Bijagós Islands: A Hidden Cultural and Ecological Gem Emerges from Obscurity

Edited By: Fatomatou konè

Off the coast of Guinea-Bissau lies the Bijagós Archipelago, a scattering of more than eighty islands where mangroves meet the Atlantic and traditions thrive in rhythm with the tides. Recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, the archipelago has drawn new attention for its extraordinary biodiversity and its matriarchal cultures. Here saltwater hippos wallow in lagoons, leatherback turtles nest on untouched beaches, and manatees drift silently in seagrass beds. Villagers maintain rituals passed down for centuries, including the cow dance that celebrates the bond between people, land, and animals. For visitors willing to make the journey, the islands offer not only breathtaking nature but a living cultural landscape where the boundaries between ecology and spirituality dissolve.

Yet the Bijagós remain largely unknown to the outside world. Tourism is minimal, infrastructure modest, and the communities face a delicate choice. Greater recognition could bring income, conservation funding, and global respect for their heritage. But it could also invite mass tourism that risks disturbing fragile ecosystems and eroding cultural practices carefully preserved through generations.

At this crossroads, the Bijagós story is about more than conservation—it is about agency, about who decides how a sacred place should be shared, and whether the islands can welcome the world without losing the essence that makes them extraordinary.