Lakka Beach

Lakka is the closest of the peninsula beaches to Freetown, which makes it the busiest: a stretch of pale sand with a line of beach bars and restaurants along the back serving fish and cold drinks, and a fishing village at one end where boats come in. It fills at weekends with people from the city. The water is calm and the beach is broad at low tide. Erosion along this stretch has been severe and several bars have had to move back from the water. The beach shortens noticeably in the rainy season and rebuilds through the dry months.

What you'll find

• The beach bars - the line of places serving fish along the back.
• The fishing boats - the working craft landing at one end.
• The proximity - the nearest real beach to the capital.
• The weekend crowd - Freetown's day out on the sand.

When to go

November to April is the dry season. The rains from May to October close many of the bars. Weekends are crowded and weekdays quiet.

Good to know

It gets crowded and littered at weekends. Some bars have been demolished and rebuilt after coastal erosion. Hawkers on the beach are persistent.

Nearby

Freetown is north, and Tokeh is south.