Tarkwa bay is an artificial sheltered beach close to the Lagos harbour. It is quite remote and is best accessed by boat. There are quite a number of options to get to this beautiful stretch of beach from private boats to rentals to the banana boats (N500 or $1.40/person). Some popular places you can get a boat from are Fiki Marina (N4,000 or $11 round trip), Mekwe Jetty (N750 or $2.07), boat terminal in Marina’s CMS bus stop (N300 or $0.83), but if these aren't easily accessible to you, just ask around.
You will need to purchase an entry ticket for N500 so it is a good idea to carry some cash. On getting onto the beach, there is a long stretch of cabanas you can choose to settle at, don't forget to bring your haggling cap!
We stayed at Godspower's cabana, he is a surfing enthusiast and one of his major goals is to overhaul the surfing landscape in Nigeria and boost tourism while doing so. I have embedded a link to his CNN Africa video HERE so you can get a better sense of what he does. He also offers surfing classes at reasonable rates, so if you are looking to get into that, here is his phone number - +234 706 582 5570
The initial part of the beach is usually a bit more crowded, so if you are looking for a more serene patch, you will have to walk a bit further. You can engage in a number of activities such as beach football, horseback riding, 4-wheeling, surfing/swimming or you can just lay under the cabana with a nice book!
Merchants hawk all kinds of interesting souvenirs such as wood carvings, semi precious stones, honey, peanuts, beaded jewellery, etc. Once again, put your haggling cap on and get a good bargain if something catches your eye (they can be a bit pushy). A lot of these merchants accept bank transfers so you don't need to worry too much.
Things to bring - You can pretty much purchase everything you need at the beach but you can also bring your own food/snacks, drinks, bluetooth speakers, towel, change of clothes, sunscreen, hat. Don't forget to clean up after yourselves and put your trash where its easy to collect. Keep our beaches clean!
For those looking for an even more secluded location, Light house beach is a 20-30 minute walk from Tarkwa bay! You will have to cater to yourself a bit more here, as there aren't as many merchants as Tarkwa. We walked along the rocky shoreline boarder to get as close to the lighthouse as possible (a workout 😅).
There is so much to see and a lot of it is very picturesque. There are a number of options for people who want to stay on the beach overnight and I will leave a link HERE for more information. If you are not staying, it is advisable you head out around 6pm, just as the sun is setting (amazing sunsets).
Once again, don't forget to be more conscious about your trash, keep our beaches clean!
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