Football, the sport king
In Côte d'Ivoire, as in many countries in Africa and around the world, soccer embodies the possibility of transcending the limitations of an often harsh daily life, and represents a vector of national unity and success, but so few elected representatives succeed. Just look at the emotion and involvement of Ivorian fans when their team defends the national colors, and the legendary status of soccer stars such as Didier Drogba, and before him, Laurent Pokou, crowned top scorer at the African Cup of Nations in 1968 and 1970. In Côte d'Ivoire, soccer is more than a sport, it's almost a religion. This popular sport, the opium of the people, has taken on an international dimension on several occasions. The Elephants have won the African Cup of Nations (CAN) on three occasions, in 1992, 2015 and above all on home soil in 2024. This unprecedented and euphoric victory put the spotlight on Côte d'Ivoire, which for the occasion built several new stadiums, roads between the main cities and deployed an unprecedented capacity to host major international events. See you in Morocco for the next CAN in 2026!
Taekwondo, noble second
With over 40,000 licensees, taekwondo, although much less publicized and popular with the crowds, ranks as the second national sport after soccer. Côte d'Ivoire didn't wait for the historic double of athletes Ruth Gbagbi and Cheick Cissé Sallah - bronze and gold medals respectively at the 2016 Rio Olympics - to rank among the great taekwondo nations, and today rivals countries such as China and the United States. In 2013, it was named host country of the Taekwondo World Cup, organized for the first time in Africa. In June 2017, the country confirmed its reputation for excellence when Ruth Gbagbi won gold at the World Championships in South Korea.
On the spot, long live water sports!
Water skiing, wakeboarding, towed buoys. Thanks to its many lagoon waters, the coastal south is a veritable paradise for towed water sports such as wakeboarding, buoyancy and water skiing. In fact, Abidjan's waterways have fostered the emergence of international sportsmen and women who have made - and continue to make - the French national team's heyday. It was on the Cocody lagoon that Aymeric Benet, multiple world figure skating champion, used to train, and he was succeeded by the young Thibaut Dailland, one of the world's top skiers. Today, Assinie is a great place to have fun, although the rates charged by the various clubs and hotels in the area are not necessarily very attractive.
Surfing and bodyboarding. There are many surf and bodyboarding spots in Côte d'Ivoire, and a number of big names have made their mark or set off on a surf-trip, including Tom Curren, former living legend of world surfing. For experienced surfers and bodyboarders, Bassam and Mondoukou, despite their shore-break, make pleasant "wave pools", the most practicable spot remaining Assinie where, thanks to the bar phenomenon combined with a gradual slope, waves can sometimes rise to over three meters. Most of the time, Assinie's waves, essentially fast, hollow lefts, form mini-tubes that are very pleasant to ride and perfect for beginners or training. The best season for surfing in Assinie coincides with the harmattan period and runs from December to May, a period of off-shore wind and small swells. However, the bar remains difficult to cross, and even for seasoned surfers and swimmers, the baïnes (shallow water currents) can prove treacherous. Further west, the coastline is divided into wide coves and numerous spots, a real paradise for surfers, especially as this part of the coast is less crowded than the east. Among the best spots for surfing or bodyboarding are Dagbego, Sassandra and Drewin, the latter offering a very pretty little right-of-way much sought-after by surfers. A little further west, Monogaga, which rolls out exceptionally long waves and is a particularly exceptional spot in heavy swells, Grand-Béréby and its mythical Mermaid Bay, and finally, just over the border with Liberia, Tabou and the Tolou spot.
Canoeing, paddling, sailing. Here again, the natural configuration of the country will spoil you. Côte d'Ivoire boasts a lagoon system that is unique in Africa, stretching for some 350 km (from the border with Ghana to Sassandra) along a coastline with shifting contours: the range of possibilities is mind-boggling! If you have your own equipment, it's really up to you , and you'll be spoilt for choice between Abidjan's surroundings (Boulay Island, Songon, Abata, Bingerville, the airport area...) and the coastal towns. Numerous sports and leisure centers also offer paddles and canoes for hire, whether in Abidjan itself or in Assinie, where you can glide dreamily along the smooth waves of the lagoon while marvelling at the paradisiacal landscape. As for sailing, the country is not renowned for its windy conditions, but there's still plenty to enjoy.
Recreational and sport fishing. Fishing is a very popular pastime in Côte d'Ivoire, thanks in particular to the abundance and diversity of aquatic fauna and a wide choice of techniques. Recreational fishing is practiced both at sea and inland, as the country offers a wide variety of aquatic spaces such as lagoons, mangroves, lakes, rivers, river mouths, as well as kilometers of easily accessible coastline. Around the economic capital, fishing spots such as the Abidjan port canal, the banks of the lagoons and Vridi beach are popular with Ivorians at weekends. Anglers generally go for red and/or white carp, jacks, barracudas or captains. Fishing is done from the shore with bait or lures, or from small wooden boats. The mouths of rivers, lagoons and streams flowing into the ocean offer prime spots for sport fishermen. These include Assinie, Grand-Lahou and Grand-Béréby. The most sought-after fish are large red carp, guitar rays, groupers and, above all, the mythical tarpon, some specimens of which can weigh over 90 kg. Sea bass (sosso), curb and sole are also common between Abidjan and Grand-Bassam. Last but not least, the wealthiest anglers can go in search of large pelagic fish off Abidjan or San Pedro, and come face to face with the king of the ocean, the great Atlantic blue marlin, some of which happily weigh up to 600 kg. Yellowfin tuna are also present all year round, as are wahoo and dolphinfish, much appreciated by sport fishermen for their speed and power.
On earth, too, you can spend
Running, walking and hiking. In the vicinity of the economic capital, there are a number of sites where you can jog or walk in close proximity to relatively unspoilt nature, such as the Jardin botanique de Bingerville and the partial nature reserve of Dahliafleur. The Green Village hiking trail, some seven kilometers from Bingerville in the village of Akoyaté, takes you from track to track through forests, plantations and green hills, offering superb views over the lagoon. On the road to Alépé, the Green Valley complex also has a lovely hiking trail winding through rubber plantations, while half an hour from Abidjan, the Domaine Bini, a mosaic ecosystem and agro-ecological site divided between primary forest, fields and plantations, also offers hiking trails in an enchanting setting. Mountain biking and zip-lining are also available.
On horseback. Although Côte d'Ivoire has no great equestrian tradition, unlike its neighbors Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and riding remains inaccessible to the vast majority of the population, the land of the Elephants does have a few enthusiasts who have been involved in the democratization of the sport for years. Abidjan boasts two "historic" clubs affiliated to the French Riding Federation: Club Saint-Michel, on boulevard Giscard d'Estaing not far from the Ancien Koumassi crossroads, and Horse Academy on route de Bassam. There are two other structures on the road to the airport: the Jaipur Club and Crinières d'ivoire, original and "unbridled" equestrian clubs (in the equestrian sense of the term, i.e. less formal and more "democratic") that specialize in equestrian shows, acrobatics, dressage, speed races and also organize treks, picnics, camping outings, etc. Courses at Club Saint-Michel and Horse Academy are taught by French state-certified riding instructors, and the activities on offer are varied: dressage, carriage driving, overtaking, show jumping, ethology courses, internships, competitions, horse shows and festivals, and trail rides.
