Îles Ehotilé National Park

The Ehotilé islands are a group of six wooded islands in the Aby lagoon in the southeast, protected as a national park since 1974 and covering around five hundred hectares of land with a much larger area of water. They are sacred ground for the Ehotilé people, who buried their dead on them and hold ceremonies there, and shell middens on the islands record occupation over a long period. Mangrove, monkeys and waterbirds fill the park.

Background

Created on 25 April 1974 at the request of local communities who wanted their historical sites protected, the park spans 105 square kilometres of low islands and the channels between them, which divide Aby Lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean; the islands themselves take up 722 hectares. Bosson Assoun is the sacred one of the six, alongside Assokomonobaha, Balouate, Meha, Nyamouan and Elouamin. The area was listed as a Ramsar site, Îles Ehotilé-Essouman, on 18 October 2005, and a World Heritage proposal went to UNESCO in 2006. Records list 128 bird species in 35 families, with duikers, bushpigs and manatees. Straw-coloured fruit bats roost on Balouate, and local people see the colony as a sign of their ancestors.

Source: Wikipedia, "Îles Ehotilé National Park"

What you'll find

• The six islands - wooded islets in the Aby lagoon, reached by boat.
• The sacred sites - burial grounds and ceremonial places of the Ehotilé.
• The shell middens - accumulated deposits recording long occupation.
• The mangrove and birds - lagoon habitat around the islands.

When to go

November to March is the dry season and the calmest for boats. The rains from April to July raise the lagoon. Mornings are best for birds.

Before you go

The islands are sacred and parts are closed; visits must be arranged with the community and guides. Boat hire prices should be agreed before setting out. There are no facilities on the islands.

Nearby

Adiake is on the lagoon shore, and Assinie is south on the coast.

Key facts