Country in West Africa
Liberia
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast.
It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5.5 million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km2). The official language is English, though over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The capital and largest city is Monrovia.
Getting to Liberia
As is the case with almost all countries in Africa, most need a visa to enter the country. Citizens of the following countries can visit the country without a visa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. A letter of invitation and a yellow fever vaccination certificate are necessary to apply for a visa.
Worth seeing
'Blo Degbo' Human face rock in Paynesville, near Monrovia (Note: this is not a developed tourist destination, so make sure it is a safe place to visit) Rain forests are usually found in remote areas, most are unique and have many attractive features, but on the other hand some are risky because of their wildlife. There are plenty of beaches around Monrovia. Out towards the airport after ELWA junction is ELWA beach.
Things to do
Liberia has several nightclubs. While places like Deja Vu cater to a largely expat crowd, explore places more popular with locals. 146 on Carey Street features Liberian music, freestyle sessions, and live performances from Liberia's most popular musicians.
Where to eat
Eating Liberian food can be enjoyable and inexpensive. Liberian meals like palm butter, cassava leaf, potato greens, chock rice, and jollof's rice will barely leave a dent in your budget (US$2-3 with a non-alcoholic drink). Portions are usually enormous. Another popular local dish is fufu (fermented dough made from the cassava plant) and soup (the most common are goat soup and pepper soup).
Getting around Liberia the local way
- Get aroundBy far the best way to travel, but helicopter flights are restricted to UN personnel.
- Get aroundRoad conditions in some other areas are poor, so a 4x4 may be necessary for travel.
- Get aroundTourist coaches are arranged for chartered express.
- Get aroundLong distance shared taxis leave from "Douala Station" in a northern suburb of Monrovia for destinations around the country.
- Get aroundAlternatively, a "charter" taxi can be arranged for individual travel at a much higher price.
From Wikivoyage: Liberia, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-07.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: PumpkinSky (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.