Mayumba is a Vili- and Lumbu-speaking town of about 5,208 people on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Gabon, at the end of the N6 road, lying on a peninsula separated from the mainland by the Banio Lagoon.

Sleepy at the best of times, its two main streets only come to life at twilight when the townspeople meander past the market and a scattered small bars, exchanging greetings and the news of the day.

Each dry season (June to September) salt water floods in from the ocean, turning the lagoon near Mayumba clear and salty.

First, the clear sea water cleans the oyster beds near the lagoon mouth, making this wonderful seafood deliciously palatable.

Mayumba is home to a very relaxed pace of life, but for those with energy to spare after a hard morning of tanning, swimming or sampling the local seafood, there are several good walks to be had in and around the town, with excellent views of the lagoon and the ocean.