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District · Banjul

Arch 22 and Independence Drive

The town's formal entrance from the causeway; government buildings nearby, so keep the camera off police and soldiers.

see

Key facts

Suits
A first landmark and a viewing platform
Sights here
2

What it's like

Feels:
Formal and open: wide road, government buildings, a landmark arch
Suits:
A first landmark and a viewing platform
Best time:
Morning
Watch out for:
Photographing the police posts at the arch.
In short:
The town's formal entrance from the causeway; government buildings nearby, so keep the camera off police and soldiers.

About these names

Street names on the ground and on signs do not always match older maps; ask your driver for the landmark (the arch, the market, the cathedral) rather than a street number.

Banjul is a small island, roughly 2 km by 1.5 km, connected to the mainland by a causeway. Everything a first visit needs sits inside four adjoining clusters at the western and southern end of the island; the eastern and northern edges are port, docks and residential streets with little for a visitor.

Where exactly

This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

Arch 22 and Independence Drive on the Banjul mapTap an area for what it is like and who it suits. Shapes follow this guide’s walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Central Banjul: Market browsing, canteen lunches, budget guesthousesMarina Parade · $$

Arch 22 and Independence Drive

see

The town's formal entrance from the causeway; government buildings nearby, so keep the camera off police and soldiers.

Suits: A first landmark and a viewing platform

On the map: MacCarthy Square

District guideWalk: Arch 22 and Independence DriveIn the districts table

Off the map: Banjul International Airport (BJL) (45–75 min by the usual route).

Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Beyond the island: Serrekunda, Kololi, Bakau. See the table above.

Where’s what, as a list:

  • Arch 22 and Independence Drive: The town's formal entrance from the causeway; government buildings nearby, so keep the camera off police and soldiers. Suits: A first landmark and a viewing platform.
  • Albert Market and Liberation Avenue: The commercial heart of the island; busiest and hottest by midday. Suits: Market browsing, canteen lunches, budget guesthouses. Price band $$.
  • Marina Parade and the ferry: Watch the boats, do not cross without a plan; a few small guesthouses along the front. Suits: The waterfront, the Barra ferry, fish grills. Price band $$.
  • National Museum and the cathedral: The quietest of the four clusters; shade from old trees along Independence Drive. Suits: A slower late-morning walk after the market.
  • Beyond the island: Serrekunda, Kololi, Bakau: Separate towns on the Kombo peninsula, 30-45 minutes by taxi; not part of this Banjul walking guide. Suits: Where almost everyone actually sleeps and eats out.
  • Sleep area Central Banjul: suits Market browsing, canteen lunches, budget guesthouses, price band $$.
  • Sleep area Marina Parade: suits The waterfront, the Barra ferry, fish grills, price band $$.
  • Banjul International Airport (BJL), 45–75 min by the usual route.

Stay here?

Not a base in this guide

No sleep area here has scores. The best-placed bases are Albert Market and Liberation Avenue, Marina Parade and the ferry.

See

Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.

  • Arch 22Go

    The town's landmark arch: a platform view across the town and a small museum inside; twenty minutes early in the day.

  • MacCarthy SquareGo

    The island's central public square and parade ground, a short walk from Arch 22: a quiet ten to fifteen minutes on the way between the arch and the market, not a destination on its own.

    Hours:
    Always open; an outdoor public square.(check)
    Entry:
    Free

Shopping

Markets and shopping streets from the Banjul buying guide that name this district.

  • Craft stalls near Arch 22 · Wood carvings, drums, jewellery · Day hours · haggling: hardSellers often follow visitors between stalls; a clear no ends it politely.

Getting there and around

Where to get off

  • Taxi to the arch plaza · for Arch 22
  • Walk from Arch 22 or a taxi to the square · for MacCarthy Square

Walks inside the district

  • Arch 22 → MacCarthy Square: 8–11 min on foot (Walk)

On to the next area

Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.

Half-day walk

In the day plans: Day 1 — Arch 22, Albert Market, a 12:30 lunch table (Banjul in 3 days)

Photo and sunset spots

Safety at night and noise

  • Arch 22 and Independence Driveday: oknight: caution

    Government buildings nearby: no photos of police or soldiers; quiet and dark after hours.

Nearby districts

Built from this guide’s Banjul districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.