Monrovia Liberia
Liberia
Frequently Asked Questions
At the Freeport, a natural harbour on the north side of Bushrod Island. From there the road crosses the bridges into the city centre. Few ships call in Liberia, and that is precisely what makes this stop valuable.
No. The Freeport sits on Bushrod Island and you have to cross the bridges to reach the centre. Distances are covered by taxi, and cruise lines generally organize group outings with English- or French-speaking guides. That is the most practical way to link Providence Island, the museum and the markets in one day.
It is the country's point of origin. At the mouth of the Mesurado river, this green islet is where the passengers of the ship Elizabeth landed in 1822: freed American slaves who came to found a colony that would become, in 1847, Africa's first republic.
Because of the guides. Many descend from those settlers, or from Africans freed from slave ships intercepted at sea, and their accounts have been passed down through generations. No exhibition panel carries that intensity. In the shade of the trees you hear the story of men and women born enslaved in America who died citizens of a state they had founded.
The country's dual heritage, African and American at once: masks and textiles from Liberia's sixteen peoples, documents from the founding era, mementoes of successive presidencies. Among the most surprising pieces is a 250-year-old dining table given by Queen Victoria to the first president, Joseph Jenkins Roberts.
It is the capital's great market, on the lagoon's edge, and the best place to take its pulse. Printed fabrics stacked to the ceiling, open-air tailoring workshops, pyramids of chillies and smoked fish: commerce unfolds in cheerful disorder. The welcome given to foreigners, still few in number, is disarmingly warm.
The Liberian dollar, though the US dollar circulates alongside it and is widely accepted. Bring cash in small denominations: credit cards are of little help outside a few establishments. At Waterside market, only cash counts.
English is the official language, with a lilting accent all its own, alongside the languages of the country's sixteen peoples. French is not spoken, but cruise lines generally provide French-speaking guides for their excursions.
No, and that is worth knowing before you book. Liberia remains a gentle-adventure destination: tourist infrastructure stays basic and schedules require flexibility. A little patience and a lot of curiosity are the best equipment. In exchange, you get a call unlike any other on the African Atlantic.
At Mamba Point, on the heights facing the ocean, where the Atlantic swell rolls at the foot of the cliffs while pelicans patrol the shoreline. Further out, beaches such as Ce Ce Beach draw locals at weekends, between grilled fish and impromptu soccer games on the sand.
