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Largest city and district of Ivory Coast
Photo: Skiper, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Serving as the capital from 1933 until 1983, Abidjan is the biggest and most important city of Cote d'Ivoire. With a population of around 4,000,000 people, it is the second largest city in West Africa after Lagos and has historically been the economic power base of the region.
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Cathédrale Saint-Paul d'Abidjan
Bibliothèque Nationale de Côte d'Ivoire
Parc national du Banco
A 30 km² national park just north of Abidjan featuring many tropical rare woods (mahogany, avodirés, waffle wood and more). There are several walking paths and popular for trekking.
Musée des Civilisations de Côte d'Ivoire
The national museum of Côte d'Ivoire, first opened in 1942. Contains substantial archaeological and ethological collections, making it one of the most important museums in the region.
Musée des cultures contemporaines Adama-Toungara
Situated in a large colonial villa in the Plateau district, this popular restaurant features traditional African cuisine.
French and Italian dishes at French prices in a formal setting. Free Wi-Fi.
The restaurant serves Ivorien food with a modern feel. There is a full bar. The menu includes an inexpensive, light vegetarian dish of tofu in peanut sauce with rice and spinach. Delivery is available through Hellofood, where the menu is also listed.
The best hotel by far in Abidjan, located in Plateau district next to Standard Chartered Bank.
Upscale waterfront hotel.
By road
The roads to Abidjan are quite good despite their maintenance not being kept up as much as it should.
By train
The only train connection to Abidjan is from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso with stop-overs in Bouake and Bobo-Dioulasso as well as some smaller cities.
By taxi
They have a taxi system that involves two types of car taxis. The first type that most visitors will encounter are the orange (or red-orange) ones.
By bus
There are several bus routes throughout the city. They are cheap and decently reliable, although they are often incredibly crowded due to insufficient numbers.
By motorcycle
In 2010, the Ivorian government relaxed import restrictions on small motorcycles.
By boat
If you just need to cross the lagoon and can make use of one of the ferry routes, by all means take it.
By train
A commuter railway system is under construction, the first section is expected to open in 2025.
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Abidjan · International · ABJ
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