Grand-Lahou

Grand-Lahou was a trading port from the nineteenth century, with warehouses and colonial administration on a sand spit where the Bandama reaches the sea. The town has since moved inland, because the spit is being eroded from both sides and the old settlement is going into the water: buildings have collapsed, the cemetery has been partly lost and the process continues. What remains is reached by boat and it is a genuinely unsettling place to walk.

What you actually see

• The old town - colonial buildings on the spit, being lost to erosion.
• The Bandama mouth - the river meeting the sea beside the settlement.
• The lighthouse - the old light on the eroding shore.
• The new town - the settlement rebuilt inland from the water.

When to go

November to March is the dry season and the calmest for the boat crossing. The rains from April to July raise the river and worsen the erosion. Mornings are best.

Honest expectations

The old town is genuinely being destroyed and buildings are unstable; walking among them needs care. Boat crossings are informal and prices should be agreed. There are almost no facilities.

Nearby

Azagny National Park is inland, and Abidjan is east.