Bandim Market
Mercado de Bandim
Bissau’s largest open-air market, with dense rows of stalls selling fabric, seafood, cashew nuts, and herbs. It is one of the best places to experience everyday West African life.
Bandim Market spreads out along both sides of Independence Fighters Avenue and is the largest market in the country. It is busy from morning to night. You can find colorful batik fabrics and locally hand-woven “pano” cloth, piles of dried fish and seafood, cashews, palm oil, spices, traditional herbs, and secondhand clothing, and you can also have clothes custom-made on the spot by tailors. The crowds are dense, so keep an eye on your phone and wallet, and ask permission before photographing vendors. A guide is an option. It is about 2 kilometers from the old town, and a taxi (shared taxis are very cheap) takes about 10 minutes.
Opening hours
About 07:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- National Ethnographic Museum
- Praça dos Heróis Nacionais
- Bissau Velho
- Bissau Cathedral
- Pidjiguiti Memorial
- Fortaleza de São José da Amura
- Quinhamel
- Bolama