EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Equatorial Guinea, Africa’s Great Unknown

Equatorial Guinea remains one of the least-visited and least-known countries in Africa. Despite its stunning natural beauty and fascinating historical heritage, it has remained off the continent’s main travel routes for decades.

Its economy depends largely on the oil industry, which has spurred significant investment in infrastructure and profoundly transformed some of its cities. However, this modernization coexists with old colonial buildings, small rural communities, tropical rainforests, volcanic mountains, and a coastline that remains largely unknown.

Traveling through Equatorial Guinea allows you to encounter precisely these contrasts: the Spanish colonial past, local cultures, traces of the former cocoa economy, and some of the great architectural oddities built in recent decades.

Equatorial Guinea: A Territory Between the Continent and the Islands

Located in the Gulf of Guinea in Central Africa, Equatorial Guinea has a rather unusual geography. The country is divided into a large mainland region and several island territories separated from one another by the sea.

Bioko, formerly known as Fernando Poo, is home to much of the country’s historical heritage and is the site of Malabo, the former national capital and still one of its most important cities.

The low population density across large swaths of the country has allowed a considerable portion of Equatorial Guinea to remain covered by dense tropical rainforests. However, observing wildlife is much more difficult than this environment might suggest.

From Spanish Guinea to Independence

Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish colony, and later, part of its territory came to be organized administratively as Spanish provinces.

In 1959, the former territories of Fernando Poo and Río Muni became two Spanish provinces. A few years later, a process of autonomy and decolonization began that would culminate in Equatorial Guinea’s independence on October 12, 1968.

Francisco Macías Nguema, an anti-Spanish political figure, was elected the first president of the new country. The years that followed were marked by a growing rift with Spain, a brutal dictatorship, and increasing international isolation. Dictator Franco declared any matter or news related to Equatorial Guinea classified, creating an information blackout whose effects can still be felt today

The decolonization process in Equatorial Guinea and the events that immediately followed also received little coverage in the Spanish media at the time. This lack of media coverage contributed to a territory that had been closely linked to Spain for decades quickly becoming largely unknown to much of Spanish society.

Even today, traveling through Equatorial Guinea means constantly coming across fragments of this shared history.

What makes Equatorial Guinea special?

In our opinion, one of the country’s greatest attractions is precisely its historical heritage, which is evident in its towns and cities and blends—sometimes in surprising ways—with the major urban transformations of recent decades.

Old colonial houses, churches, missions, cocoa plantations, and abandoned buildings stand side by side with wide avenues, new administrative centers, and modern infrastructure, including good roads and some very decent hotels

All of this is set against a backdrop of breathtaking beauty: equatorial rainforest, rugged coastline, beaches, volcanic mountains, and the highlands of Bioko.

Kumakonda’s trip through Equatorial Guinea focused particularly on this historical and cultural heritage, both on the island of Bioko and on the mainland.

Bioko Island: History, Cocoa, and Volcanic Landscapes

Bioko is home to some of Equatorial Guinea’s most interesting historic towns. Exploring Malabo, Luba, Batete, or Moka—or visiting the Sampaka Estate—offers a glimpse into both African history and Spanish colonial history.

The island has a very special atmosphere: old buildings, plantations, Bubi communities, and remnants of the colonial era are all set amid lush tropical vegetation and a volcanic landscape.

Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea

Malabo, located in the north of Bioko, was the national capital for decades and remains one of the country’s main political, economic, and historical centers.

One of its greatest attractions is strolling through the streets of the old town in search of colonial-era buildings. The most distinctive and well-known of these is the Cathedral of Santa Isabel, built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the Neo-Gothic style.

These historic structures are interspersed throughout the city with modern buildings erected in recent decades, creating an urban landscape where different eras coexist.

Across from the cathedral is Independence Square, shaded by palm trees and one of the most recognizable spots in downtown Malabo.

Sampaka Plantation and the History of Cacao

The Sampaka Plantation is an iconic site on the island of Bioko and a particularly interesting place to visit to understand the importance of cacao in the island’s economic history.

Founded around 1906, the estate retains its distinctive colonial-style house, built of Nordic pine and painted in shades of green, which still stands today in defiance of the passage of time.

The name Sampaka comes from Samuel Parker, who arrived in the area from Liberia. Over the years, as the name evolved phonetically in the local pidgin, Samuel Parker is believed to have become Sam Peik and eventually Sampaka.

The estate once covered nearly 1,000 hectares and was renowned for producing cocoa of excellent quality, thanks both to the care taken in selecting the beans and to the processing methods used.

Luba and the Legacy of the Fernandinos

Luba, one of the main towns on Bioko, preserves some of the most interesting remnants of the island’s past.

Across from the port stands the old Hotel Jones, a building that still struggles to withstand the passage of time and neglect. Stepping inside is practically like taking a little trip back in time. It is named after its owner and founder, Maximiliano Jones, one of the most prominent figures among the so-called “Fernandinos” or “Creoles” of Bioko.

To talk about Luba is inevitably to talk about Maximiliano Jones, whose bust stands on one of the town’s main streets. Among other initiatives, he helped bring electricity to the city by harnessing the Musola waterfalls.

Although some accounts claim—perhaps with good reason—that Maximiliano amassed his fortune through the illegal slave trade, the truth is that he and other Fernandinos from Liberia and Sierra Leone were the true driving forces behind the economic and social prosperity that is reflected in houses, monuments, mansions, urban planning, and other infrastructure throughout the island.

Luba is also home to the former residence of Maximiliano Jones, known as Patio Magazine, one of the most interesting buildings in Equatorial Guinea’s architectural heritage.

Batete: The Legacy of the Claretian Missionaries

The town of Batete, known as María Cristina during the colonial period, is located in the highlands of the southern Bioko massif.

Strolling among its colonial houses, old religious buildings, and cocoa drying sheds gives you a sense of what some of the island’s agricultural settlements looked like during the colonial era.

Its most distinctive building is the Church of San Antonio María Claret, a Gothic-style church built entirely of wood and dating from 1922, making it the oldest in Bioko.

The strong influence of Christian missions also left behind important buildings in Batete. Among them are two historic religious complexes with boarding schools: one associated with the Claretian Missionaries (where future priests received their training), and another that belonged to the Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception and was later taken over by the Salesians.

Moka, the historic heart of the Bubi people

Located about 1,500 meters above sea level, Moka owes its name to the Bubi king Möókáta, who ruled during the first half of the 19th century. Together with Pico Basilé and other sites on Bioko, the town is one of the most historically and culturally significant places for the Bubi people.

Traditionally regarded as a sort of Bubi capital, Moka is one of the best places on the island to experience its culture, traditions, rituals, and cuisine.

During the Spanish colonial period, it was also an important agricultural center. Its cooler climate made it possible to grow tomatoes, potatoes, beans, onions, and other crops that were difficult to produce in the island’s warmer regions. Horse breeding also flourished here.

It was precisely because of this climate that many families from the colonial elite built vacation homes in Moka. Various 20th-century houses can still be seen scattered throughout the town and its surroundings, alongside traditional buildings associated with Bubi culture.

The mainland region of Equatorial Guinea

Most of the country’s territory lies on the mainland, between Cameroon and Gabon. It is a vast region of tropical rainforest crisscrossed by an impressive network of roads and dotted with cities, small towns, and large-scale urban development projects built over the past few decades.

Bata and the mainland of Equatorial Guinea

Bata is the most populous city in Equatorial Guinea and the main urban center of the mainland region.

One of its most pleasant spots is the long seaside promenade, around which you can also find some colonial-era buildings.

Bata also offers a glimpse into certain cultural traditions of the mainland region. On special occasions, ceremonies may be held in the city—usually on Sundays—and characters such as the Mecuyo may appear; this is a ritual expression that blends elements of local traditions with Christian influences.

Ciudad de la Paz, the new capital

As of January 2026, Ciudad de la Paz, in the province of Djibloho, is officially the capital of Equatorial Guinea, replacing Malabo.

The city, formerly known as Oyala, showcases a completely different side of the country. Built practically from scratch in the interior of the mainland, it is part of the major infrastructure and urban development projects launched over the past few decades.

Its monumental scale and administrative character stand in stark contrast to the villages, colonial buildings, and jungle landscapes of other parts of Equatorial Guinea, and they serve as a good example of the profound transformations the country has undergone.

Corisco Island

For those looking for white-sand beaches, warm waters, and palm trees, Corisco offers a completely different view of Equatorial Guinea.

This small island lies off the coast of the mainland, near the border with Gabon, and features extensive tropical beaches and a peaceful atmosphere.

Kumakonda reached Corisco in August 2022, at the end of a long expedition that had begun in the Angolan desert. After several weeks of travel, its beaches provided a particularly memorable finale.

During the summer months, it is possible to spot cetaceans in the waters of this area of the Gulf of Guinea, along the route between Punta San Juan and Corisco.

Although we currently have no scheduled trips to Equatorial Guinea, at Kumakonda we continue to design trips to some of the less conventional destinations in Africa and Asia, with a special focus on culture, history, and local realities.

If this type of travel appeals to you, check out our Trips section and discover our upcoming expeditions.