Travel guide: Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Abidjan is Côte d'Ivoire's economic capital — a high-rise city stretched along the Ébrié Lagoon, with the Plateau central business district, the markets and nightlife of Treichville, and the upmarket cafés and beach-facing restaurants of Cocody, Riviera, and Zone 4. It's the largest French-speaking city in West Africa outside Paris and runs on the West African CFA franc (XOF). Most international arrivals come through Félix-Houphouët-Boigny Airport (ABJ), a short 15-kilometre drive from Plateau that can stretch past an hour in rush-hour traffic on Boulevard Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

Visitors typically split their time between the business and cultural core of Plateau and the leafier Cocody side, where the Cathédrale Saint-Paul, the Musée des Civilisations, and weekend brunch spots are concentrated. The beaches at Grand-Bassam — a former colonial capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site — sit an hour east along the coastal highway and are the standard day trip for travellers looking for sand and surf without leaving the metropolitan area. The best time to visit is December through February, when the Harmattan winds drop humidity and daytime highs sit in the low 30s.

Cote d'Ivoire is visa-required for most Western and Asian passport holders; the e-Visa system is fast and works for stays under 90 days. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory on arrival — airport officials check at the health desk before passport control. Taxis outnumber ride-hail apps in Abidjan, and metered orange or yellow cabs are the norm; negotiate the fare before departure, especially for airport trips, where 8,000-15,000 XOF is the standard range. English is spoken in hotels and some restaurants but French goes a long way — have your destination written down in French to hand the driver.

For a first visit, build the trip around a 3-4 day city stay plus an overnight in Grand-Bassam; for a longer trip, Yamoussoukro's Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix (the world's largest church) is a four-hour drive inland, and the beaches of Assinie are 85 km east.