Rocher du Loup

South of Kribi the coast runs as a line of sandy bays and rocky points backed by forest, and at one of those points a mass of dark rock stands where the trees meet the sea, weathered into a shape that has been read as the head of a wolf, which gives it its name. It sits in shallow water and can be walked out to at low tide. The interest is the setting as much as the resemblance: forest coming right down to the sand, fishing pirogues drawn up on the beaches, and the open Atlantic. The same road continues south toward Ebodje, where sea turtles nest, and to Campo at the border, passing beaches that are largely empty.

The landscape

• The wolf-shaped rock - the weathered mass at the water's edge.
• Forest meeting the beach - the trees running down to the sand.
• Fishing pirogues on the shore - the working boats along the coast.
• Empty Atlantic beaches - the coast running south toward Campo.

When to go

December to February in the drier season; check the tide, since the rock is best reached at low water. Two hours as a stop on the coast road.

Practical notes

The resemblance is a stretch from most angles. The rocks are slippery and the surf can be strong. Fees are collected informally at the access point. There are no facilities.

Nearby

Kribi is north; Ebodje and Campo lie south.

Key facts