1. River Number 2 Beach
Lauded fairly unanimously as the country’s finest beach – and one of the best in the entire West Africa region – this white-sand, crystal-watered, palm-fringed haven is only 16 km from Freetown’s bustle. Sure, it may be the country’s most crowded stretch of sand, but don’t let that bother you – you’ll hardly be vying for a plot of sand to lay a towel. And as the locals will proudly tell you, it was here that a 1970s Bounty chocolate bar advertisement was filmed – a gloat-worthy drawcard if ever there was one.
2. Banana Islands
Only a short boat ride from Freetown, an outing to the Banana Islands makes for the perfect day trip or overnight stay. Aside from being a place of remarkable natural beauty, an old church and the still standing slave-trading dock bestow the islands with some historical poignancy. A collection of canons in shallow water – remnants of a bygone Portuguese shipwreck – can be explored through snorkelling or diving expeditions, while the islands’ forests, caves and ruins should be enough to enthrall landlubbers. Dublin and Ricketts, the two main islands, can simply be strolled between during low tide, though the considerate construction of a causeway will prevent the stranding of hapless tourists.
3. John Obey Beach
White-sand beaches lapped by warm waters and backed by lushly forested mountains… with no one about? The throngs have yet to reach this secluded piece of beach bliss, so – for the moment at least – you can bank on having the sands, fresh seafood and local village interactions pretty much to yourself.
4. Bureh Beach
As well as being a spectacular beach in its own right and the departure point for boat trips to the Banana Islands, Bureh Beach now has a further claim to fame – it’s the place of the country’s very first surf club! Jutting out from the southwest point of the Freetown Peninsula, this small subsistence fishing village of just 200 people is seeking to capitalise on the warm waters and mellow waves that have long graced its shores with the establishment of the nation’s premier surf school. Clock-up some tube time as the smell of your barbecuing seafood lunch wafts over from the shoreline. As the clubs logo aptly puts it, ‘Di waves dem mak u go feel fine’. You betcha!
5. Tokeh Beach
Before the war years left Tokeh Beach’s resorts in tatters, its expansive powder-white sands and crystalline waters had been known to lure even the most uppity of international supermodels and Hollywood buffoons. With the country now on the mend, they could well be set to return. Get there before they do!
