This port on River Komo is Gabon’s capital and is a main trading as well as shipping hub for cocoa, timber and rubber. The city was established as a holding station for the long ago slaves who were waiting to be shipped from Africa back in the 1840s.
Liberated slaves from ship L’Elizia were delivered here back in 1848 and it was for this reason that this city was named Libreville to mean Freetown.
This city is very fascinating culturally with a booming market as well as St Maries Cathedral, St Michael’s carved wooden church, the Arboretum de Sibang, the palace of the king plus Nkembo. Gabon has carved impressive facial masks which are internationally famed, like the n’goltang (Fang) as well as the relicary figures of Kota. Each and every group possesses its own collection of masks used for different reasons. These are mainly during traditional ceremonies like marriage, funerals as well as birth. Traditionalists mostly work with unusual local woods plus a couple of additional precious materials.
The international airport is located 11kms from the city and it is also the embarking station for the Trans-Gabon railway line to Franceville.
Next to the Komo Estuary is Pongara National Park and at the rear of Cap Esterias is the Akanda National Park which is renowned for its numerous migrating water birds.
Libreville offers private charter planes and train connections to Ivindo National Park as well as Lope National Park – intriguing and distant African tourist destinations.
