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Atlantic Road, Gambia

Getting Around Bakau Fajara

Introduction:

The Atlantic Road, officially Boulevard, runs for approximately 3.5 km parallel to the Atlantic Ocean in a south easterly direction from the roundabout at the Cape Point road down past the cliff top town of Bakau and past the Fajara Hotel and terminates a few metres further. It is an unlit highway and there are 6 road humps which are not very well marked out so do drive carefully at night and use your full lights when other cars are not approaching you.

Places to See:

Travelling from the road's north end you will be at the Cape Point roundabout which is straddled by largely exclusive residential villas and bungalows to the west on coast. Immediately on the other side you will find Bakau which is on of Gambia's most urban area mostly made up of old properties some of which are of the shanty type with corrugated iron roofs

and krinting or breeze block walls all packed into a tight maze of potholed roads and some open air gutters. In front of this area facing the roadside is the bengdula, or craft market selling a range of crafts, African style dresses, and stalls selling batiks. Further down you will come across the general food marketplace and to the west a number of local businesses including a Mauritanian food shop selling rice, canned foods and all manner of other consumables, the Bakau Guest House, and a church.

Further southwards down the Atlantic Road you will finally get to go past some of the smoke huts of the fishing beach then onto the African Village Hotel on the junction of Sait Matty Road. This junction is essentially the focal point for many visitors to the area with its banks, postal service offices and numerous local bitikos.

As you come down further south down the road you will pass the fire station and the Gambia's defence barracks. From here on it is distinctively peaceful being made up of private residential villas or well established homes on beautiful tree lined sandy roads with walls draped in exotic flowers. To your right there is the old Tropic Garden Hotel which was built in 1975 as Kamal Milky's Club 80 and stands on 2.5 acres on the cliff. It was being renovated by an Italian promoter and has just finished being refurbished.

There are just a few shops on the right just after the barracks in a purpose build office complex, 2 local corner shops that line the road.

Further towards the health centre you will come across the huge MRC medical campus facility and towards the north Atlantic Ocean side is the Ngala Lodge with its first class menu and nearby is the British Embassy.

A place well worth visiting further down is the Clay Oven Indian restaurant which is just a short hop off the road before the large water tank which dominates the skyline. The Atlantic Road now goes past the former Gambian president's home, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara's, then does a sharp turn to the right past the EC Commission's residence and onto the Total Petrol Station. At this juncture you will come across the Kairaba Avenue which continues to the left. Further up the road you will see Francisco's Restaurant on the corner and finally you will reach the

Fajara Hotel and the Club at the end of the road.

If you still want to see more of this part of The Gambia there is a paved footpath that carries on skirting the hotel and heads towards the beach and the local craft market.

Travel Attractions | Roads

Getting Around Bakau Fajara