Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARQUIPÉLAGO DOS BIJAGÓS
The Bijagós islands look like the perfect postcard from paradise. Protected by swift tides,
treacherous sandbanks and the Unesco heritage fund, the Bijagós, a matriarchal people,
eluded Portuguese control until the 1930s.
You need to bring either time or money, as transport to and between the islands is either
difficult or pricey. Life swings to the rhythm of the tide - and mind the stingrays lurking in
the waters.
Getting There & Away
Ilha de Bubaque is the gateway to the rest of the Bijagós, with the exception of Ilha de
Bolama and the private resort islands. The former Greek island ferry
Expresso dos Bijagós
(
6538739; Bissau Velho; tickets CFA3500-12,500)
normally leaves Bissau port for Bubaque every Fri-
day, returning from Bubaque on Sunday. Exact departure times depend on the tide but are
between 9am and 3pm; posters advertise the exact time the evening before. On other days,
your choice is between rough and risky
canoas
(motor canoe; per person CFA2500, six
hours), private plane (from CFA250,000 per person) or speedboat (per four-seater boat
CFA200,000 to CFA300,000, two hours).
The Expresso dos Bijagós also ferries passengers between Bissau and Bolama once a
week but timings vary; ask around at the port for the latest departure times. If you miss the
ferry,
canoas
operate three times per week, but be warned: one sank on this route in 2012,
killing many of those on board. You can also reach Bolama by taking a
sept-place
to Buba
(three hours), where you can overnight before hiring motorbikes for the journey (three
hours, CFA15,000) along rough forest roads to the
pirogue
hopper at São João.
The 1950s cruise ship
Africa Queen
can take you island hopping for a week (from
CFA700,000); ask at the port or your hotel for information. It's wise to exercise caution
when contemplating taking any kind of boat from Bissau during heavy rains.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Ilha de Bolama
Geographically closer to Bissau than any other island in the Bijagós, eerily beautiful
Bolama feels worlds away, both aesthetically and socially. The Portuguese capital of
Guinea-Bissau until 1943, Bolama's shores are awash with crumbling relics that were
