Man and the Western Mountains: Waterfalls, Peaks and Liana Bridges

Côte d'Ivoire (in West Africa, French-speaking, the world's largest cocoa producer) is mostly associated with beaches and lagoons, but the west of the country is mountain territory. Its main city, Man, sits among the hills, surrounded by rocky peaks, waterfalls, sacred forests and suspension bridges woven from lianas by the Dan people. For anyone wanting to see a different side of the Ivorian landscape, this is the most frequently recommended destination.

A city ringed by mountains

Man is the capital of the Tonkpi region and of the Montagnes district, with a population of around 242,000 at the 2021 census; at the 2014 census it was the country's eighth-largest city. Annual rainfall is about 1,590 mm, far wetter than the northern savannah. The city lies in a basin surrounded by hills, which is why the area is often called the "region of the 18 mountains" (région des 18 montagnes).

Man is a little over 570 km from Abidjan, about eight hours by road, and also has a small airport. The Tonkpi region comprises five departments — Man, Danané, Biankouma, Zouan-Hounien and Sipilou — covering some 12,300 km², with a population of about 1.39 million in 2021.

Main sights

Sight	Highlights
Dent de Man ("Man's Tooth")	A rocky peak of about 880 m, visible from the road into town; good for hiking and, in recent years, climbing
Mont Tonkpi	At about 1,189 m, one of the highest peaks in the country, with a road to the summit
La Cascade waterfall	West of town on the way to Mont Tonkpi; a drop of about 20 m into a natural pool, surrounded by bamboo
Gbêpleu sacred forest	A forest where monkeys and villagers live side by side
Around Biankouma	Natural features including caves
Goba, Glongouin	Further waterfalls
Dompleu	A local sacred spring

A local guide is generally recommended for hikes.

The Dan liana bridges

The western mountains are home to the Dan people (also known as the Yacouba). One of the region's most iconic sights is the suspension bridge woven from lianas across rivers, including the Cavally. According to local legend, the bridges are built in a single night, and the knowledge of how to make them is passed on only among initiates.

There are about ten liana bridges in the area. The best known used to be the Lieupleu bridge, but recent sources indicate it has been damaged; the Vatouo bridge near Danané reopened after restoration in 2022. Danané, about 80 km west of Man, is the usual starting point for visiting the bridges. Visitors are generally asked to remove their shoes before crossing, as a mark of respect for local custom.

The Dan are also renowned for their masks and masked dances. At Man's central market you can find the fabrics used for traditional Yacouba dress and a wide range of Dan masks.

The other side of the mountains: farming

The area is also an important agricultural zone. Provisional 2024 figures show cassava as the Tonkpi region's largest crop, followed by rice and cocoa, with plantain, rubber and coffee also produced. Man itself is a major market town with a coffee-processing plant, and international food companies operate coffee factories nearby; the hills around Man are also where arabusta, a robusta–arabica hybrid, is grown.

One line for Asian readers

Allow three to four days for Man: one day for hiking and waterfalls, one for the liana bridges and villages, and the rest for the markets. Check the current state of the bridges before you go, and rely on local guides to learn the etiquette for visits.

References: Wikipedia – Man, Ivory Coast; Routard – Région des 18 Montagnes; Afrik.com – Man, les faveurs d'une nature généreuse (2016); Économie ivoirienne – Région du Tonkpi; Perfect Daily Grind – Guide to the coffee sector in Côte d'Ivoire (2022)