Douala is the largest city and the commercial centre of Cameroon. Douala is really quite a hot and sticky place, and the grimy state of the infrastructure in parts leaves a lot to be desired. With more and more people coming here to seek a better life, it is struggling to keep up with issues like pollution and overcrowding. Sadly, it doesn't have a whole lot in the way of tourist attractions either, and prices tend to be elevated because of all the commerce and industry.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
With a metro population over 2.8 million in 2015, Douala is the biggest city in Cameroon and sits on the Wouri River Delta where it hosts a port and some 95% of industrial activity for the country. While originally inhabited by peoples from the Congo River, the rest of its history follows much of the same track as the rest of Cameroon: Portuguese colonists supplanted by Germans supplanted by French and English after WWI, and then lastly independence. From 1940 to 1946, it was the capital of the country, before Buea and then Yaounde finally took that designation. But it has always featured as the center of commerce.
1 Douala Maritime Museum, Rue de l’Hopital, ☏ +237 33 42 21 65. Museum showcasing the rich maritime history of Douala. Entrance 5000 CFA. (updated Oct 2017) Douala Memorials, Douala water park, Douala shops 2 Place du Gouvernement. old colonial type building, next to Doual'art and Parc Bonanjo across the street, which has a monument to an unknown soldier. (updated Aug 2020) 3 Cathedral of St Peter and Paul Bonadibong, Rue Joss, ☏ +237 6 90 90 50 08. (updated Aug 2020) 4 Doual'art, ☏ +237 2 33 43 32 59. Housed in La Pagode, a structure that resembles a pagoda, showcases local artists' work and facilitates arts and culture in the community.
1 CanalOlympia Bessengué, ☏ +237 6 93 23 22 13. Movie theater and event venue for performing arts. (updated Aug 2020) Games Arena 237, recreational center.
Nice Cream, Bd de la Liberté. A very cozy diner serving pizza and ice cream, just what every traveler needs after melting in the sun. Plus shawarma and milk shakes. +237 6 90 03 03 44 Mediterranee, Bd De Liberte. Greek and pizza, so exciting because it's open 24 hours. +237 6 99 98 09 30 Saga Africa, Bd de la Liberte. Regional fare. +237 2 33 42 23 81 Aladdin (Lebanese), +237 2 33 43 28 27 La Sorento, Carrefour de l'Air, Bonapriso. Italian pizzas. +237 6 99 91 01 66 Le Dernier Comptoir Colonial, Rue de Verdun. Fish, prawns. +237 6 77 76 04 05
Ngodi Bakoko Two Castles, bar. La Casa de Papel Douala 237. Maison Blanche Lendi. Onomo Hotel Douala.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €93 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Aug, Douala typically sees ~28°C daytime highs and 27 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-08-06. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy