Douala City Guide

Littoral Region

The bridge over the Wouri River, Douala. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Douala is Cameroon's economic capital and largest city, spread around the Wouri River estuary. It is the country's commercial engine, busiest seaport and main air hub: loud, fast and endlessly enterprising.

For travellers, Douala offers the 12-metre recycled-metal sculpture La Nouvelle Liberte at Rond-Point Deido, the Maritime Museum of Bonanjo, and, each December, the Ngondo water festival of the Sawa peoples on the Wouri banks. It is also the starting point for almost every trip in the country.

What to do in Douala

City

1La Nouvelle Liberte 4.2The 12-metre recycled-metal sculpture by Joseph-Francis Sumegne (1996) at Rond-Point Deido.
2Maritime Museum of Bonanjo 4.0Douala's maritime history in the old colonial quarter of Bonanjo.
3Ngondo festival 4.6The Sawa water festival on the Wouri banks, first two weeks of December: pirogue races, wrestling and the jengu ceremony.
4Wouri River estuary 4.0The great bridge over the Wouri, the city's defining crossing.