Places · Inland · The Gambia
Brikama: craft and music capital
Brikama is one of The Gambia's largest towns and the country's craft capital, set inland from the coast where the Kombo region meets the road south. It is best known for woodcarving and as a heartland of Gambian music — a working town with a strong creative reputation rather than a polished resort.
The craft market
Brikama's craft market is the country's most important centre for woodcarving, where you can watch carvers at work and buy masks, figures, bowls, and furniture, often more cheaply and with more variety than at the coastal tourist markets. Prices are negotiable; the markets and crafts guide covers etiquette. Buying directly from makers supports the craft.
A home of the kora
Brikama is famous as a centre of Gambian music and the kora tradition, home to renowned griot families and instrument makers. For visitors interested in the country's music heritage, it is a meaningful place — sometimes it is possible to hear musicians or visit kora-making workshops, usually best arranged through a local contact or guide.
A regional hub
Brikama is a busy transport and market town and a gateway to the south coast and inland routes. Nearby is the Makasutu Culture Forest, a private reserve of forest, mangrove, and savannah offering guided walks, canoe trips, and cultural displays — one of the most popular organised day trips from the coast.
What to expect
- A genuine working town, busy and unpolished.
- Excellent for crafts, especially woodcarving.
- A short drive inland from the coastal strip.
- Best combined with Makasutu or a south-coast trip.
What to read next
- Markets and crafts — buying carvings well.
- Food and music — the kora and griot traditions.
- Day trips from the coast — including Makasutu.
- Getting around — reaching Brikama.