Things to do in Malabo
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Malabo
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Short dry season and the driest months. Best for the island and for Ureca turtle nesting.
Long rains, heaviest around June and July. Clouded summits, slippery trails and the worst south road.
What's on
- Independence Day 12 October
Independence from Spain in 1968. Parades and ceremony, plus closures, roadblocks and a security surge.
- Constitution Day 15 August
Public holiday with official programming rather than visitor events.
- President's Day 5 June
Public holiday marking the president birthday, with official celebrations.
- Immaculate Conception 8 December
Catholic feast at the edge of the dry season, part of the city happiest festive rhythm.
Best things to do in Malabo
Saint Elizabeth Cathedral
Twin towered neo Gothic cathedral on the main plaza and the defining building of old Malabo.
Plaza de la Independencia and the colonial old town walk
Self guided walk past Spanish colonial houses, palaces and churches in the compact old town.
La Casa Verde
Distinctive dark green 19th century prefabricated house shipped from Belgium and still standing.
Parque Nacional de Malabo
Huge modern city park with a lake where Malabo families stroll, play and gather in the evening.
Paseo Marítimo de Malabo
Seafront promenade above the harbour, best at sunset with Mount Cameroon across the water on clear days.
Centro Cultural de España en Malabo
Spanish cultural centre with exhibitions, concerts and classes, the city most reliable living culture venue.
Mercado de Semu
The city fullest market for produce, fish, cloth and grilled street food, and the feel of daily life.
Nuevo Estadio de Malabo
National stadium open free on ordinary days for a run, and a social occasion when a match is on.
Where to stay in Malabo
Sipopo
resort luxury, golf and beach
Manicured summit built enclave with the Sofitel, its beach and golf, twenty minutes from the centre.
Historic Centre
first trip, sightseeing on foot
Only base where the old town sights, cathedral, promenade and restaurant cluster are walkable.
Malabo II and the Airport Road
excursions first trips and airport practicality
Newer business belt with most mid range hotels, short airport transfers and cars arranged easily.
Think twice about
- Sipopo as a sole base without a car
Beautiful but isolated. Every sight and outside dinner is a drive and everything on site is hotel priced.
- Residential sprawl beyond Malabo II toward Semu and Elá Nguema
No hotels of record, unlit in places and a long taxi negotiation home at night for a short stay visitor.
Best restaurants in Malabo
La Luna
The city best evidenced serious restaurant, for Spanish and Mediterranean seafood in the centre.
L'Atelier
Highly scored alternative celebration dinner on a small review base, for when La Luna is familiar.
Bidji Binia
Relaxed pizza and pasta institution with a terrace, grilled fish and an easy non hotel atmosphere.
ICEF Malabo Restaurant
French institute restaurant serving French, African and European food where cultural life gathers.
Aviator Pub & Cafe
Expatriate pub cafe for burgers and beer, and the most reliably social room in the city.
Kalytero
Highest scored small gastropub in the city, a good first night dinner if you are sleeping there.
Café Malabo
Cafe bar with cocktails, a kitchen and weekend live music from its house orchestra.
Consty Bon Appetit
Local African kitchen and the rated place most likely to serve Equatorial Guinean plates.
Outdoor things to do in Malabo
Sofitel Malabo Sipopo Le Golf
The country only 18 hole golf course, carved through tropical forest and mangrove toward the sea.
Pico Basilé National Park
Drive up the volcano through cloud forest to the summit church, statue and a vast clear day view.
Arena Blanca Beach
Bioko only white sand beach, a bring everything escape known for dry season butterflies and sunsets.
West-coast day: Luba, Batete and Riaba
Full day linking Luba bay, Batete church, Arena Blanca and Riaba for crater and cocoa country scenery.
Cascadas de Moka
Waterfalls, crater lakes and a primate wildlife centre in the cool Bubi heartland above Luba.
San Antonio de Ureca
Remote southern village whose black beaches host nesting leatherback turtles in season, with waterfalls by day.
Sipopo Beach and Horacio Island Footbridge
Private resort beach and footbridge island with pool and loungers, the comfortable Bioko beach day.
Best hotels in Malabo
Sofitel Malabo Sipopo Le Golf
Resort luxury with private beach, pool, spa and golf, twenty minutes from the city centre.
Sofitel Malabo President Palace
The central Sofitel by the palace quarter, for a full service stay inside the walkable old town.
Hilton Malabo
International flag comfort with pool and garden, and one of the few places cards are reliably accepted.
Magno Suites
Small central boutique hotel with a liked restaurant and shuttle, at a saving on the international flags.
Hotel Anda Malabo
Large modern business hotel with pool, spa and a big gym in the practical Malabo II district.
Bisila Palace Hotel
Airport road hotel praised for pick ups, a large pool and warm staff, smart for first or last nights.
ibis Malabo
The reliable budget chain bed in Malabo, with pool, 24 hour desk and an airport shuttle.
Kalytero Boutique Hotel
Lower priced independent hotel whose one detailed review found good quality, comfort and quiet.
Is Malabo expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | FCFA 55,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | FCFA 110,000 a person |
| Splurge | FCFA 260,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Finca Sampaka: a few days ahead
- Private Tour of Bioko Island with a local operator: weeks ahead
- Sofitel Malabo Sipopo Le Golf: a few days ahead
- Pico Basilé National Park: a few days ahead
- West-coast day: Luba, Batete and Riaba: a few days ahead
- Cascadas de Moka: a few days ahead
- San Antonio de Ureca: weeks ahead
- Sipopo Beach and Horacio Island Footbridge: a few days ahead
- Visa and touring permit need weeks to months. Start at least six weeks ahead.
- Island tours, Finca Sampaka, Moka and Ureca need days to weeks through an operator.
- Sofitel Sipopo golf and day access need days, via the hotel.
Is Malabo safe?
- Equatorial Guinea carries risks of crime, health problems and arbitrary enforcement of laws.
- Photographing government, military, airport, harbour and palace buildings is illegal.
- Cards work at only a few major hotels and ATMs are limited. Bring cash euros or dollars.
- Medical services are limited. Carry insurance that includes medical evacuation.
Malabo travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Eating every meal in hotel restaurants at European prices out of caution.
- International resellers marking up the same local island tours.
- Any itinerary promising the national museums as fixed, open stops.
Getting around Malabo: public transport and more
- Walk the historic centre and drive everything else.
- Use hotel arranged cars and pre-booked taxis, especially at night.
- Checkpoints are frequent. Keep passport, visa and touring permit in reach and stay polite.
Who Malabo suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Malabo your trip
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