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- The wax-print fabric rows: This is the market’s signature. Stalls stack bold, patterned cotton in every color, sold by the pagne length (usually six yards). Prices are negotiable, and seamstresses on the spot can sew what you buy.
- Fresh produce and manioc lanes: Pyramids of plantains, tomatoes, peppers and yams fill the central aisles, alongside cassava leaves and the long cassava sticks (bâton de manioc) wrapped in leaves. It is the best place to see what Gabonese kitchens run on.
- The fish section: Fresh, salted and smoked fish arrive from the coast and the Estuaire. The smoke is thick, the floors are wet and the pace is fast, so wear closed shoes.
- Traditional medicine stalls: Healers and herb sellers display bark, roots, seeds, powders and dried animal remains, and will explain what each is
- The wax-print fabric rows: This is the market’s signature. Stalls stack bold, patterned cotton in every color, sold by the pagne length (usually six yards). Prices are negotiable, and seamstresses on the spot can sew what you buy.
- Fresh produce and manioc lanes: Pyramids of plantains, tomatoes, peppers and yams fill the central aisles, alongside cassava leaves and the long cassava sticks (bâton de manioc) wrapped in leaves. It is the best place to see what Gabonese kitchens run on.
- The fish section: Fresh, salted and smoked fish arrive from the coast and the Estuaire. The smoke is thick, the floors are wet and the pace is fast, so wear closed shoes.
- Traditional medicine stalls: Healers and herb sellers display bark, roots, seeds, powders and dried animal remains, and will explain what each is meant to treat. Look and ask. Photography here needs explicit permission.
- Tailor and seamstress corners: Rows of sewing machines are tucked between the fabric stalls. You can watch garments being cut and stitched within a day or two, and the work is cheap by European standards.
- Spice, dried goods and palm oil sellers: Bags of dried shrimp, ground peppers, groundnuts, salt and bottled red palm oil sit in tight rows. The smell alone orients you, and small purchases make good, packable souvenirs.
- Secondhand clothing and household goods: The friperie piles and kitchenware stalls on the outer streets are where residents hunt for bargains. It is lively to walk through even if you buy nothing.
- Street food at the market edges: Women grill fish and plantains, and sell beignets and skewers from small stands. It is cheap and quick, and the best way to refuel without leaving the market.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.