Douala: Cameroon's economic powerhouse

Cameroon's main port and economic center, Douala also remains the most convenient starting point to climb Mount Cameroon, an still-active volcano.

The center, the economic heart of Cameroon, can be comfortably visited by shared taxi or on foot in the central districts.

The Central Market of Douala, among the largest in central Africa, sells fabrics, spices and craftsmanship of dozens of Cameroonian ethnic groups.

A few steps away, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame des Victoires, in French colonial style, remains one of the city's oldest religious buildings.

Heading inland you can reach Mount Cameroon, the most active volcano and highest mountain in western Africa, the goal of multi-day treks.

As evening approaches, the Wouri river waterfront comes alive with restaurants of fresh fish and live music in the heart of the city.

Mount Cameroon, an active volcano standing over four thousand meters, hosts one of the most extreme mountain races in the world every year, the 'Race of Hope', which requires less than five hours for the complete ascent and descent.

Douala takes its name from the Duala people, a coastal community that dominated trade between Cameroon's interior and European merchants from the sixteenth century onward, eventually becoming the country's primary seaport.