Its headwaters are near the northern border of the country, north of Contuboel and close to a bend of the Geba River.

It runs west, by the town of Farim and close to Bigenè, and broadens into an estuary on whose south shore the town of Cacheu may be found.

The island's western end lies east of the confluence with the Elia River with Ongueringao Island on the other bank.

[1] The Cacheu is navigable to large (2,000-ton) ships for about 97 km in, and to smaller vessels much further; it was formerly an important route for commerce.

This article related to a river in Guinea-Bissau is a stub.