Travel Guide Bolama

With its ghost-town air and pretty colonial-style houses, most of them in ruins, Bolama exudes a timeless atmosphere. Once the capital of Portuguese Guinea, Bolama is well worth a visit for its historical remains, lush natural surroundings and fine sandy beaches. Wandering through its narrow streets, you'll travel back in time to Bolama's days as a thriving Portuguese trading post. Many ethnic groups settled here (Mancagnes, Manjaks, Peuls, etc.), making it a cosmopolitan capital. When the capital moved to Bissau in 1949, Bolama became a shadow of its former self. Although the town is virtually in ruins today, there are still a few points of interest worth seeing. At the port, note the impressively heavy sculpture of a beam and broken wing. It was erected under Mussolini's regime in honor of the Italian pioneers of the transatlantic crossing who fell at Bolama. On the waterfront, you'll also find the former municipal swimming pool, of Olympic dimensions, now totally abandoned. In the main square, admire the old town hall palace (1919), with its Greek columns, now in danger of collapsing. The cemetery is worth a visit for its old tombs and lush greenery.