Guinea-Bissau’s Island Archipelago Combines Wildlife and Tradition

Off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, the Bijagós Archipelago offers a distinctive combination of coastal wilderness, wildlife, and island traditions. Its 88 islands and islets feature sandy beaches, mangrove forests, tidal waterways, and lagoons that support a wide variety of marine and birdlife. The archipelago is home to sea turtles, dolphins, and manatees, while its wetlands provide an important stopover for migratory birds. Previous surveys have recorded more than 870,000 shorebirds, highlighting the islands’ ecological importance. International recognition has reinforced the archipelago’s conservation value: UNESCO designated the Bijagós as a Biosphere Reserve in 1996 and added it to the World Heritage List in 2025 for its coastal and marine ecosystems. However, the archipelago’s ecosystem is vulnerable as fishing pressure and changing human activity threaten its delicate balance.