masks in the Musée National des Arts et Traditions
- La Sablière beach
- Cathédrale Sainte-Marie
- Village des Artisans craft market
- Arboretum de Sibang
- Akanda National Park mangroves and shorebirds(Day trip)
- Grilled fish and street food at Nkembo
- Mémorial Léon Mba
- Stèle de la Liberté
- Grande Mosquée and its minaret
- Presidential Palace seen from the corniche
- Pointe-Denis by boat across the estuary(Day trip)
- Nightlife around the Quartier Louis
- Owendo port and the start of the railway
Getting there
- Airports:
- LBV
- Train stations:
- Owendo
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry