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Sitting around the African continent like the jewels on a necklace are some truly exquisite islands. Here’s my personal guide to the top small islands in Africa to visit!
Almost always unique in one way or another, some are nation states. Other are autonomous regions. Still more just happen to be separated from the rest of a country by sea.
If you’re like me, there’s nothing more evocative that saying goodbye to dry land. Stepping onto some sort of sea going vessel and heading to an island can be a fantastic experience.
Gorée, Senegal
Île de Gorée is so important to the culture and history of the continent that it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gorée was one of the first locations anywhere in Africa to be visited by European colonisers. They were scouting west Africa island countries for possible new trade relations (to put it mildly).
The likes of Vasco da Gama have stood among buildings not much changed since their time. These buildings became the ‘storage’ cells for hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
They were captured inland and forced across the Atlantic to be slaves in the Americas. The well-laid out Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves) remains to testify to this horror.
Nowadays the island is a popular weekend retreat for Senegal’s burgeoning middle classes. Its old buildings stand as an important reminder of the decades when the ancestors of these people stepped onto ships for very different reasons. With so much to see, a guided tour of the island is a good idea.
Gorée is incredibly easy to get to. Most people visit as a day trip from Senegal’s capital, Dakar. A small modern (by African standards) ferry will take you there on the weekend in not much more than an hour.
There’s even some island accommodation popping up, should you fancy extending your stay just that little bit longer. That way, you’ll get to experience Gorée long after most visitors have departed.
Zanzibar and Pemba
Also known as Africa’s Spice Islands, Tanzania and Pemba are another regular ferry ride away. Ferries depart from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s principle city, and carry several hundred people, meaning tickets aren’t hard to get.
In fact, head anywhere near the port, and you’ll have yourself a ticket in no time at all.
What’s at the other end of the journey? Two hours will get you to Zanzibar (or Unguja), a stone’s throw (ironically) from Stone Town. The archipelago was separate nation ruled by a sultan until a coup in 1964. Its islands are therefore very different from mainland Tanzania.
Zanzibar is an almost magical island heady with the rich scent of spices. Braying donkeys compete with the sound of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer. White sand beaches await too – the sort that are used to sell holidays the world over. And all within easy reach of some fab hotels.
Many of the sultanate’s most important buildings still stand in and around Stone Town, the ‘capital’. They are open to the public either as functioning offices or as museums. But the further north you head, away from the tantalizing alleyways of Stone Town, the quieter, more relaxed, and more luxuriant the island becomes.
This is doubly true if you make the additional two hour journey to Pemba. Almost forgotten compared to Unguja, Pemba has a much more traditional air. There’s arguably less to see, and beachside communities aren’t quite as ready for sunbathers.
Yet to get a sense of life on islands off the east coast of Africa, I can’t think of better destinations. So whether its history or sun you’ve come for, Zanzibar and Pemba have both in spades.
Robben Island, South Africa
Robben Island lies close enough to ever-mesmerising Cape Town that it can be seen from the summit of Table Mountain. The island is synonymous with one man – the late, great Nelson Mandela.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and South Africa’s first black president, he is feted across the globe for his long fight for freedom. That South Africa has come so far so fast (1994 is the country’s year zero) is undoubtedly, at least in part, due to his legacy of work.
Mandela was incarcerated on Robben Island for 18 of the 27 years he served in prison for sabotage and conspiracy.
Tours to the island take in the prison blocks, including Mandela’s cell (marked by a candle), and the island quarry. Here Mandela and fellow prisoners would be forced to break limestone rocks in the blinding sunlight as part of their prison sentences. Doing so led to irreversible damage to Mandela’s eyesight.
What’s more, tours are often led by former prisoners, many of whom knew or where associated with Mandela and his dreams. How long this will last as individuals get older its difficult to say.
But if time allows, Robben Island has a lot more to offer. It takes its name from the Dutch (hence Afrikaaans) for seal. You should be lucky enough to spot a seal or two here. There are also African (jackass) penguins, tortoises, and oyster catchers.
The waters can be rough, so take any necessary precautions to avoid seasickness!
Banana Island, Sierra Leone
Banana Island is the name of the main island. But it’s also the moniker for the archipelago of three tiny islands lying off the coast of Sierra Leone. About two hours away from Freetown, they are then only 20 minutes by boat from the small town of Kent.
There’s an impressive and growing band of accommodation options on the island. All are sympathetic to their natural forest environment. Most are based around the tip of the island closest to the mainland, around the village of Dublin.
They can have a boat waiting for you when you arrive at Kent. Alternatively, you can try out your bartering skills with the local fishermen. This assumes someone’s heading in that direction – or it could be a long wait.
When you get there, you’re going to find an island (or islands) almost totally devoted to nature.
The eight kilometres between Dublin and the only other town of Ricketts is nothing but forest. A single trail leading the five hours beyond termite mounds, snake dens, and monkey troops. A causeway said to have been constructed by slaves connects the two islands.
What you do there is up to you, but sports fishing is popular. Huge barracuda and grouper are commonly caught and prompty thrown onto a barbeque. Whale and dolphin watching, walking tours, and boat trips are all possible.
For something really special, head to Mes-Meheux, the smallest and furthest away of the islands. Here an eco-resort is slowly building a name for itself as the place to really commune with nature. The budget conscious will instead what to head to the original destination on the island, Dalton’s Banana Guesthouse. When you do, say hi to Greg on my behalf.
São Tomé e Príncipe
The nation (yes, nation!) of São Tomé e Príncipe is beloved of quiz show question setters. Largely because no one seems to have heard of it. It comprises two main isolated islands straddled across the equator a short plane journey from Gabon in west central Africa.
It is named after its two name islands, São Tomé (Saint Thomas) and Príncipe (Prince Island). However, the nation actually comprises a dozen islands, the remaining ten being tiny. Even so, they still don’t hold the record of the smallest island in Africa, which is Île Moyenne in the Seychelles.
Colonised by the Portuguese, the nation only gained its independence in 1975. Come here and you’ll find a colourful, harmonious society that still largely works to the rhythms nature provides.
While there are no big ticket attractions (besides perhaps an equator marker on Ihleu das Rolas) there is plenty of atmosphere. There’s wonderful fusion cuisine, and sunsets that will wow even the most jaded of Instagram users.
The top small islands in Africa to visit
Africa’s small islands make for a wonderful contrast to the hustle and bustle of the mainland. Sometimes easy to reach, sometimes incredibly difficult, the islands I’ve mentione are definitely worth the effort! To get their, be sure to check out CheapOAir for flights and be sure to have good travel insurance too.
