Last updated on April 16th, 2021; Published on August 14th, 2020
If you are looking for places to visit in Lagos, you’ve come to the right place! It is not a secret that Lagos isn’t the most touristic destination in the world. Apart from residents and Nigerians in general, most people who come here do so for business purposes. Nevertheless, the city is not bereft of tourist attractions and in this article, I will be sharing some of the best places to visit in Lagos, Nigeria.
I have written extensively about some of these places on this blog, so if you are an avid reader, you are already familiar with them. I usually write only about places I have been to and can recommend, however, for this list, I will be including a few places I haven’t visited yet (but would love to go to).
Having said that, please bear in mind that reviews and recommendations for the places I have visited are based on my personal experiences and may vary for you. Now, without further ado, if you ever find yourself looking for fun places to visit in Lagos, here are my top 25 picks!
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Fun Places to Visit in Lagos Island
Looking for Beautiful and Fun Places to visit in Lagos? Check out this list of 25 places on the Island and Mainland!CLICK TO TWEET
One of the great things about Lagos is it’s proximity to the ocean and that brings with it several stretches of beach land and getaway opportunities. But Lagos beaches aren’t like most you’d find anywhere else. In the sense that you cannot simply drive up to a beach, pull up an umbrella, sit back and relax, especially as a foreigner.
Most of the ordinary beaches you would find as you drive away from Victoria Island do not have good structures for tourists and there are gatekeepers. You would be required to pay a fee – usually, a small amount, to enjoy the oceanfront. However, there are a few areas that are more tailored to tourists. In this article, I will be focusing on the upper end of the scale – not necessarily in terms of budget alone, but also in terms of infrastructures. I will write about other beaches and beachfront properties in a separate article.
Fun Places to Visit in Lagos Island: Beaches & Beach Resorts in Lagos, Nigeria
1. Jara Beach Resort
Jara Beach Resort is arguably the best beach resort in Lagos at the moment. The resort stands out with her offering of an all-inclusive stay at the beachfront property. Mark and I spent three days at the resort earlier this year and we both enjoyed our time there tremendously. The resort is located in Museyo, Eleko, Lagos and is easily accessible by road.
2. Sencillo Lagos
Sencillo Lagos is an exclusive 3-bedroom beachfront property in Ilashe, Lagos. This is one of the places I haven’t been to yet but would love to visit if I get a chance to. Sencillo is accessible by boat from Victoria Island.
3. La Campagne Tropicana
La Campagne Tropicana is another lovely beach resort to visit in Lagos. It is located towards the outskirts of Lagos and it can take a while to get there, especially if you are travelling from Lagos Mainland. The appeal of La Campagne Tropicana is the clean and beautiful beach the property is on, as well as the availability of several activities to engage in. This is the only other location in Lagos that I think deserves to call itself a resort.
4. Hov Beach Resort
This place like Sencillo, is somewhere I’d love to visit. It is a 6 bedroom beachfront property, also located in Ilashe.
5. Tarkwa Bay
Tarkwa Bay is another beach that I can recommend a visit to. While I didn’t particularly enjoy being in this beach area (don’t take my experience as a blueprint, many people love the beach here), I absolutely loved spending time in the cabin and the areas surrounding it. Also, the beach area behind the Jaybee Beach Camp is actually much nicer, so be sure to check it out. Tarkwa Bay is accessible via boat from Fiki Marina in Victoria Island.
Here are other beautiful beach areas I haven’t been to yet but think are worth visiting in Lagos.
6. Moist Beach Club
7. Kamp Ikare
8. Laguna Beach
9. Inagbe Grand Resort
10. Landmark Beach
More Beautiful & Fun Places to Visit in Lagos Island and Environs…
11. Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate
![Unravelling_Nigeria_Lakowe_Golf[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.travelwithapen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Unravelling_Nigeria_Lakowe_Golf1-1024x967.jpeg?resize=930%2C878)
Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate is a great place for golf lovers in Lagos. Here, you can enjoy a game of golf or simply spend your time relaxing in any of the available accommodation options. My visit to Lakowe Lakes was wonderful, however, I have read some not-so-pleasant reviews lately (see Alex’s post here, as an example). Be sure to go through to make a more informed decision and also to manage your expectations.
12. Epe Resort and Spa
13. Lekki Conservation Centre
If you google ‘fun places to visit in Lagos’, Lekki Conservation Centre is likely to top the list. The truth is that there aren’t that many places like this in Lagos – and there should be. The main attraction of the Conservation Centre these days is the canopy walkway however, if you are anything like me, you’ll love the board walk even more.
14. Epe Mangroves
The Epe Mangroves and Fish Market are quite unconventional but if you find yourself in Lagos looking for an unconventional attraction, this is a place to consider visiting. Here, you can sail across the mangroves in a local canoe and spend time with the locals at the fish market or at a local palm wine factory.
15. Terra Kulture
The Terra Kulture space holds a restaurant, bookstore and a nice little art gallery. But what you should really try to see is a stage play here. If it is a play by Bolanle Austin-Peters, then I can guarantee that you’ll absolutely enjoy it. Look out for fan favourites like Wakaa the Musical and Fela’s Republic and the Kalakuta Queens.
16. Nike Art Gallery
This art gallery is also a visitor’s favourite in Lagos. It is a three-story building filled with artworks from all over the country, all of which, are available for purchase. At the time of this writing, entry into Nike Art Gallery is free, which adds to the appeal for visitors on a budget.
17. Bogobiri House
The atmosphere and vibe at Bogobiri is the main attraction for me. It is such a cool space nestled in Ikoyi. The Bogobiri House features a boutique hotel, restaurant, bookstore, an art gallery and a intimate concert area.
18. Jazz Hole
If you love coffee, books and the occasional concert, then you will love Jazzhole, a bookstore based in Ikoyi, Lagos.
19. Upbeat
Upbeat is a recreational centre in Lekki geared towards fitness and exercise. Here you will find facilities such as a football field, basketball court and a park with trampolines and other indoor activities. This place is also great for team building sessions. They actually have a program specifically tailored to this. The program is a mix of indoor and outdoor challenges. It’s great fun!
20. Omu Resort
Omu Resort is also a recreational centre located in Lagos. This park has a number of fun activities for visitors to engage in. I had a pretty good time when I visited a few years back, however, the place looked unfinished. I wouldn’t normally have an issue with this but the park keeps adding activities to its space. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I would prefer that they put finishing touches to the facilities they already have before including more.
Also, Omu Resort has a zoo on-premises. These days, I feel very conflicted about visiting zoos, so I thought to mention this here, in case you have reservations about visiting as well.
21. Rufus and Bee
Rufus and Bee is a game arcade and bowling centre located in Victoria Island, Lagos. This is definitely a place worth visiting to let your hair down and activate your inner child.
Fun Places to Visit in Lagos Mainland
Most of the interesting places to visit in Lagos are clustered in Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikoyi. This doesn’t mean the mainland is completely left out. Okay, let’s be honest, the mainland is actually left out :(. I’ve purposely left out the places below for personal reasons, as stated. But please feel free to include them if they interest you…
- The Ikeja and Maryland Malls: because there’s no unique activity to do here. Malls are good for shopping (at Shoprite), window shopping at the other stores and for watching movies. These are fun things to do in Lagos, nonetheless but I’m looking to include only fairly unique activities in this list.
- The New Afrika Shrine: because I visited this place when there was no concert and let’s just say I am not tempted to return.
- Restaurants and Spots to Hangout: the mainland has a good number of these but that’s not what this list is for 🙂
Here are some places I recommend;
Beautiful and Fun Places to Visit in Lagos Mainland
22. Jaekel House
This old railroad house, located in Ebute Metta, is great for picnics and a trip back in time. The building, constructed in the late 1800s, houses relics of the old railway corporation, among other things. I’m not sure if this is usually the case, but when my friends and I visited, we got an in-depth tour of the house and its relics, rode on the manual train – which was chaotic and fun and ended our time with a picnic behind the house.
23. Johnson Jakande Tinubu Park
Because there aren’t many public parks in Lagos (and also because Lagos is overpopulated), this park can get very crowded. Nevertheless, it is a great spot for a picnic if you visit on a good day. Be aware that part of the park adjoins a major road. If blaring horns are unbearable for you, then you should visit, take your Instagram photos and escape to somewhere with more peace and quiet.
24. Badagry
I initially left Badagry out of this list because considering her history, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a fun place to visit in Lagos. It is also quite out of town but here we are. Also, I had originally (grudgingly) included an amusement park situated along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway which a commenter pointed out isn’t in Lagos. Hence its removal from this list.
Having said all of that, Badagry does have a few beautiful places to check out. There’s a nice stretch of beach where you can hang out and there’s also the Whispering Palms resort – which sounds like a cool spot as well.
25. Jhalobia (and Honary Mention: Shodex Gardens)
Enjoy picnic season in any one of these two gardens situated in Lagos Mainland. I haven’t been to either but they have my attention, especially the Jhalobia Gardens. Shodex Gardens seems like the underdog though. Everyone drives past it but few people bother to go inside. As with Omu Resort, I’m not a big fan of the mini-zoo it has but judging from the pictures I see online, it seems like it would be a fairly good place to visit – especially for kids.
Tips for Travelling in and around Lagos
Tips for Travelling In and Around Lagos, Nigeria
- Plan your movements around Lagos very carefully. Lagos and Traffic are synonymous. So allow enough travel time.
- Lagos establishments can be very weird (and sometimes hostile) about taking pictures, especially if you do so with a digital camera. Honestly, I do not understand this rule and I think it is silly but this is definitely something you should be aware of as you visit some of these places. Places featured on this list that have such policies include La Campagne Tropicana, Rufus and Bee, Hi-Impact Planet, Upbeat and Jazzhole.
- I think visitors enjoy Lagos best when they have someone to show them around. It really isn’t a solo-traveller friendly city.
- Uber and Bolt work well in Lagos. Public transportation in a Danfo (the yellow buses – not recommended for tourists) are also available.
- Be situationally aware, optimize for people experience and keep your wits about you.
What are some of your favourite places to visit in Lagos? Please share them with me in the comment section below.
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