For other places with the same name, see Freetown (disambiguation).
Freetown is the capital city of Sierra Leone and is the heart of the Western region, with around a million inhabitants. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the estuary of the Sierra Leone River. The city lies at the foot of the peninsula mountains and faces one of the best natural harbours on the west coast of Africa. The peninsula is home to some of the finest beaches in Africa - Lumley Beach, Lakka Beach, No. 2 River Beach and Toke Beach are some examples.
Freetown, like the rest of Sierra Leone, endured some very difficult times during the civil war. It was occupied by rebels twice and the resident population and infrastructure suffered badly. As stability returned, many Sierra Leoneans fled the rural areas to the city to escape the carnage.
Though the country has been peaceful since 2002, the population of the city is still much higher than it was prior to the war. This has put pressure on land and local services. Many areas of jungle have been cleared to house the new residents. Some claim that the US government has not helped the situation with their new embassy development at Leicester. Some blame the new developments for severe flooding of the city during the rainy season. Deforestation has also been blamed for a shortage of water in the city.
Freetown has a tropical monsoon climate. Daytime highs normally averages around 30 °C and nighttime lows around 24 °C around the year. December to April is the driest time of the year, with hardly any rain at all. During that time of the year, the dry Harmattan wind blows from Sahara. From May to November, expect heavy rain, especially in July and August each with more than a metre of precipitation on average, and rainfall practically every day.
Getting from the airport to Freetown can be a challenge and the safety of the various operators has been questioned. There are a number of fast boat services that cross the estuary, and most foreign visitors use this option for roughly US$40. To pick them up, just walk to the right after exiting the airport building. Sea Coach Express (Pelican Water Taxis) operate boats from next to Mahera Hotel to the Aberdeen bridge for Le180,000 (leones)). Sea Bird Express can take you to Murray Town and Sovereign Ferries to government wharf. The hovercraft service no longer operates. Sea Coach Express or Sea Bird are convenient for most foreign travellers as they avoid the slow route through the crowded east end of Freetown.
Another possibility is on the overloaded Government ferry which runs to the main part of Freetown. A seat on a bus which uses the ferry costs Le60,000. The bus takes passengers to Rawdon Street in the center of Freetown. This trip can take 3 hours or more, and has been known to take 8 hours. By road it is at least 4 hours to the city, via Port Loko.
The ticket for Government ferry costs Le11,000.
Finally, some private boats cross the estuary. This is not recommended at night.
Because of possible thefts, especially when leaving the country, it is wise to carry anything of value in your cabin luggage. Having your checked baggage wrapped in cellophane at your point of origin is another good tactic.
Sierra Leone's public railway service was closed in 1974. A railway museum has been opened at Cline Town and is well worth a visit. Many of the original railway buildings and signs can still be seen in and around Freetown, particularly at Hill Station and Congo Cross. It used to be possible to walk along much of the track bed, starting near the Hill Station Club and dropping down the hill via Congo Cross into Freetown, but road construction has made the route hard to find.
Many roads in Freetown are being reconstructed and a bypass road is also being built to link the western part of Freetown to the rest of the country, cutting out the congested eastern part of town. The roads via Leicester and along the coastal part of the Freetown peninsular are also being reconstructed. Work has made good progress on the roads through Aberdeen and Lumley, including the beach road which is complete. Regent Road from Wilberforce through Hill Station has been completed as a dual carriageway. Maintenance of other roads is often very poor.
Governmental buses by the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation run from major cities. Alternatively, get in by poda poda (minibus).
Some cargo ships, mostly from Conakry and Banjul also take passengers. From places in Sierra Leone, along coasts and waterways, it may be possible to get in by speedboat.
Local taxis run fixed routes and are shared rides. For the uninitiated, there is no real way to figure out where they are going, and they're busy making a living rather than trying to explain everything to foreigners. But they're so cheap (Le1,000), you can just hail one and see how long it takes you the right way before making a turn! Empty taxis will assume that foreigners want to charter a taxi (see below) and not share it. To let them know you prefer a shared ride, just declare "no cha cha" when you get on board.
You can charter a taxi (cha cha) for a few hours, a day, or even days if one wishes. A decent price per hour is about US$5, for a day around US$50. Taxis can be hired for a complete journey, which really should not exceed the equivalent of US$4 for a trip within Freetown. The drivers do expect to be negotiated with, so don't be scared—be cheeky and negotiate! A very convincing bargaining tactic is to let the driver know that if he gives you a good price and you like his service, you will keep him on your speed dial for longer chartered rides. Having a trusted taxi driver on your phone shortlist is generally a very good idea for female travellers, anyway.
Poda-podas (minibuses) are a more miserable shared ride option, but are more straightforward for longer trips, as they display their start and end points on the front of the vehicle. If only you knew what those landmarks meant! "Lumley" will take you to Lumley Beach via the southern bridge, "Aberdeen" will take you to Aberdeen via the north bridge from Murray Town, "Eastern Police" will take you to the big clock tower at Kissy Road on the East Side (this is a good place to get dropped off to find a poda-poda to Waterloo). If you are looking for downtown, locals call it "Tong".
However, if you feel this isn't the route for you, hotel taxis are usually available in much better condition; and they are regulated. These will also cost up to around US$10.
Car hire is possible and can normally be arranged through the hotels or local car dealerships. They will normally come with a driver. Journeys outside of Freetown often may require a 4-wheel drive vehicle and will cost more, typically US$150 plus fuel per day, including driver.
However, if you wish to mingle with the locals—which is encouraged, as it creates more social inclusion—you may be surprised. Local people can help you find your way around town, hire taxis for you, and introduce you to their friends and families and, in some cases, ceremonies taking place. They can also cook for you, as Sierra Leoneans are very hospitable people. Many tourists tend to fall in a trap where they visit and hang around with only familiar people. It's better to see visiting Sierra Leone as a social/cultural holiday, allowing visitors and locals to exchange customs and at the same time experience the "diamond in the rough". Seeing the good and bad parts is what makes visiting Sierra Leone an experience to remember.
Many of Freetown's attractions are underdeveloped and not well publicised. The relatively low numbers of tourists visiting has meant there was not adequate incentive or financial reward for developing them. However, there are many hidden gems that can be well worth finding. It is not unusual to be the only visitor to some of them.
A visit to the Aberdeen district will give a break from the busy city centre. It's a short drive from any part of Freetown by car or taxi. The roads are now very good, but watch the speed bumps on the beach road and Sir Samuel Lewis Road. There are small stalls along the beach road selling 'tourist' fare. There are some more modern shops on the beach road at various points. There are plenty of hawkers on the beach selling sunglasses, fruit, peanuts, clothes, etc. Just behind the Tourist Office is a good craft market and is much less hassle than Big Market.
There are several colonial stilt houses at Hill Station. Most are in a poor state but offer insight into how Colonial Officials lived in the past. Downtown the old board houses are typical Krio architecture showing influence from the Caribbean.
Wilkinson Road is home to many larger businesses and retail outlets. Also some of the more popular restaurants.
Cape Sierra Leone Lighthouse, 8.498391°, -13.296469°. The lighthouse was built in 1812 by the British. It is in good condition (it was refurbished in 2010). There are some stunning views of the Atlantic ocean. If you are lucky and can find someone, the local staff will show you around.
National Rail Museum, Cline Street, 8.489794°, -13.205976°. M-Sa 10:30AM-5PM. The Sierra Leone National Railway Museum is one of only two government-funded railway museums in the world, the other being in the UK. The museum has several steam and diesel locomotives and carriages, including one which was planned to be used by HM Queen Elizabeth II during her state visit. All have been restored. A guide will usually show visitors around. By donation
Sierra Leone National Museum, Siaka Stevens St, 8.486694°, -13.235839°. See artefacts from the past including masks, relics from the war, local costumes - guided tours. Sierra Leone National museum has a repllica of the De Ruyter Stone. The original is buried at King Jimmy Market (it was discovered but reburied to protect it against vandalism and weathering). In 1664, in the Anglo-Dutch war vice admiral Ruyten made inscriptions in on the stone as he was raiding British posts along the coast.
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, 8.419174°, -13.206313°, +232-76-611211, info@tacugama.com. Outside Freetown and will require a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Follow the Regent road through Hill Station and Leicester. Watch for the entrance on the right. Open twice daily at 10:30AM & 4PM 7 days a week by appointment. Le 30,000, Le 15,000 for children.
Charlotte falls, 8.4223°, -13.1913°. Charlotte village southwest of Freetown.
Cotton tree, 8.48714°, -13.23561°. An ancient tree known to have been standing in the middle of the city since at least 1787. Freetown was established at this tree on 11 March 1792 by slaves freed by the British and returned to Africa as thanks for fighting in the American War of Independence. As such it is a symbol of the city, and home to countless bats that fly around in daytime.
Supreme Court building, 26 Siaka Stevens St, 8.48749°, -13.23501°. Next to the Cotton Tree.
Portuguese steps (Old Wharf steps), 8.49095°, -13.23605°. These steps connect the lower Commissariat at the landing area to the French Company building on Wallance Johnson street. Despite their name, it was the British colonial governor Sir Charles MacCarthy who had them constructed in 1818; the Portuguese colonised this area but not longer when the steps were built.
St. Johns Maroon Church, 8.48573°, -13.23666°. Finished in the 1820s, this is one of the oldest churches in Freetown still in use. It was built by Maroons, former slaves from Jamaica returning to Africa.
St. George's Cathedral, 8.48998°, -13.23565°. Finished in 1828 as one of the most impressive churches in the city, today it is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Freetown.
Fourah Town Mosque (Jamiatul Atiq Mosque), 8.48392°, -13.22636°. Finished in 1830, this is a large Sunni mosque in the Fourah Bay neighbourhood.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Siaka Stevens St, 8.48937°, -13.23308°. The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Freetown, and one of four Catholic catedrals in Sierra Leone. It was dedicated in 1887.
Three historical cannons. At the city limits, installed there to demark the limits, though they couldn't to serve the original purpose very well nowadays as they are hard to find. The first is at the junction of the Kissy, Ross and Blackhall Roads. Known as the "Kissy Gun", it's the oldest and the one best visible. The second is on Leicester Road or Mountain Road, and as the current road doesn't go in the same place, it's reportedly not visible. The third one is where the Pandema and Merewether (present Jomo Kenyatta) Roads meet. This too takes effort to find.
Sierra Leone Peace Museum, 8.4712345°, -13.2425397°, +23276819242. Dedicated to telling the story of Sierra Leone's decade-long conflict and reconciliation. Features interactive displays that illustrate the chronology of the conflict and the ensuing peace process, with galleries, photos, and a memorial garden. The Human Rights Commission is one of the stakeholders in the organization. 2020-07-27
The beaches are beautiful and unspoilt. Most popular places like Lakka Beach, No. 2 River Beach and Bureh Beach offer simple but descent accommodations. Poda's (minibusses) will only take you until Lakka junction. If you want to continue with public transportation you'll need to go by okada (motorbike). If you're driving yourself a good vehicle will be required as the road conditions are pretty bad once you leave the main road. The peninsular-road is being reconstructed and it is complete from Lumley to Sussex. The beaches are often not well sign-posted, so watch carefully or use GPS. The tracks to the beaches can also be very poor.
The following beaches are listed counter clockwise around the peninsular, starting at Aberdeen.
As from Tokeh junction you'll find yourself driving on an excellent, modern and smooth paved road. However, the following beaches are also well reached driving around the other side of the mountains (Bai Bureh Rd or Regent Road), depending on your starting point from Freetown. If you take this route, turn right at Waterloo.
Bunce Island 📍 is one of the most important historical sites in Africa with regards to the history of the United States. Attempts by African Americans to find their ancestry via DNA testing have shown more ties to Sierra Leone than to any other country, and the slave forts of Bunce Island were the busiest in the then-called Rice Coast of Africa, sending countless numbers of captured slaves to the Southern US.
While the ruins are fairly large, they are completely overrun with vegetation, and long-awaiting restoration. There is no development of tourist infrastructure here whatsoever, unless you count the guestbook.
Getting to Bunce Island is simple enough if you are willing to drop at a minimum $150 to charter one of the long wooden fastboats from Kissy Ferry Terminal. For a nice speedboat from Aberdeen, where the speedboats leave for Lungi Airport, you'll need about US$300. Neither option guarantees much guidance when you arrive, though.
So, if you are a solo traveller without US$150 to blow, this becomes a gruelling adventure. The most sensible way to do this (and it's anything but sensible), is to catch a passenger boat (one of the long dugout wooden motorized fastboats) from Big Wharf (to the east of Kissy) in Freetown straight to Pepel (~US$2). There will in all likelihood be only one of these per day, only on weekdays, and it should leave around 3PM or so, so you would need to be there earlier to make sure you get on it. Try to see Bunce Island upon arrival, so you can catch the fastboat back early in the morning, after staying in Pepel with the permission of the chief (budget at least US$15-20 in leones so that you are able to pass 10,000 notes to all the necessary hands). Realistically, this won't work, though. So plan to spend the morning going to the island, then return to Pepel and hire a moto-taxi to take you on the 90 minute dust-choked journey back to Tagrin (~US$5-10) to catch the Ferry to either Kissy or Government Wharf in Freetown. The boat back and forth to Bunce Island from Pepel, including waiting, is going to run at least US$30 in leones. Budget travel to Bunce Island doesn't really work.
Freetown Golf Club, Lumley Beach Road, 8.4633°, -13.2772°. A round of golf or tennis at the club just off the beach at Lumley. 2020-04-19
Casino Leone, 72A Cape Road, 8.4938°, -13.2940°. Gamble at the Casino in Aberdeen. Also has a bar, spa and beauty salon. 2020-04-19
Search out the remains of the railway infrastructure, from Hill Station, via Congo Cross to the center of Freetown.
Discover colonial warship wrecks by scuba diving or snorkeling at Banana Island and a bbq on Jonobo beach
Sport fishing Charter a boat for some world class game fishing or join the amateur angler's short fishing trips from Banana Island's fishing lodges.
Local crafts are relatively expensive and little is unique to Sierra Leone (some items on offer not actually made here) except country cloth, gara (tie-dyed) cloth, batik pictures and wood carving.
Freetown has a few high-quality restaurants, but very little in the tier below that. Being on the Atlantic coast, some excellent seafood is on offer. Barracuda, grouper, and lobster are readily available. Freetown has a large Lebanese community. Consequently, some very good Lebanese food is available at most restaurants. Following the opening of an ice-cream factory, ice cream cafés are becoming popular.
Apart from the hotels and restaurants, there are many bars along the beach road.
There are countless small bars along every street, often catering for just a handful of customers.
A "must-see" for any visitor was Paddy's on the road into Aberdeen. This bar is famous and was the only place to be consistently open during the war, now it is renamed as Quincy's. Star beer is available on tap in better bars. Also worthy of a visit is the Hill Station Club at Hill Station. This old gentleman's drinking club was looted during the war, but the building survived and the bar will be opened for visitors. If you are lucky you will be allowed to see the snooker room, where the tables appear untouched for many years and old champions' names are still on display.
On Sir Samuel Lewis Road (same as Paddy's) there is also a small local pub, called Tribes, with a pool table.
Freetown has some high standard hotels. All in the splurge section will offer air conditioned rooms with power available 24 hours per day. Most will also have Internet access, with some providing wireless access too. Hotels in the Aberdeen area are closest to Lumley beach. There are very few options in the main part of the town itself. During the busiest time of the year (December–March) it can be hard to find a room, especially with the closure of the Cape Sierra Hotel and Solar Hotel (all in Aberdeen). Booking ahead is advised.
Violent crime is rare in Freetown. However, there have been some incidents in Lumley and Aberdeen at night, near the clubs and bars. Petty crime is common - take care of possessions and be wary of leaving valuables in rooms. Thefts from luggage at the airport on the way out of Sierra Leone aren’t as common anymore, but do not leave luggage unattended.
The unrelenting heat and humidity can make life uncomfortable. For anyone not used to this, an air-conditioned room to sleep in will be almost essential.
BBC World Service can be heard on 94.5MHz (FM) and Western style commercial station Capital Radio on 104.9MHz.
Orange (Sonatel) has 3G coverage, Africell (Lintel) 3G and 4G/LTE coverage in Freetown.
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