Equatorial Guinea is one of Africa’s smallest countries, tucked away in the Gulf of Guinea between Gabon and Cameroon. The main population centres and capital of Malabo is located on the island of Bioko, a beautiful volcanic island surrounded by great beaches and filled with thick lush rainforest. Equatorial Guinea is a little off the beaten path and information can be hard to come by, but don’t worry we have you covered in this comprehensive guide on how to travel to the country.
Why visit Equatorial Guinea?
While definitely not the first destination to come the minds of most when considering an trip to Africa, Equatorial Guinea is extremely interesting, filled with untouched natural beauty and not nearly as crazy as some people have made out. Previously, Equatorial Guinea has been called the North Korea of Africa mostly due to its previous relations with the hermit state, long-standing leader and general closed off nature. Travellers who previously went there have spoken of incredibly strict photography rules and an extremely difficult visa process. While it is still sensitive to take photos of government buildings in Malabo, the visa is now an easy e-visa, and overall travel around the country is very relaxed.
In short, if you are looking for unspoiled jungle with amazing roads and an experience that is very unique then this place is for you. Equatorial Guinea does have some quirks that you can’t find elsewhere, and we’d be lying if we said everything here made sense or was completely normal. Equatorial Guinea is good for both experienced and less experienced travellers and is definitely going to be different to anywhere else you’ve been.
How to get a visa for Equatorial Guinea?
Unless you are from Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Barbados, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon or Republic of Congo then you will need to use the e-visa system introduced in 2023.
To access the e-visa site you can use this link here: https://equatorialguinea-evisa.com/
Note that this website is a third-party site, but it is the official government website to apply for the e-visa.
To apply for the e-visa you will need the following documents:
- Passport
- Proof of accommodation
- Travel insurance
- Bank statement (online it says stamped by the bank – we have never had the stamp and never had an issue)
- Yello fever vaccination
- Return flight tickets
- Passport size photo
- Visas issued in the last 3 months (if any -again we have never uploaded anything to this section and not had any issues).
- Purpose of travel letter – this can just be a letter details your basic itinerary and why you want to come to Equatorial Guinea. It does not say on the website’s home page that you need this but is definitely helpful to upload.
The price of the visa with the online service fee is $75 in total and can be paid with Visa and Mastercard.
For more in-depth information on the online visa application process read our blog: How to Get a Visa for Equatorial Guinea .
Getting into Equatorial Guinea – Flights and land borders
You don’t have too many choices when choosing who to fly with to Equatorial Guinea. Malabo is the only main airport that works for international flights so that’s where you should search when looking for flights online. There is also an international airport in Bata, however there are currently no international flights servicing this airport.
Currently you can fly direct to Malabo via the following cities:
- Air France – Paris (this is the only direct route from outside of Africa)
- Royal Air Maroc – Casablanca
- Ethiopian Airways – Addis Ababa
- Afrijet - Cotonou and Libreville
- Asky – Lomé and Yaoundé
- Lufthansa – via Doula, Cameroon
- Valuejet – Lagos and Port Harcourt
There are sometimes also seasonal routes on Iberia direct to Madrid.
For the land borders these are known to be notoriously difficult crossings for standard tourists are not advised simply due to the unreliability. If you do consider a land border crossing then the most used is the Kyo-Ossi crossing with Cameroon.
There is a river crossing that some locals also use with Gabon down in the south of the Rio Mundi however this is not accessible for foreign tourists. The small border post in the town of Mongomo in the very east of the country is also not used for standard tourists to cross.
Money – Currency and costs
Equatorial Guinea uses the Central African Franc (XAF) which is equal in value to the West African Franc. Locally, the currency is called the CFA or “
see-fah”
and is also used by Chad, Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic (CAR).
The official rate is around 560 to 1 USD however the exchange rate you will get on the ground will be better as most places will exchange at an unofficial rate. We have found that the unofficial rate for foreign currency exchange in Equatorial Guinea is the most favourable in the region. In particular, if you exchange euro cash the rate tends to be quite a bit higher than the official rate. S,o our recommendation is to bring euros to exchange.
For a full explanation of how money changing works in individual central African countries including Equatorial Guinea read our blog: Guide to Changing Money in Central Africa
The journey to Equatorial Guinea can be a little costly after the visa and flights, however on the ground the prices are fairly reasonable. You can find hotels between $50-$80 per night for a decent quality in most places. Meals will be around $5-10 and a beer will usually set you back around $2. For items at a convenience store sometimes most items are around 500 XAF. WE have even found places selling different size waters of the same brand for the same price of 500 XAF, we don’t know how this works, but we aren’t complaining.
Health
When travelling to Africa one concern of many travellers is health, particularly around vaccines and malaria. The only vaccine that is mandatory for Equatorial Guinea is the yellow fever vaccine, not other vaccines are required to enter.
Equatorial Guinea is a wet hot country and is very well known for Malaria. So, if you’re wondering if you should take any prophylaxis for it, the answer is a resounding yes. The two main types of medications people use for malaria are doxycycline which is an antibiotic and Malarone (also known as Atovaquone-proguanil). If you take doxycycline remember that you have to take it for an additional 28 days after leaving the zone. With the latter you do not have to do this. For other instructions about taking the medication please consult your doctor that prescribes them to you.
These medications can be prescribed in Europe, USA, Australia and many other countries worldwide.
For more information on Malaria and Africa read our blog: Do I Really Need to Worry about Malaria in Africa?
Safety
Equatorial Guinea is a safe destination for tourists with cities like Malabo an Mongomo being especially safe in the day. The main dangers in the city are things like traffic and maybe some petty crime, but generally speaking Equatorial Guinea is much safer than most countries in Africa.
For a full explanation of safety and dangers in Equatorial Guinea you can read our blog:
Is Equatorial Guinea Safe for Tourists?
On the mainland, in cities such as Bata, it is safe to walk around both in the day and at night. The biggest danger on the mainland would be if you went into the jungle by yourself or if you got malaria.
Overall, Equatorial Guinea is very safe and has a much more relaxed vibe than many of the neighbouring countries around it.
Food
What may surprise you about this small African country, is that due to its oil resources, the capital Malabo is a surprisingly cosmopolitan city with many different international cuisines available. Here you can find Ethiopian, Senegalese, Chinese, Lebanese and more as well as of course local African dishes. For a full guide specifically on where to eat in the capital, check out our blog Where to Eat in Malabo .
For local food you can find many local restaurants that will serve limited menus of local dishes. Many of the foods you can find are similar to others found in West Africa such as okra stews, groundnut stews and many fishy stews that can be a little intense if you aren’t used to the flavours. Local stews can be quite thick and slimy which can be fun but also not to everyone’s liking. They can also be difficult to eat if you aren’t used to it as many of the dishes are served with a side of a starch such as fufu (a type of pounded yam) which you will eat with your hands. We can say that this is an art and takes a while to perfect but also can be great fun, just don’t burn your fingers!
What are the main sites to see in Equatorial Guinea?
Many of the sites in Equatorial Guinea are nature related with beautiful untouched landscapes dotted all over the country from Monte Allen on the mainland which is fantastic for nature and jungle hikes. On Bioko Island, there is Ureca in the south with beautiful waterfalls and sanctuaries for endangered turtles and right next to the capital Malabo you can drive to the top of Pico Basilé which is a huge volcano right next to the city with amazing views (if of course there is no cloud cover which is honestly rare at such a humid equatorial latitude).
On the mainland you can also visit the new capital Ciudad de la Paiz which is still unfinished but great to explore. This amazing half-built city emerges from the thick jungle and is great for some urbex style photos. If you’re looking for beaches then there are great places to swim near Malabo on Bioko, or if you have more time on your hands you can head to Corisco, a small island off the mainland close to the border with Gabon. Read our blog the
Top 10 Things to do in Equatorial Guinea
for a more in-depth look.
The cities of Equatorial Guinea are on the smaller side and are quite relaxed with not a whole lot to do. However, they are worth exploring nonetheless and cities like Bata will be an essential stopover on your way through exploring the country. We have a full write up on our website with information about food and hotels for Bata here: City Guide to Bata, Equatorial Guinea.
While many travellers that come to Equatorial Guinea only set foot on Bioko and explore closer to Malabo, we think the mainland is the true highlight of the country, especially out to the east towards Olaya and Mongomo. Read here to find out all about the Highlights of Mainland Equatorial Guinea .
Languages
Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish speaking country in all of Africa. In saying this however, only about 10-15% of the population would consider themselves native Spanish speakers. Spanish serves as a medium of communication between people as there are many different local languages spoken across the country such as Fang on the mainland and Bubi on Bioko Island.
Many people speak a type of local pigeon which is a mix of local languages, Spanish, Portuguese and French and is heavily influenced from foreigners who have migrated from nearby countries such as Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe and Nigeria.
The dialect spoken here is closer to Spanish spoken in Spain than compared to Latin America, however it is spoken a little slower and has many local words mixed in from the various Bantu languages spoken in the region. If you’re interested in knowing more about Equatoguinean Spanish read here: What is Spanish like in Equatorial Guinea?
When is the best time to visit Equatorial Guinea?
Regardless of when you choose to come to Equatorial Guinea it will be humid, it could rain and it will be hot. Of course it is the name of the country, but its proximity to the Equator means that the distinction between dry and wet season are hard to really define. December to February is supposed to be dry season however showers regularly do still occur. The wettest months are June to August.
In our travels to the country, we have been here both in dry season and wet season and while yes, it was a little wetter in June, we didn’t really feel the difference. You may want to focus less on the weather and look at travelling to Equatorial Guinea during one of their festivals such as the Mother of Languages Festival in February, or Independence day in October. We of course run tours to these events which you can see departure dates for on
our website here
.
For a full run down on the best seasons and other festivals that may be of interested to you read our blog
When is the Best Time to Visit Equatorial Guinea
.
We run tours to Equatorial Guinea year-round and you can find our tour dates here on our website . If you would like to join us in Equatorial Guinea then send us an email to [email protected] to secure your place.
