Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is one of the least-visited countries in the world, and its Bijagos Archipelago - 88 islands off the coast, many uninhabited, some sacred, a UNESCO biosphere reserve - is one of the least-visited places within it. The islands hold hippos that have adapted to saltwater, sea turtles nesting on beaches where no one is counting them, and a matrilineal Bijagos culture that has been navigating these waters for centuries with more authority than any government that has since claimed the coastline. Bissau is small, warm, and in no particular hurry.

Our guide is being written from the ground up, with the time this place deserves.

We are still gathering the notes that make a guide worth keeping: Bijagos island crossings, Bissau's palm wine bars, sea turtle nesting routes and the fishing communities that have been reading these tides longer than the charts have existed.