© L.F. Paoluzzi
To the north-west, towards the Sierra Leone border, there is a spectacular inlet, a paradisiacal strip of land, nestled between the Ocean and Lake Piso. Here are the beautiful beaches of Robertsport, one of the few coastal resorts to be more or less ‘ecologically’ equipped to receive visitors, particularly water sports enthusiasts.
An expanse of golden sand, fringed with palm trees and bordered by lush tropical vegetation, opens out onto a bay caressed by the sea breeze and Atlantic currents that make this stretch of sea a paradise for surfers. Nearby, the town, with its decadent Caribbean-style architecture, has in a few years become a holiday resort with a few well-integrated lodges that respect the surrounding nature, while on the beaches a real community of surfers has set up a sort of idyllic permanent campsite, under an imposing ceiba tree that dominates the shoreline, to fully enjoy their sporting passion on this wild and unspoilt stretch of coastline. You can get there by taking the paved coastal road that leads north from Monrovia and following a characteristic red dirt track that runs along the shores of Lake Piso, all the way to the coast. For the less experienced surfers or simple adventurers looking to relax on the beach, the area at Fisherman‘s Point is the most protected from the currents, while the long stretch of beach at Cotton Trees is the most attractive. For professionals, the challenge is the imposing ocean waves crashing on the granite rocks of Cassava Point, in a natural setting of perpetually rough seas, jagged coastline, lush hills and lake landscapes of extraordinary beauty.
Around Monrovia, a few beaches equipped with sunbeds and straw umbrellas welcome weekend holidaymakers, the popular Silver Beach and Thinkers Beach, while not far away is the wilder St. Martin‘s Beach. But the coastal gem south of the capital is Libassa, near the village of Marshall, in an extraordinary lagoon setting, where the three rivers Junk, Farmington and Little Bassa join the ocean. An unspoilt and virtually deserted stretch of sand, between sea, lagoon and gallery forests, equipped with an eco-lodge beautifully integrated into the dense vegetation, ideal for relaxation, after a visit to the Libassa Sanctuary, dedicated to the reintroduction of poached wildlife, such as armadillos, primates, hawks and the funny slow loris.
