The colonial houses
Wooden verandas.
Wilaxe — CC0 · Ismaelsanogo752 — CC0 · Manouka — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Manouka — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Manouka — CC BY-SA 4.0
Quartier France is the heart of historic Grand-Bassam, the first capital of Côte d'Ivoire under French colonial rule. It sits on a narrow strip of land between the Ouladine lagoon and the Atlantic, east of Abidjan. UNESCO listed the Historic Town of Grand-Bassam as a World Heritage Site in 2012 as an example of a colonial town with a clear plan of trade, administration and housing. Grand-Bassam became capital of the colony in 1893 and was a busy trading port. Around 1900 a yellow fever epidemic struck, the capital moved to Bingerville, and the town slowly declined. Its old buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries survive, alongside the traditional N'zima village. You walk quiet tree-shaded streets between two-storey colonial houses with wooden verandas and yellow and white walls, some restored and some crumbling. You pass the old prefecture and the bishop's house, and low walls with pierced patterns. On the ocean side lies a wide beach of golden sand, with wooden fishing boats under palm trees. It is about 36 km from Abidjan in a straight line, and the National Museum of Costume is in the quarter itself. Walking in the morning is the best way to see it. Ocean currents are strong, so ask before swimming and never swim alone.
Wooden verandas.
Golden sand and palms.
Shaded by trees.
Between the lagoon and the ocean, Grand-Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire
A yellow fever epidemic around 1900 sent it to Bingerville.
Yes, it is close, and you can combine the quarter and the beach.
