Experience the best of Abidjan

Abidjan spreads across peninsulas and islands on the Ébrié Lagoon, linked by bridges, with the glass towers of Plateau, the business district, facing the water. Yamoussoukro, inland, is the capital in law, but Abidjan is the larger and busier city. The modern Cathedral of Saint Paul is a landmark of Plateau, and Cocody, to the east, has leafy streets and lagoon-side villas.

Banco National Park, a protected rainforest of tall trees and walking paths, lies inside the northern edge of the city. Grand-Bassam, about 40 kilometres east along the coast, was the first colonial capital, and its old quarter of colonial houses with verandas is a World Heritage site. Beyond it the beaches of Assinie stretch between the ocean and a lagoon.

Attiéké, grated cassava steamed to a light couscous, served with grilled fish and a sauce of onion and chilli, is the signature dish, often eaten at open-air restaurants called maquis. Kedjenou, chicken slow-cooked with vegetables in a sealed pot, and alloco, fried plantain, are found everywhere. Heat and humidity are constant, and the main rains fall from about April to July.