Best Tourist Places to Visit in Waterloo, West Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Waterloo, West Africa, Africa

Waterloo is a city located in the Western Area Rural District in the Western Area region of Sierra Leone. It is the administrative centre of Western Area Rural District and the second largest city of the region, following the national capital, Freetown, from which Waterloo is located around 30 km southeast on the way Freetown linking other parts of the country. Administratively Waterloo belongs to the Freetown Metropolitan Area, while geographically Waterloo is situated between 8°20′ N latitude and 13°04′ W longitude at an altitude of 40 meters.

History of Waterloo:

Waterloo originated as a colony for liberated Africans in the year 1819. Waterloo got its name from the Battle of Waterloo fought in what is today’s Belgium, in which the Anglo-Allied army defeated Napoleon Bonaparte. Waterloo had seen the peak of its development in the 20th century but that substantially devastated because of heavy damage happened during the Sierra Leone Civil War at the end of the 20^th century.

How to reach Waterloo?

Waterloo is served by Lungi International Airport, located around 45 km north of the midpoint of Waterloo. Including British Airways and Air France, the airport is catered by many eminent airlines with scheduled flights from London, Parish, Brussels, Nairobi and Casablanca.

Buses are regular between Freetown and Waterloo, both luxury and general. The local transportation of Waterloo is catered by minibuses, taxis and rental cars. Rental vehicles are available for advance booking.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Waterloo:

Waterloo is ethnically diverse city, where the Krio people are larger in number, who highly speak Krio language. Shops in Waterloo range from traditional handicraft shops to many famed retail outlets. Waterloo is also famous for its seafood restaurants.

Things to do in Waterloo:

Exploring nearby forest reserve
City tours
Shopping

Tourist Attractions in Waterloo:

Western Area Forest Reserve:

The Western Area Forest Reserve is spread over an area of 17,688 hectares with a large number of endangered bird species. It is the site of Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which is one of the top tourist destinations in Sierra Leone and is mainly famous for chimpanzees.

Beaches of Freetown:

The capital Freetown is located around 30 km away from Waterloo. The city has a very long coastline with many excellent pristine beaches such as Lakka Beach, No. 2 River Beach and Bureh Beach, John Obey Beach, York Beach, Sussex Beach and Goderich Beach. There are buses frequently plying between Waterloo and Freetown.

Cape Sierra Leone Lighthouse:

The Cape Sierra Leone Lighthouse is situated in the suburb of Aberdeen in Freetown, near Barmoi Hotel, around 30 km from Waterloo. It is a Portuguese constructed lighthouse, offering striking views of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a place where tourists surely forget them in the world of natural beauties.

List of other places of interest near Waterloo include:

Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
National Rail Museum
George’s Cathedral
Goderich Beach
Lakka Beach
Foulah Town Mosque
Cotton Tree
Bunce Island
John Obey Beach
Hill Station Club
York Beach
Sussex Beach
Sierra Leone Museum
Charlotte Falls

Best time to visit Waterloo:

Undoubtedly during the dry months between December and March is ideal to visit Waterloo in Sierra Leone.

Hotels in and around Waterloo:

There are tourist favor hotels limited in Waterloo, so tourists are advised to drive towards the nearby city and capital, Freetown, where all sorts of upgraded hotels are located. List of the major hotels in Freetown (around 30 km from Waterloo) includes.