Sandwiched between the Namib Desert and the wild Atlantic coast, the geographically isolated town of Lüderitz is notable for its surreal Art Nouveau architecture. Most of these colourful buildings date back to the diamond rush period of the early 20th century, when Namibia was a German colony.

Walvis Bay is situated on the edge of a tidal lagoon, sheltered from the Atlantic by a long sand spit. This important wetland area is famous for its birdlife, home to one of southern Africa’s largest flamingo colonies, and it’s a short drive to the city of Swakopmund, known for its quirky German colonial architecture.

Luanda is a city of shocking contrasts, where conspicuous consumption fuelled by Angola’s oil boom rubs up against sprawling shanty towns. The most attractive areas of the city date back to the Portuguese colonial period, including the fortress of São Miguel de Luanda and the pleasant seafront promenade known as the Marginal.

Ghana’s capital city Accra is located on the Atlantic Ocean, where Europeans arrived to establish a trading hub on what was known as the Gold Coast. Precious metals were soon superseded by slaves, and visitors can get a flavour of the remnants of this grim practice in the former slave prisons and museums.

Once just a little fishing village, Takoradi is now a deep-water sea port growing rapidly on the back of Ghana’s oil industry. Nearby points of interest include Cape Coast Castle, part of a network of colonial-era forts where slaves were held captive before being shipped across the Atlantic.

Abidjan, the most important city in Côte d’Ivoire, has bounced back since the civil war of 2011, and the glittering array of skyscrapers comes as a surprise to many visitors. There is still plenty about the city that is authentically African, however, including some of the best street food in the region.

Banjul is the capital of The Gambia, Africa’s smallest country, situated at the point where the Gambia river enters the Atlantic. City highlights include the National Museum and the bustling Royal Albert Market, and the nearby Tanji Bird Reserve attracts ornithologists from around the world, with hundreds of colourful species.