The town was founded by the Portuguese as Santo André and was later run by the British, then the French as a seaport for timber.

Sassandra is known for its beaches and lighthouse, while the Gaoulou National Park lies nearby.

[2] The thirty eight villages of the sub-prefecture of Sassandra and their population in 2014 are:[3] Sassandra has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) with year-round very high humidity and extreme heat discomfort.

Sassandra sees two rainy seasons: the main rains occur from April to July, with a second shorter and lighter rain period from October to December.

There are two very distinct dry seasons: a foggy, cloudy, slightly cooler dry season in August and September and a longer dry period dominated by the harmattan wind from the Sahara between mid-December and mid-March, resulting in clearer skies than during any other part of the year.