Mayumba
Encyclopedia
Mayumba is a town of about 2,500 people on the Atlantic Ocean
coast of Gabon
, at the end of the N6 road
, lying on a peninsula separated from the mainland by the Banio Lagoon.
It is known for its long sandy beach
where leatherback turtles nest. The most common ethnic groups are Vili, Lumbu, and Punu,and locals of Mayumba town call themselves 'Mayesiens'. It is home to an airport
, several small restaurants, and a market
. There are seven primary schools in the area, and one junior high school of about 500 students. Mayumba lies 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north of Mayumba National Park
, the only national park in Gabon that is dedicated to the protection of marine species.
Mayumba town is nestled among three small hills separating the lagoon
from the ocean. Sleepy at the best of times, its two main streets only come to life at twilight when the townspeople meander past the market and a scattered small bars, exchanging greetings and the news of the day. It is a time to catch up, sip a cold beer and enjoy the cool of the evening. Instead of the roar of traffic, you are serenaded by the melodies of southern Gabon’s singing celebrity Annie-Flore Batchielillys, or at least a chorus of ardent local fans.
Oysters are part of Mayesien life. Each dry season (June to September) salt water floods in from the ocean, turning the lagoon near Mayumba clear and salty. This has two exciting effects. First, the clear sea water cleans the oyster beds near the lagoon mouth, making this wonderful seafood deliciously palatable. Secondly, the greater water visibility permits locals to dive for oysters and take them back for sale at Mayumba’s market. Oysters are purchased alive or already cooked ‘kebab’ style. Visitors can even try their hand at diving for an oyster (the usual depth of the water is only 3 meters (10 feet)) after which the diving party retires to the beach front where the oysters are grilled in their shells on open fires. A star-lit feast of fresh oyster with a cold beer or a bottle of bubbly is a uniquely Mayesien experience!
Mayumba is home to a very relaxed pace of life, but for those with energy to spare after a hard morning of tanning, swimming or sampling the local seafood, there are several good walks to be had in and around the town, with excellent views of the lagoon and the ocean. The seashore itself draws walkers like a magnet, and the wild coast to the immediate south of the town offers hiking limited only by your own stamina. Return home through the savannah
for the chance to catch a glimpse of a rare bird or a sitatunga
antelope.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast of Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
, at the end of the N6 road
N6 road (Gabon)
The N6 road is one of the national highways of Gabon. It connects the far south-west of the country at Mayumba to the centre at Lastoursville.Towns located along the highway include:*Mayumba *Tchibanga*Ndendé*Lebamba*Koulamoutou*Lastoursville...
, lying on a peninsula separated from the mainland by the Banio Lagoon.
It is known for its long sandy beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
where leatherback turtles nest. The most common ethnic groups are Vili, Lumbu, and Punu,and locals of Mayumba town call themselves 'Mayesiens'. It is home to an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, several small restaurants, and a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
. There are seven primary schools in the area, and one junior high school of about 500 students. Mayumba lies 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north of Mayumba National Park
Mayumba National Park
Mayumba National Park is a national park in southwestern Gabon. It is a thin tongue of beach, dunes, savanna, and rainforest in the extreme south of the country, between Mayumba and the Congo border...
, the only national park in Gabon that is dedicated to the protection of marine species.
Mayumba town is nestled among three small hills separating the lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
from the ocean. Sleepy at the best of times, its two main streets only come to life at twilight when the townspeople meander past the market and a scattered small bars, exchanging greetings and the news of the day. It is a time to catch up, sip a cold beer and enjoy the cool of the evening. Instead of the roar of traffic, you are serenaded by the melodies of southern Gabon’s singing celebrity Annie-Flore Batchielillys, or at least a chorus of ardent local fans.
Oysters are part of Mayesien life. Each dry season (June to September) salt water floods in from the ocean, turning the lagoon near Mayumba clear and salty. This has two exciting effects. First, the clear sea water cleans the oyster beds near the lagoon mouth, making this wonderful seafood deliciously palatable. Secondly, the greater water visibility permits locals to dive for oysters and take them back for sale at Mayumba’s market. Oysters are purchased alive or already cooked ‘kebab’ style. Visitors can even try their hand at diving for an oyster (the usual depth of the water is only 3 meters (10 feet)) after which the diving party retires to the beach front where the oysters are grilled in their shells on open fires. A star-lit feast of fresh oyster with a cold beer or a bottle of bubbly is a uniquely Mayesien experience!
Mayumba is home to a very relaxed pace of life, but for those with energy to spare after a hard morning of tanning, swimming or sampling the local seafood, there are several good walks to be had in and around the town, with excellent views of the lagoon and the ocean. The seashore itself draws walkers like a magnet, and the wild coast to the immediate south of the town offers hiking limited only by your own stamina. Return home through the savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
for the chance to catch a glimpse of a rare bird or a sitatunga
Sitatunga
The situtunga or marshbuck is a swamp-dwelling antelope found throughout Central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and parts of Southern Sudan as well as in Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Gabon, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.-Description:Situtunga stand about one and a...
antelope.