Port Loko Tourist Places to Visit in Port Loko, Western Africa, Africa

Port Loko Tourist Places to Visit in Port Loko, Western Africa, Africa

Port Loko is a town belonging to the Port Loko District in the Northern Province of the Western African nation Sierra Leone. It is located in the western part of the country, around 120 km northeast of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. Port Loko is well known as a trading centre and is also famous for bauxite mining. Port Loko is geographically positioned between 8°46′0″ N latitude and 12°47′15″ W longitude.

Port Loko Teacher’s College, Sierra Leone’s one of the oldest and reputed educational institutions, is located in Port Loko since 1968. The Bai Bureh Warriors football club is another identity of Port Loko, which represents Port Loko in the Sierra Leone National First Division.

History of Port Loko:

The history of Port Loko says the Portuguese merchants were founder of Port Loko. Port Loko received second term of its name from the Loko people, who are one of the ethnic groups forming the population of Sierra Leone.

How to reach Port Loko?

The Lungi International Airport is the closest major airport to Port Loko, located around 65 km southwest of Port Loko. This airport operates flights from Banjul, Dakar, Lagos, Brussels, London, Casablanca, Monrovia, Douala, Paris and many other African and European cities.

Taxis are generally available at the airport, though if visitors choose rental car for airport travel would be comfortable and convenient. Port Loko is also accessible by bus from Freetown and Lungi.

Food and Shopping in Port Loko:

Port Loko houses some upgraded shops and restaurants and tourists can also drive towards the national capital Freetown for more modernized options.

Things to do in Port Loko:

Visiting colleges
Exploring river bank
Town tour

Tourist Attractions in Port Loko:

Port Loko Teacher’s College:

Founded in the year 1968, the Port Loko Teacher’s College is one of the renowned colleges of Sierra Leone, which currently trains around 2,600 students with different latest courses, including environmental science. The outdoor facilities of Porto Loko include a table tennis court, a swimming pool and a football ground.

Bankasoka River:

The Bankasoka River flows along the town of Port Loko and merges into the Atlantic Ocean near Freetown. In Port Loko on Bankasoka River, a port is built that has become famous as both commercial point and tourist spot.

Freetown:

Freetown is the capital city of Sierra Leone, situated around 120 km southwest of Port Loko. It is the tourism capital of Sierra Leone, with a large number of manmade and natural tourist attractions, including more than 500 years old Cotton Tree, Lakka Beach, National Rail Museum, Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Kent Beach. Buses generally ply between Freetown and Port Loko.

List of other places of interest near Port Loko (in Freetown) include:

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

When to visit Port Loko?

Like the rest of Sierra Leone, from December to March is the best and most preferred time to visit Port Loko when the dry weather makes tour easier.

Hotels in Port Loko:

Port Loko houses few hotels, so most tourists visiting Port Loko choose the national capital Freetown’s hotels for accommodation purpose. The below list includes hotels in Freetown (around 120 km from Port Loko):