Benguela Province · Angola
Benguela travel guide
Benguela is a city in Benguela Province, Angola, home to about 562,000 people.
- Best months
- May to January
- Nearest airport
- CBT11 km · Catumbela Airport
- Currency
- AOAkwanza
- Time zone
- Africa/Luanda
- Language
- Portuguese
About
About Benguela
Benguela is a city in western Angola, capital of Benguela Province. Benguela is one of Angola's most populous cities with a population of 555,124 in the city and 561,775 in the municipality, at the 2014 census.
Founded by Portuguese general Manuel Cerveira Pereira in 1617. Benguela was long the centre of the slave trade to Brazil and Cuba.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Benguela
See
There are some pretty colonial buildings in Benguela. A few are pictured in this article. There are several beautiful beaches around Benguela, including one right in the city center! The best beach resort hotel, though, is in Lobito. The beaches outside the city are close by and easy to reach by car, either your own or a hired taxi. They're really beautiful too, with the bluest water, the whitest sand, and most are flanked by dramatic cliffs. But remember that tourist facilities are limited and beaches are not well-maintained. A visit with high expectations of a tropical paradise vacation risks disappointment.
- Baia Azul
- Caotinha Beach
- Praia Morena
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Benguela
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Benguela are May to January. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; March is the wettest, with about 129 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Benguela: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Catumbela Airport (CBT), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line.
CBT · Catumbela Airport
Questions
Benguela: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Benguela?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Benguela are May to January. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; March is the wettest, with about 129 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Benguela?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Catumbela Airport (CBT), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Benguela?
kwanza (AOA).
Nearby
Destinations near Benguela
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.