The Boulevard de l'Independance runs along the waterfront for several kilometres and is the city's main thoroughfare. The seaward side is lined with ministries, embassies, hotels and a handful of restaurants; the landward side climbs into the older commercial district. Most of the city's points of orientation are within a short walk of the boulevard.
The walkable stretch between the Cathedral and the Hotel Le Meridien is the best for a morning stroll, when the heat is still bearable and the breeze comes in off the estuary.