Find places in Gabon

Must-Haves

• Musée National des Arts, Rites et Traditions du Gabon (Centre ville)
  The best introduction to Gabon's peoples, with masks and ritual objects from across the country.
• Église Saint-Michel de Nkembo (Nkembo)
  A church famous for its carved wooden columns telling Bible stories in a Gabonese style.

Fun for Everyone

• Cathédrale Sainte-Marie (Centre ville)
  The city's historic cathedral, tied to the mission that shaped early Libreville.
• Institut Français du Gabon (Centre ville)
  Concerts, films, exhibitions and talks that bring together Gabonese and visiting artists.

Off the Beaten Path

• Quartier Glass (Glass)
  One of the oldest districts in the city, with port views and colonial era traces.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Marché de Mont-Bouët (Mont-Bouët)
  The city's biggest market, a crowded maze of food, fabric and everyday life.
• Marché de Nkembo (Nkembo)
  A busy neighbourhood market for fresh produce, smoked fish and spices.

Off the Beaten Path

• Marché d'Akébé (Akébé)
  A local market well away from the tourist trail, good for seeing daily routines.

Fun for Everyone

• Centre Commercial Mbolo (Centre ville)
  A long running shopping centre for supplies, pharmacies and air conditioned browsing.

Fun for Everyone

• Bord de Mer promenade (Centre ville)
  The seafront boulevard for evening walks, ocean breezes and sunsets over the estuary.
• Boulevard Triomphal (Centre ville)
  The grand avenue of monuments and ministries that shows off the capital's ambitions.
• Port Môle (Centre ville)
  The boat landing where crossings to Pointe-Denis begin.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gare d'Owendo (Owendo)
  The Transgabonais railway station, starting point for the train journey to Lopé.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gare routière de PK8 (PK8)
  The main bus station for trips south to Lambaréné and beyond.

Must-Haves

• Akanda National Park (Akanda)
  Mangroves and mudflats on the city's edge, rich in migrating birds.

Off the Beaten Path

• Raponda Walker Arboretum (La Sablière)
  Protected coastal forest and beach within easy reach of the city.
• Cap Estérias (Cap Estérias)
  Rocky coves, seafood and calm afternoons an hour north of the city.
• Cap Santa Clara (Cap Santa Clara)
  A quiet cape with a historic lighthouse and wild beaches.

Fun for Everyone

• Plage de La Sablière (La Sablière)
  A city beach where Libreville families relax at weekends.

Great for Date Night

• Quartier Louis (Quartier Louis)
  The classic nightlife district of terraces, bars and live music.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Maquis of Quartier Louis (Quartier Louis)
  Simple open air spots for cold Régab and grilled food until late.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Grilled fish stalls of Louis (Quartier Louis)
  Poisson braisé straight off the coals, the authentic Libreville dinner.

Must-Haves

• Radisson Blu Okoumé Palace (Centre ville)
  A large seafront hotel with pool and estuary views, central for first-time visitors.

Fun for Everyone

• Onomo Hotel Libreville (Near the airport)
  A modern, practical hotel close to the airport for arrivals and departures.

Must-Haves

• Independence Day celebrations (Boulevard Triomphal)
  Parades and festivities around 17 August each year.

Fun for Everyone

• La Tropicale Amissa Bongo (City wide)
  Africa's best known cycling race, which often passes through or finishes in Libreville.
• Fête de la Musique (City wide)
  Free music across the city every 21 June.

Must-Haves

• Pongara National Park (Pongara)
  Mangroves, forest and some of the world's key leatherback turtle nesting beaches.
• Leatherback turtle nesting beaches (Pongara)
  Watch giant turtles lay eggs at night with a guide in the nesting season.

Fun for Everyone

• Estuary beach at Pointe-Denis (Pointe-Denis)
  Calm water and soft sand for swimming and lazing about.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ocean beach at Pointe-Denis (Pointe-Denis)
  Wild, empty Atlantic sand perfect for long walks.

Fun for Everyone

• Boat crossing from Libreville (Komo estuary)
  The short crossing is a mini adventure with views back to the city.
• Sunset over the Komo estuary (Pointe-Denis)
  Watch the sun set over the water with Libreville's lights on the horizon.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pongara mangrove boat trip (Pongara)
  Glide through mangrove channels looking for birds and monkeys.
• Guided forest walk in Pongara (Pongara)
  Look for tracks of elephants and red river hogs with a park guide.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Beach grills of Pointe-Denis (Pointe-Denis)
  Fresh grilled fish and plantain served right on the sand.

Must-Haves

• Turtle hatching season (Pongara)
  Hatchlings scramble to the sea in the months after the nesting season.

Must-Haves

• Albert Schweitzer Hospital Museum (Andendé)
  The preserved home, wards and piano of the Nobel Peace Prize winning doctor.

Fun for Everyone

• Graves of Albert and Hélène Schweitzer (Andendé)
  A quiet riverside resting place within the hospital grounds.

Off the Beaten Path

• Andendé Protestant Mission (Andendé)
  The old mission where Schweitzer first set up his practice.
• Catholic Mission of Lambaréné (Lambaréné)
  A historic mission that shaped education along the Ogooué.

Must-Haves

• Pirogue trip on the Ogooué (Lambaréné)
  See river life from a dugout canoe on Gabon's greatest river.

Fun for Everyone

• Lambaréné bridges (Lambaréné)
  Walk the bridges for wide views up and down the river.

Must-Haves

• Lake Zilé (Lambaréné)
  A calm lake of fishing villages, water birds and floating plants.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lake Evaro (Lambaréné)
  A peaceful lake trip with kingfishers, herons and village life.
• Lake Onangué (Lambaréné)
  A large wild lake where hippos are sometimes seen.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Marché de Lambaréné (Lambaréné)
  Smoked fish, cassava and spices from the river and forest.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Smoked fish and nyembwe eateries by the market (Lambaréné)
  Simple places serving river fish in palm nut sauce with bâton de manioc.

Must-Haves

• Lopé National Park (Lopé)
  Savannah meets rainforest in Gabon's UNESCO listed park.
• Mandrill tracking (Lopé)
  Search for huge groups of the world's most colourful monkey.

Fun for Everyone

• Lopé savannah drives (Lopé)
  Open grasslands with elephants, buffalo and wide valley views.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ogooué riverbank at Lopé (Lopé village)
  Quiet evenings by the river as birds fly home to roost.

Must-Haves

• Elarmékora rock engravings (Lopé)
  Ancient carvings of circles and spirals above the river valley.

Off the Beaten Path

• Lopé-Okanda archaeological sites (Lopé)
  Traces of thousands of years of human life along the Ogooué.
• SEGC research station (Lopé)
  The long running research station behind decades of gorilla and mandrill science.

Must-Haves

• Transgabonais train to Lopé (Owendo to Lopé)
  A long, memorable rail journey through the rainforest.

Fun for Everyone

• Lopé station (Lopé village)
  The little station where the train delivers you into the park.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Lopé village (Lopé)
  A small village for a feel of daily life in the interior.

Must-Haves

• Loango National Park (Loango)
  Beaches where elephants, hippos and buffalo roam beside the rainforest.
• Iguéla lagoon (Loango)
  Boat safaris among hippos, fish eagles and mangroves.

Fun for Everyone

• Loango beach game drives (Loango)
  Watch forest elephants and buffalo on the sand.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sette Cama (Sette Cama)
  A remote village at the southern edge of the park, gateway to wild coast.
• Ndogo lagoon (Sette Cama)
  A wild lagoon of forest islands and rich birdlife.

Must-Haves

• Humpback whale season (Loango)
  Whales breach offshore in the dry season months.

Fun for Everyone

• Turtle nesting season in Loango (Loango)
  Leatherback and olive ridley turtles nest on the beaches.

Off the Beaten Path

• Omboué (Fernan Vaz)
  The small lagoon town that is the gateway to the park.

Must-Haves

• Sainte-Anne Mission (Fernan Vaz)
  A historic church on the Fernan Vaz lagoon with an iron frame linked to Eiffel's era.

Must-Haves

• Cap Lopez (Cap Lopez)
  The sandy cape where the Ogooué meets the Atlantic, with long beaches.

Fun for Everyone

• Plages of Mandji Island (Mandji Island)
  Long beaches on the island Port-Gentil stands on.

Fun for Everyone

• Cap Lopez lighthouse (Cap Lopez)
  A historic lighthouse guarding the entrance to the oil capital.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Grand Marché de Port-Gentil (Centre)
  The town's main market for fish, produce and fabrics.

Off the Beaten Path

• Marché du Grand Village (Grand Village)
  A lively local market in one of the oldest districts.

Fun for Everyone

• Port-Gentil seafront (Centre)
  An easy evening stroll along the waterfront.

Off the Beaten Path

• Boat to the Ogooué delta (Port-Gentil)
  Explore the maze of channels and mangroves of the river delta.

Must-Haves

• Port-Gentil International Airport (Port-Gentil)
  The jumping off point for onward boats and flights towards Loango National Park.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Seafood grills of the port (Centre)
  Fresh fish grilled the Port-Gentil way, just in from the boats.