A thin strip of oddly carved land enveloped by Senegal, and Africa’s smallest country, the Gambia is surprisingly one of east Africa’s best-loved beach destinations. With only 50 miles of coastline the spots can get a little busy, but in terms of raw beauty they’re difficult to rival. What’s more, they receive the full brunt of the Atlantic swell, making them home to some of the most legendary surf breaks on the whole African coast.
Out at sea, the tiny Juffureh and James Island offers visitors a glimpse of Gambia’s darker history, it’s ruined fort complex a relic of the times it was used to facilitate the transportation of slaves and gold across the Atlantic to the New World.
Culture-hungry travellers should be sure to ask their Gambia tourist guide for tips on the marketplaces of the capital at Banjul, where bartering locals tout their goods loudly all day long. Away from the city, the Gambia also offers a range of more quintessentially African pursuits, from trekking in the forest at Bijilo to wildlife spotting in the sprawling Abuko Reserve, while upriver in Jangjangbureh hundreds of bird species call out in this veritable bird watchers paradise.