Equatorial Guinea / República de Guinea Ecuatorial – Let’s explore here

Equatorial Guinea is a relatively small but rich country in central West Africa – it’s about the size of Albania or Belgium. It’s actually split into two parts – one part on the mainland of Africa, and the other part on the island of Bioko, which contains the capital, Malabo. For conspiracy fans, Bioko used be called Fernando Po, which is the centre of quite a bit of the plot in the Illuminatus trilogy. A new capital is currently being built on the mainland, Ciudad de la Paz. It consists mostly of coastal forests and mangroves. Its only land borders are with Cameroon and Gabon.

What currency do they use in Equatorial Guinea?

In Equatorial Guinea they use the Central African CFA franc. Cash is widely used. The use of credit / debit cards is not widely accepted. Traveller’s cheques are not readily accepted. There are very few ATMs outside the capital, Malabo (which is on an island 20 miles off the coast) or the port of Bata.

The Central African CFA franc is used in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Equatorial Guinea?

They mostly speak Spanish in Equatorial Guinea, although French and some Portuguese is also spoken. English is not widely spoken.

What time zone is Equatorial Guinea in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.

Do I need a visa to visit Equatorial Guinea?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

What’s it like to drive in Equatorial Guinea?

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

Current travels

Our current planned route takes us from Cameroon through Equatorial Guinea, before moving on to Gabon. Hopefully our journey will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂

Is wild camping legal in Equatorial Guinea?

Yes, wild camping is fine in Equatorial Guinea.

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!