The mangroves
Winding rivers.
tormentor4555 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · tormentor4555 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · tormentor4555 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · tormentor4555 — CC BY-SA 3.0
Sherbro Island is a large island in the Atlantic off south-west Sierra Leone, in Bonthe District. The Sherbro River separates it from the mainland to the north and the Sherbro Strait to the east. It is about 51 km long and up to 24 km wide, covering some 600 square kilometres, with more than 105 km of tropical beaches. The Sherbro people lived here for a long time and once dominated a wide area of present-day Sierra Leone, with an economy based on fishing. About 28,000 people live on the island. The town of Bonthe, the chief port and trading centre, sits at its eastern end with old colonial buildings. The government is working to develop tourism here. From the air you see wide winding rivers between dense green mangroves, yellow grassy plains and swamps. The villages have swamp-rice fields, palm trees and fishing boats. On the west coast, long quiet sandy beaches lie far from any crowds. It is about 18 km from Bonthe in a straight line and about 121 km from Freetown. Access is by boat or small plane, and services are few, so arrange travel and lodging in advance.
Winding rivers.
Long and quiet.
Old buildings.
Atlantic Ocean, south-west Sierra Leone
By boat from the mainland, or by small plane.
Few and simple, so book ahead.