Cacheu
One of the earliest Portuguese trading posts in West Africa, with a fort linked to the slave trade. Beside it is the Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park.
Cacheu was founded in 1588 and was one of the earliest Portuguese outposts on the Guinea coast. It was an important port in the Atlantic slave trade. The small riverside fort preserves colonial-era bronze cannons, and it also houses statues of Portuguese figures that were toppled after independence. The town has a Memorial da Escravatura (Slavery Memorial). Nearby, the Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park contains one of the largest mangrove areas in West Africa. Visitors can take a dugout canoe to watch birds and, if lucky, spot manatees and monkeys. It is about 100 kilometers from Bissau. The roads are average, and the drive takes about 2 hours by car. You can visit in a day trip or continue north to Varela.
Opening hours
All day (memorial hall by day)
Nearby sights
- Varela Beach
- Quinhamel
- National Ethnographic Museum
- Bandim Market
- Praça dos Heróis Nacionais
- Bissau Cathedral
- Bissau Velho
- Fortaleza de São José da Amura