Benguela

Benguela is a city in Central Angola.

Understand
Founded by Portuguese general Manuel Cerveira Pereira in 1617. Benguela was long the centre of the slave trade to Brazil and Cuba.

By car
By road, it is about a seven-hour drive from Luanda, once you clear Luanda's traffic.

By train
Travelling by rail is once again an option, but trains are infrequent and slow. There are daily commuter trains from nearby Lobito and at least a once-weekly overnight train from Huambo, with connections from Luao next to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.



See
There are some pretty colonial buildings in Benguela. A few are pictured in this article.

Beaches
There are several beautiful beaches around Benguela, including one right in the city center! The best beach resort hotel, though, is in Lobito. The beaches outside the city are close by and easy to reach by car, either your own or a hired taxi. They're really beautiful too, with the bluest water, the whitest sand, and most are flanked by dramatic cliffs. But remember that tourist facilities are limited and beaches are not well-maintained. A visit with high expectations of a tropical paradise vacation risks disappointment.



Go next

 * Caotinha is on a peninsula west of Benguela.
 * Lobito is 33 kilometres north of Benguela.