Rubane Island

Rubane is one of the Bijagós Islands of Guinea-Bissau, lying north-east of the larger island of Bubaque across a narrow strait. It belongs to the Bubaque sector of the Bolama Region and to the Boloma Bijagós Biosphere Reserve, and at the 2009 census it had 165 inhabitants, mostly Bijagó people, who regard it as a sacred island: their beliefs forbid fighting, burying the dead, shedding blood or even building on it. The islanders live by subsistence farming, and the few eco-tourism facilities are limited by those beliefs.

Background

Rubane is an island of the Bijagós archipelago in Guinea-Bissau, home to 165 people at the 2009 census. It sits north-east of the bigger island of Bubaque, separated from it by a narrow strait. In administrative terms it falls under the Bubaque sector of the Bolama Region, and it is also part of the Boloma Bijagós Biosphere Reserve.

Source: Wikipedia, "Rubane"

What's there

• A sacred island - where Bijagó custom forbids fighting, burial, bloodshed and building.
• The strait - the narrow channel between Rubane and the larger island of Bubaque.
• The biosphere reserve - Rubane is part of the Boloma Bijagós Biosphere Reserve.
• Eco-tourism - a few facilities, limited by the islanders' beliefs.

When to go

Any time of year.

Before you go

Getting there takes about three hours by boat from Bissau, and travel between the islands is by boat too. The island is sacred to its Bijagó inhabitants, and their beliefs limit what may be built or done on it.

Nearby

The larger island of Bubaque lies just across a narrow strait to the south-west; Bissau is about 64 km (40 mi) to the north-north-east in a straight line.

Key facts