The hook
The highest peak in West and Central Africa, an active volcano that rises straight from the Atlantic coast, its slopes climbing from black-sand beaches through rainforest to a bare, ashy summit.
01Why it's worth it
Cameroon is often called "Africa in miniature" for packing the continent's whole range of landscapes into one country, and Mount Cameroon is one of its natural highlights. An active volcano (it has erupted several times in recent decades) and the tallest mountain in the region, it soars over four thousand metres almost directly from the sea, so a climb passes through a dramatic succession of zones, from coastal forest and farmland through montane rainforest to open grassland and finally the stark, cinder-strewn upper slopes, a demanding multi-day trek rewarded by huge views over the coast and the Gulf of Guinea. At its foot, the town of Limbe sits on a coast of distinctive black volcanic sand, with beaches, a wildlife centre rehabilitating rescued primates, and lush botanical gardens, making a relaxed base. The surrounding southwest is green, humid, and scenic, a good introduction to the country's forested, Anglophone corner. For adventurous travellers, the combination of a serious volcano climb and a black-sand tropical coast is a rewarding taste of Cameroon's variety.
02How to experience it
Base in or near Buea for the mountain and arrange the multi-day guided climb with porters, going in the drier months and preparing for a strenuous ascent and cold summit. Relax afterward on the black-sand beaches of Limbe and visit its wildlife centre. It is the natural highlight of Cameroon's southwest.