The Arquipélago dos Bijagós counts 88 islands

20 islands are inhabited, by a ethnic group called the Bijagós. On the other islands you will find yourself and an abundance of wildlife, with species like the green marine turtle, the hippopotamus and many rare fish species such as the saw fish. All of these are represented in the Bijagós culture, for example in masks used for dancing.

When arriving in Guinea-Bissau from sea you most likely make landfall in Bissau, the capital. To arrive there you find your self confronted by the first challenge of this extraordinary cruising ground, the heavy currents and tidal differences. To arrive in Bissau you sail up the entrance of the Geba river, up to three and a half knots of current will make you plan your arrival carefully. In Bissau there is a well protected anchorage from the prevailing winds, to make landfall with the dingy can be a bit more challenging. Do not arrive in the port at low water, you will find the Piers up to five meter above water level. Once this sorted out you have to find a pirogue, the name the people use for their local fishing boats, to place your dingy and climb on to the pier. A process that is going to take time since you will find a crew of up to 15 fisherman who want to hear your story.

Bissau is an interesting place, no dought, but when you know the Bijagos Islands are wating for you only some miles away, you want to leave this city as fast as possible. I hope this can be understood after seeing the following pictures.

The main means of transport in the Bissagos is the piroge. These boats are built out of massive wood and can reach a size up to 15 meters. Fitted with an outboard engine they are used for fishing and transport of both, cargo and people. For nearly every island the pirogue is the only connection to the other islands and to the mainland, no wonder a pirogue has such a high value and is decorated accordingly.

On the islands itself most cargo is transported from humans but on some bigger islands you will find three wheeled motorcycles that find their way through the narrow paths.

The Bijogos are an extraordinary fishing ground, nowhere on this journey I saw fisherman catching fish in such quantities. Of course its not a secret anymore, boats from Senegal and Guinea often try their luck and fish illegally in the waters of Guinea-Bissau. Big Chinese Trawlers catch fish for the world market.

 Even tought this land would have huge potential in tourism there is not much present at this time. Political instability is the reason for this when you ask the people working in the tourist sector. It usually comes as a surprise to find a lodge on a deserted island or like here a french cruising ship visiting the formal capital Bolama.