Mayumba
Gabon · Nyanga · 4 m
Description
Mayumba lies near the Congolese border on a sand bar between a lagoon and the ocean, a fishing town at the end of a long road south. Its beach carries the densest leatherback turtle nesting in the world, with thousands of females hauling out between October and March and the national park protecting both the shore and the water in front of it. Humpback whales, dolphins and manatees use the lagoon and the coast. Nothing here is organised on a large scale, and visits run through the park office and a handful of guesthouses in town. The town is the last stop before the Congolese frontier and the crossing at Ndindi.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 4 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – January
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Leatherback turtle nesting beach (October - March)
- Mayumba National Park
- Empty ocean beach on the sand bar
- Humpback whales and dolphins offshore (July - September)
- Banio lagoon by pirogue
- West African manatees in the lagoon
- Fishing harbour and the daily catch
- Ranger patrols on the nesting beach
- Fishing for tarpon off the sand bar
- Crossing the lagoon to town
- Birdlife along the Banio shore
- Border crossing towards Pointe-Noire
Getting there
- Airports:
- MYB