When the French founded Conakry in 1887, the narrow peninsula on which the city stands today was already inhabited by small Baga communities.
Thanks to its strategic location, of which the busy port is now the mainstay, the city developed rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially following the construction of the railway that connected it to the city of Kankan.
Conakry is a typical African metropolis, with a charm that is not immediately recognisable, built in a rather irregular way, the result of a random and unplanned agglomeration of streets and buildings. Yet, like most West African cities, it ends up winning over its visitors.
The heart of the city beats at the tip of the peninsula, in the district called Kaloum, where most of the offices, accommodation, banks and monuments are located and which comes alive with lively clubs in the evening.
Attractions include the Musée National, the Palais des Nations, the Cimetiére de Boulbinet, the Grande Mosquée, the Botanical Garden and the lively Marché Niger.
An interesting place to visit is the Centre d‘Art Acrobatique Keita Fodeba, near the Dixinn Stadium. This fine initiative was set up at the end of the 1990s with the aim of combating the phenomenon of “street children”, offering them support for their studies, a point of reference and above all a school of life, where they can learn dance and acrobatic arts as a “street” profession, an alternative to begging. Today, the best acrobats in all of Africa pass through this centre.
To think that Guinea’s green lung is only the Fouta Djalon or the Nimba Mountains is an understatement. The surroundings of Conakry and the entire Maritime Region offer beautiful natural landscapes, environmental sanctuaries rich in flora and fauna, unspoilt islands and spectacular waterfalls.
About 60 km from the capital, the Chutes de la Soumba and Bondabon in Doubreka offer an oasis of peace and coolness for a break from the city heat. Their sloping drops form natural paradise basins where you can dive for a few hours of relaxation.
From the Port of Boulbinet in Conakry, a pirogue takes just 20 minutes to reach the Îles de Loos, a group of three peaceful islands and a few smaller islets with beautiful beaches that probably inspired Stevenson’s famous novel ‘Treasure Island’. Remaining under British control until 1905, they owe their name to the Portuguese word ‘idelos’, which means ‘idols’. It is the custom of the local Baga people to organise large community sacrifices every year to ancestral deities, including Nimba, the goddess of abundance and fertility.
This paradisiacal and relaxing archipelago includes the small Île de Room, with its enchanting beach and good accommodation facilities where you can stay for a few days; Île de Kassa which is the closest to Conakry, an ideal place for beautiful walks between beaches and cliffs, or sport fishing trips; finally Île de Tamara, once a penal colony under both the French and the government of Sékou Touré. A short walk takes you to the villages of Boum, Robané and Fotoba, to the old Anglican church and to the lighthouse, built by the French at the beginning of the 20th century, which overlooks an unforgettable Atlantic panorama.
