Barra do Kwanza

The Kwanza is Angola's principal river and it reaches the ocean here in a wide mouth of sandbanks, mangrove and lagoon, with beach on one side and the river running behind. It is the country's main sport-fishing base: tarpon are the target, along with several other species, and lodges along the river run boats. Birds concentrate in the mangroves and on the sandbars, and the mix of fresh and salt water makes the area unusually productive.

What you actually see

• The river mouth - sandbars and channels where the Kwanza meets the Atlantic.
• The tarpon fishing - the main sport-fishing target, with boats from the lodges.
• The mangroves - stands along the lower river holding concentrations of birds.
• The beach - open Atlantic shore on the seaward side of the mouth.

When to go

May to September is the dry season and the most comfortable. Tarpon fishing is best in the warmer months from October to March. Weekends bring Luanda visitors to the lodges.

Honest expectations

Lodge prices are high and standards vary considerably. Swimming at the mouth is dangerous because of currents where the river meets the sea. Crocodiles are present upstream and in the lagoon.

Nearby

Miradouro da Lua is north on the road, and Cabo Ledo is south.