Lagos sits on the Atlantic and a long run of lagoons, and the beaches are where the city goes at the weekend. Most are on the Lekki peninsula or across the water by boat.
The sea is dangerous
Read this first. The Atlantic off Lagos has powerful surf and strong rip currents, and people drown on Lagos beaches every year — often strong swimmers, often in water only waist deep. Many beaches have no lifeguards.
- Swim only where there are lifeguards and it is allowed, or not at all.
- If a current pulls you out, swim parallel to the shore until it lets go, then swim in. Do not fight it.
- Do not swim after drinking, or after dark.
- The sheltered water at Tarkwa Bay and the lagoon beaches is calmer, which is part of why people go.
The beaches
- Tarkwa Bay. A sheltered bay by the harbour mouth, reached only by boat from the jetties on Lagos Island and Victoria Island. The calmest water near the city, and a favourite with surfers on the far side.
- Lighthouse Beach, beside Tarkwa Bay, by boat as well.
- Elegushi and Oniru. Private beaches on Victoria Island and Lekki, run by the families who own the land, with an entry charge, bars, music and crowds at weekends.
- Landmark Beach, in Oniru, a managed beach with facilities and an entry fee.
- The Lekki beaches further east — Eleko, and the resorts towards Ibeju-Lekki such as La Campagne Tropicana — are quieter, a long drive, and best as a day or a night away.
Entry charges at private beaches change often and are paid at the gate. Ask before you go.
Getting there
- By boat to Tarkwa Bay and Lighthouse Beach: use a licensed operator from an official jetty, wear the life jacket, and do not board an overloaded boat. Boat accidents on Lagos waters are not rare.
- By road to Lekki: leave early. The Lekki-Epe Expressway on a Saturday afternoon can turn an hour into three.
Getting around Lagos Things to do in Lagos Day trips from Lagos