Animist religious and protectors of one of the most beautiful UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Today we celebrate the International Day of Indigenous People and encourage to learn more about this amazing culture.

Not too many hours away from our country, in the Bijago Islands of Guinea Bissau, the Bijago people live practically the same as they did hundreds of years ago. With an animistic tradition, they live in a matriarchal society in harmony with the precious nature that has been granted to them.

They are surrounded by a landscape of mangroves, tropical forests and white sand beaches difficult to find anywhere else. It is the Bolama-Bijagos Biosphere Reserve, perfectly preserved for generations. Their culture, religion and way of understanding and practicing life leads them to care for and protect their natural environment. Today, even some of the islands of this archipelago are completely virgin and have been kept uninhabited following the traditions of the Bijago people. It is a little paradise to know and respect.

What five things can we learn and even incorporate from the Bijago people?

  1. 1) A conception of the natural world that is endowed with movement, soul and self-awareness.
  2. 2) Respect for the natural state of their space, to the point of keeping some islands of the archipelago completely virgin and uninhabited as they are considered untouchable and sacred.
  3. 3) The protection of fauna. Some animals that live there such as the green turtle or the manatee are even revered.
  4. 4) Know how to feel satisfied with what the earth provides to them.
  5. 5) A conception of the world where nature is not only an environment but their home and should not be attacked.

For more than ten years, the Orango Parque Hotel has been developing a responsible and sustainable ecotourism project in this area. Its mission: to bring tourists closer to the reality of the Bijago culture and respect for the conservation of biodiversity. This initiative wants to raise awareness and highlight the importance of maintaining natural environments and cultures such as the Bijago in order to reach soon a sustainable and coherent world.