Lomé

Lomé, Togo

The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lomé seen from a low roadside at sunset, with palms framing the pale façade.

Lomé is a West African capital where the market, the beach and the Ghana border all sit within a short ride.

The place

Lomé is the capital of Togo, a port city on the Gulf of Guinea in the far southwest of the country. Its western edge is the Ghana border, only a few hundred metres from the centre, so the built-up area runs straight on into Aflao on the other side. The metropolitan area holds about 2.2 million people. The sea lies to the south and a lagoon to the north, which squeezed the early town into a narrow strip. Growth since then has pushed east towards the oil refinery and out along the coast. Lomé is both the administrative and the industrial centre, and its harbour ships out coffee, cocoa, copra and palm kernels. The ground is flat and sandy, at an elevation of about 10 metres, and a sea breeze takes the edge off the heat. Despite its closeness to the equator, the climate is drier than in many places on the same coast, because a gap in the forest belt lets drier air reach the shore. Fog and haze often sit over the water, and sunshine hours are fewer than in dry inland cities such as Bamako. Heat is steady all year rather than seasonal. Daily life divides between the banking district along the ring boulevard, the crowded markets, the beaches with their palm shade, and the constant cross-border traffic of traders and commuters. The city is best taken at walking and motorbike-taxi pace, in the cooler hours of the morning and evening.

Its story

Lomé grew from a quiet stretch of coast into a capital largely because of tax. In the 19th century, British customs duties on goods such as alcohol and tobacco made trade in the neighbouring Gold Coast expensive. Ewe merchants from the Aflao and Keta area wanted a landing place just over the line, out of reach of British customs officers, and the open shore at Lomé suited them. Around 1880 the settlement began to fill quickly. Ewe families were joined by German and British trading houses and by travelling merchants from the interior, among them Hausa caravan traders who had come down the cola routes. A place that had been thinly settled became a commercial hub within a few years. In 1897 it became the capital of Togoland, the German colony, which explains why some older streets and buildings in the centre carry a colonial imprint. Togo later passed under French administration and then gained independence, and the monument that marks that moment stands in the city today. Through all of these changes Lomé kept its character as a trading town. Goods, languages and currencies still cross here, at the harbour and at the border post a short walk from the middle of town. Understanding that origin helps explain the busy markets, the mix of French, Ewe and other languages in the street, and why so much of the city seems to be in motion.

What to see

Culture

Lomé is home to a mix of peoples, with the Ewe the most visible in the old trading quarters and many other Togolese groups living alongside them. French is the language of administration and schools, while Ewe and other local languages carry most of the talk in the markets and at home. Religion is lived openly. Churches fill on Sundays, mosques serve the Muslim traders, and older vodun practices remain part of life for many families, with their own shrines, healers and seasonal ceremonies. Markets set the rhythm of the day, with sellers calling out from stalls of cloth, spices, dried fish and secondhand goods, and bargaining is expected and usually good-humoured. Music is everywhere: radio from taxis, drumming at funerals and celebrations, and live bands in the evening bars. Funerals in particular are large social occasions, with families gathering, wearing matching cloth and honouring the dead with food and music. The Togo National Museum and the Musée International du Golfe de Guinée show the older craft traditions behind this, from masks to ceremonial furniture. Greetings matter. People expect a hello and a question about how you are before any request, and skipping that step can come across as abrupt. Elders are addressed with deference, and hurrying a conversation is seen as discourteous. Always ask permission before photographing a person, a market stall or a shrine, and accept a no without argument.

What to wear

Traditional dress in Lomé draws on Ewe and wider West African cloth. Kente-style woven strips, made of cotton or silk thread in bold patterns, are worn as wraps by men and women for weddings, funerals and festivals. Women also wear wax-print cotton known as pagne, tied as a wrapper and matched with a fitted top and a headscarf. Men wear the boubou, a loose embroidered robe, on formal and religious occasions. Many families commission outfits from tailors in the same cloth for a shared event, so a gathering can look like one colour scheme. Everyday dress is more relaxed. Office workers wear shirts and trousers or skirts, many women wear tailored pagne dresses made by local seamstresses, and young people favour jeans, football shirts and trainers. Motorbike-taxi riders often wear helmets or caps and light jackets against the dust. A visitor should wear light cotton or linen that covers the shoulders and knees, since the heat is constant and modest dress is appreciated in markets and towns. Bring a hat and sunglasses for the coast. For churches, mosques and shrines, cover the shoulders and legs and carry a scarf. Closed sandals or trainers suit the uneven, dusty pavements, and flip-flops are fine for the beach. A tailor will make an outfit from market cloth quickly, which is a good souvenir.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. November to February is the usual choice, when the days are hot but the sea breeze helps; February is among the hottest months, so go early in the day. Heat is constant all year, with July the least hot month. The coast is drier than most of its neighbours, but showers do come, so carry a light rain layer.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Fly into Lomé's international airport, which is a short taxi ride from the centre. By land, the Ghana border at Aflao is a short ride from the middle of town, with shared taxis and motorbike taxis on both sides. Check visa and health entry rules with the official Togolese government sources before travelling.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources