Varela has two large, sweeping beaches separated by some cliffs. The beach stretching south from town is where the fishing activity is and where we saw more people (but still not that many!). These boys were curious about our presence. The loved looking at their pictures on our digital camera screen.

The tidal differences in Guinea Bissau are five times the global average. This is the fishing beach at high tide.

The same beach at low tide that afternoon.

The other beach stretched north from town to the Senegalese border. We only encountered a few people as we walked along its deserted shores. A few people rode by on bicycles heading towards other villages.

Some cows emerged from the trees behind the beach. This one watched us from a distance.

This picture says it all.