Cacheu

On the Cacheu river's wide brown reach stands one of West Africa's oldest European footholds: the small square fort the Portuguese raised in the 1580s, cannon still at its corners, anchor of a town that became a major slave-trading port - a history the site now addresses directly through a memorial and interpretation centre that names the trade for what it was. The visit pairs weight with wetland: the surrounding Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park protects one of the region's great mangrove systems, and pirogue trips thread channels where manatees graze rumour-quietly and the birdlife works the tides.

What you actually see

• The 1580s fort - the square stronghold and its corner cannon.
• The slavery memorial - the trade's history told at its port.
• The mangrove park - pirogue channels of the great river system.
• The river town - Cacheu's unhurried present on the bank.

When to go

November to May for dry roads and mangrove trips at their calmest; mornings suit both the fort's light and the birdlife. The memorial deserves unhurried time.

Honest expectations

The fort is small - the significance is historical, and the memorial's telling is the visit's core; approach it as remembrance ground. Mangrove trips are informal arrangements at the waterfront - agree scope and lifejackets. Facilities in town are simple.

Nearby

Sao Domingos, Varela's coast and Bissau.