Far North · Cameroon
Maroua travel guide
Maroua is a city in Far North, Cameroon, home to about 201,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- MVR17 km · Salak Airport
- Currency
- XAFCentral African CFA franc
- Time zone
- Africa/Douala
- Language
- English, French
About
About Maroua
Maroua (Fula: Marwa, مَرْوَ, 𞤥𞤢𞤪𞤱𞤢) is the capital of the Far North Region of Cameroon, stretching along the banks of the Ferngo and Kaliao Rivers, in the foothills of the Mandara Mountains. The city had 201,371 inhabitants at the 2005 census, consisting mainly of the Fulbe/Fulani ethnic group.
Maroua is famous for its artisanal activity and its market where tanners, potters, tailors, weavers and blacksmiths gather daily. The craft center at the entrance to the market brings together about fifty artisans who offer on their shelves embroidered or hand-woven tablecloths, leather rugs, slippers, crocodile skin handbags. or snake, etc. Another more modern craft center is found at the entrance to the city. Maroua is known in particular for its imposing ginger fields, and for the manufacture of ginger liqueur.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Maroua
See
- Mont Maroua
- Place des Fetes de Maroua
- Village artisanal de Maroua
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Maroua
Maroua has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 41 °C; August is the wettest, with about 251 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 Maroua: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Salak Airport (MVR), about 17 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
The easiest way to get around Maroua is by motorbike, locally called benskin (local English expression for: "trembling skin"). It is not allowed to share your motorcycle taxi. A trip within the city costs between 100 and 300 FCFA, more if the distance is important). A "deposit" (unshared motorbike taxi) varies depending on the duration and starts at 500 FCFA and goes up to 2000 FCFA (Sep 2021). Prices are to be discussed before getting on the vehicle. The city has thousands of motorcycle taxis, it is a very economical means of transport.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MVR · Salak Airport
Questions
Maroua: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Maroua?
Maroua has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 41 °C; August is the wettest, with about 251 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Maroua?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Salak Airport (MVR), about 17 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Maroua?
Central African CFA franc (XAF).
Nearby
Destinations near Maroua
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.