According to historyaah, Bioko (Bioco) is an island in the Gulf of Guinea Africa, part of Equatorial Guinea. Bioko is the largest island in Equatorial Guinea. The capital of Bioko is Malabo. Malabo is also the capital of the country of Equatorial Guinea. A number of major cities on Bioko are: Luba, Baney and Riaba.
Bioko is an island of volcanic origin. Three volcanoes can be found on Bioko (Pico Basilé (3,012 meters), Pico de Moka (2,009 meters) and Gran Caldera (2,260 meters)). These volcanoes ensure that Bioko has a very mountainous landscape and a coastline with black sand beaches. A large part of Bioko is covered with tropical rainforest. In this tropical rainforest you will find a number of waterfalls and various animal species (including 7 monkey species). The tropical rainforest and its species are under a local conservation program and are still observed daily by biologists. The largest city on Bioko is Malabo. This is also the capital of the whole of Equatorial Guinea. This city is located on the north of the island. In Malabo you will find several colonial buildings, including the presidential palace. See picktrue for Africa prehistory.
Where is Bioko located?
Travel information of Bioko
Official name: Bioko
Continent: Africa
Area: 2,017 km²
Capital: Malabo
Country code: GQ, GNQ
Population: 260,000 inhabitants (2015)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 3,012 m (Pico Basilé)
Distance (Amsterdam – Malabo): 5,399 km
Flight time: approx. 9 o’clock
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place at Bioko that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs from Bioko, please visit Countryaah.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Bioko?
Weather and climate
Bioko has a tropical climate. The temperatures are around 25 to 35 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Bioko can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Bioko can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, November and December are the best months to travel to Bioko. This avoids the prolonged rainy season.
Language
Spanish and French are both an official language on Bioko. In addition, Fang and Bubi are spoken.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish and/or French for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon arrival at Bioko.
A visa is required. You can apply for this in person at the embassy of Equatorial Guinea in Brussels.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Benin (also for Equatorial Guinea):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Equatorial Guinea in Belgium (also for the Netherlands): rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
It is advisable to get one or more vaccinations before visiting Bioko.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs on Bioko. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency matters
At Bioko you pay with the CFA franc (XAF).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
There are no ATMs on Bioko.
Tipping
At Bioko it is not customary to tip. If you do tip, a maximum of 5% tip is enough.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 1 hour earlier on Bioko.
During our winter time there is no time difference.
Bioko knows no difference between winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone of Bioko can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
On Bioko you have to drive on the right.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Bioko.
Electricity
On Bioko you can use a Dutch flat plug.
A round plug must have a recess for the grounding pin present in the socket. You need a travel plug if your plug does not have such a recess.
More information about electricity on Bioko can be found on our electricity page (look under Equatorial Guinea).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 2878
– Fire: 2737
– Ambulance: 3101
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Bioko can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Bioko can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Bioko end with.gq.
Bioko official website: bioko.org.
Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone on Bioko is 00240 or +240.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Bioko? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If you use a country code, always omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in Bioko’s Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Bioko.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of Bioko videos.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Equatorial Guinea (Bioko) can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotel), restaurants and destinations on Bioko, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Bioko?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Bioko. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on Bioko can be found on Protected Planet.
Equatorial Guinea is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Bioko? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Bioko.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking at all ages.
– Alcohol and traffic: Maximum allowed alcohol content is 0.
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Bioko used to be called Fernando Pó, named after the discoverer Fernão do Pó?
…Bioko is mostly covered with tropical rainforest?
…Bioko was one of the first areas where cocoa grew?
…Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea is located on Bioko?
