Banjul – the capital that barely exists

Banjul is the capital of The Gambia, though to be fair, it looks more like a sleepy provincial town than the beating heart of a country. Not only is it not the largest city in the nation, but with a population of just 40,000, it ranks eighth in terms of size. No surprise then that it’s one of the smallest capitals in the world.

The city is relatively young – it was founded by the British in 1816 as a military outpost to guard the mouth of the Gambia River and enforce the ban on the slave trade. Back then it was called Bathurst, named after the colonial secretary, Lord Bathurst. It served as the administrative centre of the Gambia Protectorate and played a key logistical role for the Allies during the Second World War. After independence in 1965, it was renamed Banjul.

What’s left from colonial times? Mostly increasingly crumbling buildings and a widespread knowledge of English (which, to be fair, is true across the whole country). But location-wise, Banjul has promise – it sits on St. Mary’s Island, right at the mouth of the river as it spills into the Atlantic. From here, you can hop on a ferry to the opposite bank – to the town of Barra. But more on that later. 😉

Banjul today – not a showstopper, but full of surprises

Let’s not sugar-coat it – Banjul isn’t exactly the place from postcards. It’s more like endearing chaos: a bit of colonial architecture, a splash of African vibrancy, plenty of dust and a way of life that’s blissfully unaware of clocks or timetables.

The city’s main artery – Independence Drive – ends at Arch 22, a triumphal arch that dwarfs everything around it. Built after the 1994 military coup.

It was meant to symbolise a “new era”, but nowadays it mostly symbolises how far architecture can veer into delusion. You can climb to the top, though, and enjoy panoramic views over the city and the Gambia River.

Despite (or because of) all this, Banjul has become popular with tourists – especially Brits. There are some decent beaches nearby, with Cape Point Beach being the most famous.

The Barra crossing in slow motion

The Barra–Banjul ferry crossing was certainly one of the most memorable parts of my trip in The Gambia. In theory, it’s just five kilometres. In practice? Feels like five light-years. And I’m not exaggerating – here you don’t just cross a river, you test the limits of patience and human imagination 😄

There’s no real alternative to the ferry – just have a look at the map. The Gambia River basically slices the country in half, and to get to Barra any other way, you’d pretty much have to drive across the whole country. Slightly overkill for a five-kilometre crossing.

There’s no such thing as a timetable, and the queue to the ferry looks like it’s been there since the dawn of time. I couldn’t help but admire the women standing in the blazing sun, balancing enormous loads on their heads like it’s no big deal. Everyone waits tensely for the gates to open – and when they do, it’s a real people’s migration.

The ferry takes on everything: people, cars, goats, sacks of rice, barrels of who-knows-what. The trip lasts about 30 minutes and trust me, nobody gets bored. Kids are running around, vendors are pushing peanuts, sugary drinks and knock-off plastic watches in your face. From the loudspeakers you’ll hear either local music or monotone announcements from state radio.

People chat, laugh, nap. And you? You sit, watch and soak it all in – and it hits you: this is the quintessence of travelling in Africa. Drift, don’t rush, and absorb the glorious mess around you.

Because this ferry isn’t just a means of transport – it’s Gambia in a nutshell. Everyone’s here: truck drivers, fishermen, school kids and wide-eyed tourists from the West. Nowhere else will you witness such a collision of lives, stories and surreal little moments in one place.