Robertsport: surf, lagoon and forest on Cape Mount

The surf

Robertsport's reputation rests on a string of point breaks that wrap around the cape. Surfers know them by names such as **Cotton Trees**, **Fisherman's Point** and **Shipwrecks**, and on a good day they offer long left hand waves with hardly anyone else out. The rainy season, roughly May to October, brings the most consistent and powerful swell, while the dry season brings smaller, friendlier waves that suit beginners and improvers.

A local surf scene has grown up here since the end of the war, with young Liberians who learned on donated boards now coaching visitors. Some lodges rent boards and arrange lessons. Respect the local surfers in the water and the fishermen on the beach, who were here long before the waves were discovered.

Lake Piso

Just behind the town, **Lake Piso** is a huge, shallow coastal lagoon surrounded by mangroves and fishing villages. Hire a canoe with a local fisherman for a morning on the water, watch kingfishers and herons, or simply sit on the shore at sunset. The lake is part of a protected wetland of international importance, and the villages around it live from fishing and farming.

The town and the beach

Robertsport was once a busy administrative town, and you can still see old settler era houses and churches among the trees. The fishing beach at **Fanti Town** comes alive when the big painted canoes come in, and the long main beach is perfect for walks. Up on the hill, the ruins of old official residences hint at the town's busier past, and the views over the ocean and the lake are worth the climb.

Life here is simple. Power and phone signal can be patchy, there are no banks or cash machines, and most meals are fish, rice and whatever the market has that day.

Where to stay

Stays are small and simple. **Nana's Lodge** and **Kwepunha Retreat** are the best known, with beachfront rooms or tented cabins, meals and surf help, and there are a few basic guesthouses in town. Book ahead for public holidays, when Monrovia families and expats come up for the weekend.

Getting there

The road from Monrovia runs northwest through Bomi County to Tiene Junction and then down to the cape. It takes about three hours in good conditions, longer in the rains. Most visitors arrange a vehicle and driver through their lodge or a trusted contact. Shared taxis run from Monrovia's Duala area for budget travellers, but they are slow and crowded.

Nearby

Stop at **Blue Lake** near Tubmanburg on the way, a vivid blue flooded mine pit in the forest. Further north, **Gola Forest National Park** protects rainforest along the Sierra Leone border, though visits need serious planning.

Tips for Robertsport

• Bring all the cash you need in clean US dollar notes and some Liberian dollars.
• Carry insect repellent, sun protection and a head torch.
• Ask locally about currents before swimming. Some beaches are calm, others are dangerous.
• Dress modestly in town and ask before photographing people.

Compare it with our other Liberia destinations, or browse the places to visit.