Gouessesso sits in the heart of the Yacouba country between Biankouma and Man, both worth a visit. Biankouma, 12 km east, has a bustling weekly market and is the nearest administrative centre. Man, 50 km southeast, is the regional capital — home to the famous Cascade waterfalls, the Dent de Man (a striking tooth-shaped peak), and the largest collection of mask-related cultural sites in the country.
Further west, the village of Fakobly (40 km) is one of the centres of Yacouba blacksmithing and mask-carving. The Sacred Forest of Gouéné, a small protected grove near Biankouma, is the site of important Yacouba initiation rituals — visitors can sometimes enter the outer edges with a local guide.
