Go tanning/beaching
The name Lagos is a Portuguese word that means lakes. You can’t visit Lagos without seeing at least one beach. There are numerous to pick from; among them are Tarkwa Bay, Elegushi, Jara, and Badagry.
Galleries/Museum
If you snooze, you lose in Lagos. However, staring and slowing your thought into a piece of artwork can provide the solace and balance you need to enjoy in Lagos, something lacking for many of many Lagosians. Lagos, fortunately, has many galleries which you can visit, and most are free. We have Nike art gallery, Rele Gallery, Omenka Gallery, Terra Kulture, Red Door gallery among many others.
Take a cultural/historical walk around old Lagos.
Most big cities have where they started from before they spread into other areas and became prominent. Lagos is not an exception. Lagos, a port-city, started as a collection of islands, and the Old Lagos was called Ìsàlẹ̀ Èkó.
Walk around the Brazilian-Cuban architecture built by returnees from the slave trade. The Lagos Marina, one of the first Marina in Nigeria and a port for shipping trade during colonial Lagos, is also situated around the same place. Today, the Marina is where the central business centre of Lagos is located, and most companies have their head offices. At the Marina, you can enjoy the Lagos sunset view and visit the oldest Anglican cathedral in Nigeria, a beautiful edifice and one of the most photographed places in Lagos.
Go to an evening concert/ cultural event
A city shows itself at night. For some, a concert in a city is the best way to experience it, and the best place for such is Lagos. The nightlife of Lagos is beautiful and more imaginative than you know. A popular line in a song goes, “ain’t no party like a Lagos party.”
If you’re a concert kind of person, there are several concerts every weekend in Lagos. Freedom Park, formerly a prison during colonial times, is a memorial and leisure park and often a friendly environment for weekend concerts and theatre plays. With the rave and wave of Afro-pop globally, Lagos is home to two Grammy artists, so you might be lucky to be in a concert where one of them is performing.
The Muri Okunola Park and Bogogiri are other places for some beautiful evening live band concert. A visit to the Muson centre, a performing-arts centre, allows you to see plays/drama of popular books from internationally renowned Nigerian writers such as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Chimamanda Adichie.
The legendary Afrobeat king, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti New Afrika Shrine, and a museum called the Kalakuta Republic. His sons, who are also great musicians, have concerts at the shrine around the year. A visit to the museum gives the rare privilege to learn and insight into the life of the late Afrobeat king.
Visit the biggest market in Lagos
Balogun market! A little observatory walks around famous open-air market around Lagos such as the Balogun Market will force you into the reality of the ever-bubbling Lagos. Make sure you dress light and be ready to get tucked in between the crowd.
See nature from the eyes of Lagos
A visit to Lagos is not complete if you don’t escape the city life and venture into nature. There are many green parks in Lagos, but two beautiful nature parks on the island side of Lagos stand out. Lufasi park, an urban green area and jokingly referred to as the lungs of the environment, is a beautiful twenty-hectare pristine Farm-Forest that houses a beautiful lake and scenic natural spot where you can rekindle your soul. Another beautiful spot is the Lekki Conservation Centre which is home to the longest canopy walk in Africa. Don’t leave Lagos without ticking out these places off your bucket list.
Visit restaurant/Try the street food.
Nigeria is a multicultural country and has so much to offer in terms of food. One of the best places to have a taste of this is in Lagos. You can start by trying out some of Lagos street foods that you find at different corners; these are usually finger foods called small chops, packs of Samosa, grilled chicken or turkey, spring roll, and puff puff.
Take a boat ride and see the coastline of Lagos from the seaside.
Or you can even go kayaking if you like to paddle yourself. The jetty of Ikoyi in Lagos have kayak services that can be rented to get this unique experience.
Experience a Danfo ride.
This is a wild adventure! Only try when you have a local guide with you. The Lagos yellow buses are unique to Lagos only. These old yellow ubiquitous Volkswagen buses are not just a means of transportation but a cultural experience on their own. Join in the drama of commuters fighting for space, and pass your first Lagos survival test.
Jog on the famous Lagos Ikoyi bridge.
The Lagos Ikoyi bridge stands boldly as one of the links connecting the Lagos mainland and island. During Mark Zuckerberg’s first visit to Nigeria, he had a jog on this same bridge. If you’re a fitness enthusiast, this is a good place for an early morning weekend jogging when you visit Lagos.
