Rubane Island

Rubane sits just north of Bubaque in the Bijagós, a small forested island with beaches on several sides and a handful of lodges that operate mainly for sport fishing: the channels between the islands hold tarpon, barracuda and jack in quantity, and the fishing is what brings most visitors to the archipelago at all. The island itself is quiet with almost no permanent population. The Bijagós channels see some of the biggest tidal ranges in West Africa, which is what drives the fishing.

What you actually see

• The fishing channels - the water between the islands, full of tarpon and jack.
• The beaches - the sand on several sides of the island.
• The forest - the palm and hardwood covering the interior.
• The lodges - the fishing operations the island runs on.

When to go

November to May is the dry season and the main fishing window. The rains from June close most operations. Tides govern the fishing.

Honest expectations

Access is essentially through the lodges and packages are expensive. There is little to do beyond fishing and the beaches. Getting to the archipelago at all takes a day from Bissau.

Nearby

Bubaque is south, and Kere is north.