Malabo

Malabo is the largest city and the capital of Equatorial Guinea and is on the island of Bioko. Notable buildings in Malabo include Malabo Cathedral, Malabo Government Building and the Malabo Court Building.

History
The city was founded by the British in 1827, who leased the island from Spain during the colonial period. Named Port Clarence, it was used as a naval station in the effort to suppress the slave trade. Many newly freed slaves were also settled there, prior to the establishment of Sierra Leone as a colony for freed slaves. While many of them later relocated to Sierra Leone, some of their descendants, called Fernandinos, can still be found in Malabo and the surrounding area, where they constitute a distinct ethnic group, speaking their own Afro-Portuguese pidgin dialect.

When the island reverted to complete Spanish control, Malabo was renamed Santa Isabel. It was chosen to replace the mainland town of Bata as the capital of the country in 1969, and was renamed Malabo in 1973 as part of President Francisco Macías Nguema's campaign to replace European place names with "authentic" African ones.

During his "reign of terror," Macías Nguema led a near-genocide of the country's Bubi minority, which formed the majority on Bioko Island, and brought many of his own tribespeople, the Fang, to Malabo. In the final years of his rule, when Equatorial Guinea was sometimes known as the "Auschwitz of Africa," much of the city's population fled as, indeed, did about one-third of the country's population. Malabo has yet to recover from the scars of that period.

Orientation
Despite its status as the capital of Equatorial Guinea for several decades, Malabo's street network was poorly developed. Because of money from the country's rich natural resources, Malabo now has streets and a 6-lane motorway. Many of the street names reflect an African nationalist or anti-colonial theme, with names such as "Independence Avenue" or "Patrice Lumumba Road" being major roads. The few large roads not named for an African nationalist ideal or person are named for cities in Equatorial Guinea or other places or countries in Africa, as is the road leading to the presidential palace.

The palace and grounds consume a substantial part of the eastern side of Malabo, and are off-limits. The heart of the city is the colonial cathedral at Independence Place. Many buildings in the city from the Spanish colonial era are still standing. The south of Malabo is bordered by the Rio Consul. Across this lies the hospital to the southeast. To the west is the renovated airport. The coastal northern region of the city is pierced by headlands and bays. The largest headland is the crescent-shaped Tip of African Unity behind the presidential palace. Encompassing the entire eastern side of Malabo Bay, it is almost as long as Malabo is tall. Malabo is part of a wider bay that represents most of the northern coast of Bioko; it stretches from Europe Point in the west (home to the airport), to the luxury hotels and gated communities of Sipopo in the east.

By boat
Ferries sail from Douala and Bata to Malabo port.

Get around
Malabo is quite walkable. Taxis are cheap. 500 FCFA during the day should get you anywhere within the city. 3,000 FCFA should get you from the city to the Marathon Oil compound. Be prepared to pay more at night or when the police are out enforcing traffic laws.

See



 * Malabo National Park, covers an area of 870,000 meter squared, this park offers sports area. It was established in June 2016.


 * Casa de Kristalysky-boy-gastaho, hiking.


 * Hacienda Natividad, hiking.

Buy
ATMs are not common. Local bank SGBGE has some machines (there is one at the Ibis Hotel) that work with international Visa cards at least.


 * Heton, women's clothing store.


 * Cuattro S.L, shopping mall.


 * Caba Market.


 * Solfage, department store.


 * Disca Mini market.


 * Supermarcado Martinez Hermanos.


 * Cadosbe Ship Chandler.


 * Mercamar.


 * MilobiGs.


 * Fontaneria Fruteg.

Eat



 * Cacahual MEGPL club House.


 * Restaurant Pizzeria Times.


 * Restaurante Imagine.


 * Restaurante Africano Candy.


 * Pizza Place Paraiso.

Drink

 * Pizzeria Italiana.


 * Complejo el Caribe.


 * Olympus Skybar.


 * Garden Lounge.


 * Cafe Maria.


 * Kristal Lounge Malabo.


 * Bar Baney.

Sleep

 * Hotel Anda China Malabo.
 * Ibis Malabo.
 * Hotel Anda China Malabo.
 * Ibis Malabo.
 * Hotel Anda China Malabo.
 * Ibis Malabo.
 * Ibis Malabo.

Cope
BBC World Service broadcasts English language programmes in Malabo on 92.5MHz.

Embassies

 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next
Many Equatorial Guinea-based airlines are blocked from operating in the EU, and thus only a few international airlines operate from Malabo, including Air France, Ethiopian, Lufthansa, Ceiba Intercontinental, Air Maroc and Turkish Airlines.

CEIBA Intercontinental may have flights to Annobón and Bata.