Bonny Island

Bonny lies at the mouth of the Bonny river in Rivers State, an island reached only by boat from Port Harcourt, and it has two faces. One is historic: Bonny was a major trading kingdom, first in enslaved people and then in palm oil, and the old town keeps a nineteenth-century church, chiefs' compounds and monuments from that period. The other is industrial: the Nigeria LNG plant occupies a large part of the island and dominates its economy and its access arrangements. Between them are Atlantic beaches on the seaward side and Finima Nature Park, a reserve of around a thousand hectares of coastal forest and mangrove with boardwalks and a bird list.

History

Tradition says Bonny was founded by Alagbariya, an Ijaw hunter, and its first settlement was called Okuloma, after the curlews that lived on the island in large numbers. Contact with Portuguese traders from the 1400s made it a major trading hub (Wikipedia, Bonny Island).

What you'll find

• Finima Nature Park - the coastal forest reserve with its boardwalks.
• Atlantic beaches - the ocean shore on the seaward side.
• Bonny old town - the church, compounds and monuments of the trading era.
• The river mouth - the estuary and the shipping using it.

When to go

November to March in the dry season for boat crossings and beach use; the rains bring rough water and heavy downpours. Mornings are calmest for the crossing.

Before you go

Access is by boat only and can require arrangement; much of the island is industrial with controlled areas. Accommodation is oriented to the gas industry and expensive. Beaches have strong currents and no lifeguards. Photography near industrial installations is not permitted.

Nearby

Port Harcourt lies north across the water; the Atlantic is south.

Key facts