Holiday in Abobo

About Abobo

Abobo is the largest municipality (Commune) in Ivory Coast and a vibrant neighborhood in northern Abidjan with over a million inhabitants. While the neighboring Plateau represents the business world and Cocody embodies elegance, Abobo stands for authentic, unfiltered Africa — a city of markets, music, energy, and the people who shape daily life in West Africa's economic capital. The Grand Marché d'Abobo is one of the largest and most vibrant markets in West Africa: On a vast area, thousands of female traders sell everything required for daily life — from tropical fruits, vegetables, and spices to fabrics (Pagne and Wax prints), medicinal plants, household appliances, and electronics. The market women (Mamas du Marché) are the backbone of the Ivorian economy and prominent figures in city life. Abobo's music scene is legendary: This is where Couppé-Décalé originated — the dance style that conquered all of West Africa and then the world starting in 2003. Every evening, live music is played, danced to, and celebrated in the Maquis (open-air bars) and small clubs of Abobo. Zouglou, another music genre with socially critical lyrics, has its roots here. Abobo is the cradle of modern Ivorian pop culture. The mosque of Abobo is one of the largest Islamic houses of worship in the city and reflects the religious diversity of Abidjan: Christians and Muslims live side by side here, and the religious tolerance of Ivory Coast is remarkable. The Avocatier neighborhood in Abobo is known for its street art and young creative scene. The Parc National du Banco, directly adjacent to Abobo, is a 3,500-hectare tropical rainforest in the middle of the metropolis: A piece of primary rainforest with centuries-old trees, butterflies, and monkeys — unique worldwide as an urban rainforest. Hiking trails lead through the forest to a traditional laundry by the river, where washers still work by hand.