The only way to reach Butre beach and Ellis Hideout from the village is across the Butre River, and there is no bridge. A local boatman paddles travellers across in a narrow wooden dugout — the kind of journey that takes thirty seconds but tells you exactly where you are. The fare is a small handful of cedis.
The river itself is wide and slow where it meets the sea, fringed with mangroves and the occasional fishing pirogue pulled up on the bank. The crossing is also the village's social spot: women wash clothes on the rocks, children swim, and fishermen mend nets. Linger a few minutes at either bank and you will see more of village life than from any guided walk.