Sassandra, The Undiscovered Jewel of Côte d’Ivoire
Welcome to the Southern town of Sassandra, which is 6 hours drive from Abidjan, the capital city of Côte d’Ivoire. You are probably asking yourself what we are doing in this sleepy town?
Well, behind the quietness of this place, Sassandra is an unexploited resort town with its sandy beaches, palm-trees forest and quiet and relaxing atmosphere. Beside the beaches and the palm-trees forest, there are many historical treasures waiting to be discovered.
So where shall we start? Do you know that the first ever concrete bridge in West Africa was built in Sassandra? Well, it is Le Pont Weygand. This arc bridge, leading to the island of Gaoulou, was built around 1940. Its name, comes from that of General Weygand, a colonial administrator. It has the same historical importance as the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol; unfortunately, it is little known to most Ivorians and even to myself until last summer.
Located a few minutes drive from the city, it offers besides its architecture, a beautiful view of the river. If you ever cross the bridge, please keep your eyes peeled for hippos peeking out of the river.
Do you also know that during the Second World War, a British passenger and cargo ship sunk off the coast of Sassandra? Eh oui!!! The English ship, the S.S. Dumanawas torpedoed on the 25 December 1943 off the coast of Sassandra by the German submarine U-515.A war memorial monument has been erected in memory of the six victims.
What else is hidden in Sassandra? We have the vestiges of one of the biggest banks of the West Africa of the colonial era. In 1901, the BAO (la Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale), the Bank of West Africa was created for all the territories owned or protected by France outside Europe. There was one branch in Saint-Louis in Senegal and another one in Sassandra. The BAO was closed when the forced labour was abolished in all French colonies. Nowadays, the French colon is gone but the building of the BAO is still standing!!
Read more on our blog:
https://www.berakhatours.co.uk/welcome-to-sassandra
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