Kouilou River

The Kouilou rises on the plateaus of southern Congo, cuts through the Mayombe hills at Sounda and reaches the Atlantic north of Pointe-Noire, and along its lower course it runs wide and brown between forest and villages that work it by pirogue. Manatees have been recorded in the lower river and turtles nest on the beach at its mouth. It is the main river of the southwest, about 560 kilometres long, with its whole basin inside the country; above the Sounda gorge it is called the Niari.

What's there

• The lower river - wide brown water between forest and villages.
• The pirogues - the boats the villages work the river with.
• The river mouth - the point where the Kouilou reaches the Atlantic.
• The manatees - the animals recorded in the lower course.

When to go

June to September is the dry season and the easiest for access. The river is highest after the rains. Turtles nest on the coast from around October.

Before you go

Manatee sightings are extremely unlikely. There is no organised river tourism and boats must be arranged in the villages. Bilharzia is present in the water.

Nearby

Sounda Gorge is upstream, and Pointe-Noire is south.

Key facts